The Gambler

'Nothing could be more absurd than moral lessons at such a moment! Oh, self-satisfied people: with what proud self-satisfaction such babblers are ready to utter their pronouncements! If they only knew to what degree I myself understand all the loathsomeness of my present condition, they wouldn't have the heart to teach me.'

Ironically written in haste to pay off Dostoyevsky's own gambling debts, The Gambler is thrilling novella that explores the true cost of addiction, obsession and self-destruction.

Set against the backdrop of a glittering German casino town where fortunes are made and lost within minutes, The Gambler follows the young Alexei Ivanovich, a tutor working for the family of a Russian army general. Hopelessly in love with the stepdaughter, the elusive Polina who is indifferent to his romantic efforts, Alexei goes to the casino to secure his own wealth and, in turn, Paulina's companionship. But in his chase for love and approval, Alexei soon descends into a spiral of risk, humiliation and misplaced pride, the roulette wheel offering both triumphant ecstasy and devastating ruin. A profound reflection on his own gambling demons, Dostoyevsky candidly captures the realities of addiction in this darkly funny, brutally honest and enduring classic.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821 – 1881) was a Russian novelist, journalist and philosopher. Famed for his masterpieces Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Adolescent, his works are characterised by profound psychological insight and existentialist exploration. Today, he is regarded as one of the greatest novelists of all time.