The Gambler

At the roulette table, fortunes are won and lives are destroyed in a single turn. The Gambler (1867), by Fyodor Dostoevsky, is a fast-paced and emotionally charged novel that exposes the destructive allure of gambling and the torment of obsession. The story is told through the eyes of Alexei Ivanovich, a young tutor working for a wealthy Russian family in a German resort town. Torn between his unrelenting passion for the beautiful Polina and his growing addiction to roulette, Alexei finds himself caught in a downward spiral of risk, temptation, and despair. Written under immense financial pressure, Dostoevsky poured his own experience of gambling addiction into the novel, giving it unmatched authenticity and urgency.
The result is both a thrilling narrative and a psychological study of compulsion, freedom, and the fragile line between hope and self-destruction. Though written in haste, The Gambler remains one of Dostoevsky's most compelling works, offering insight into the darker corners of human desire. ?? Click "Buy Now" and witness Dostoevsky's unforgettable tale of passion, obsession, and the price of chance.