Reviews

“Know that I've forgotten precisely nothing; but I've driven it all out of my head for a time, even the memories--until I've radically improved my circumstances. Then... then you'll see, I'll rise from the dead!”

This is the quote that reveals the theme of the story quite profoundly. A man with an intensely burning desire to change. The story is about a young man working under a Russian general, who ends up succumbing to the game of bet and loss.

"The gambler” by Fyodar Dostroevesky is a short novella that revolves around the dark theme of obsession, addiction, money and loss. The story features Alexey Ivonovitch, a young tutor working under a peremptory Russian general. Alexey aims to break the social order but ends up drowning into it. He gets addicted to the gambling and starts looking at his life like it's a gambling play. His perspective starts to revolve around the very play. He also has an obsession with the general's niece, who he found to be quite interesting. He let his addiction grow and he himself gets trapped in the inescapable void of gambling. Can he find his life back after succumbing into temporary pleasure? Can he stop himself from gambling again? Read the story to find out.

A very interesting thing about this story is that Dostoevesky himself was addicted to Russian roulette and he wrote this novel to write off his debt from the gambling.

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4.0

4/5
In Medias Res, Obsession, Arrogance, Existentialism

“Now she would suddenly start to draw me to her; a trusting smile wandered across her face; and then suddenly she would push me away and once again take to peering at me with a darkened look.”

I loved the dramatization of reality under the guise of gambling, as well as the intricacy of emotional (seesawing) characters. The way Dostoyevsky interlaces existentialist subtext under Polina’s obsessive yet fatuous love of Alexei and Mr. Astely is excellent.

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