Gambler

Author: Dostoevsky
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Recommended by renowned authors, Foreign Short Story Series. The life of a gambler filled with desires and changes, a twisted, pathological yet romantic and passionate love story. The Gambler is a work written by the Russian writer Dostoevsky during his trip to Western Europe. About the protagonist of this novel, Alyosha, the author wrote: "I want to portray an honest character, one well-educated, yet unformed in every way... But the main thing is that he puts all his life, energy, passion, and courage into roulette. He is a gambler, not just an ordinary gambler, just as Pushkin's is not an ordinary miser... In a sense, he is a poet, but the problem is that he is ashamed of this poetic nature, because he feels it is lowly, although the desire for adventure makes him feel grand. The entire novel tells how he indulges in the roulette table for three consecutive years."
Another reason why The Gambler is worth reading is that it leaves a deep imprint of Dostoevsky's own life experiences. The romantic twists between Alyosha and the female protagonist Polina reflect the complex relationship between the author and his lover, ASUSLOVA. Dostoevsky once wrote in a letter about ASUSLOVA's character: "She demands perfection, expecting people to embody everything, never excusing a flaw for having many other virtues." These words can perfectly describe Polina's character. ASUSLOVA traveled with Dostoevsky to Western Europe and was once infatuated with a Frenchman, getting into financial troubles with him. The relationship between Polina and Degrye in the novel bears similarities to this.