Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Gambler
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Read the original first, then read this. Something will click. You'll want to go back.
Either way, the door opens inward.
Essential Life Skills You'll Learn
Recognizing Addiction
See how obsession hijacks rational choice
Understanding Compulsion
Know the psychology of 'just one more'
Breaking Free
Identify the moment before the spiral
These skills are woven throughout the analysis, helping you see how classic literature provides practical guidance for navigating today's complex world.
A young tutor becomes addicted to roulette at a German spa, spiraling into obsession. Written from personal experience—Dostoevsky dictated it in 26 days to pay gambling debts—it captures addiction's psychological grip with terrifying accuracy. A short, intense portrait of compulsion and self-destruction.
Related Resources
Table of Contents
Return to Roulettenberg
Our unnamed narrator returns from a two-week absence to find his employers, the General's family, su...
First Steps into the Casino
The narrator enters the casino for the first time, playing with Polina's money rather than his own. ...
Power Games and Hidden Motives
The narrator finds himself trapped in a toxic dynamic with Polina, who treats him with contempt whil...
The Gambler's Delusion and Cultural Clash
The narrator loses everything at the roulette table while gambling with Polina's money, but his real...
The Power of Dangerous Questions
Polina reveals the family's desperate financial situation: the General has mortgaged everything to t...
The Aftermath of Defiance
The narrator reflects on his bizarre confrontation with the Baron and Baroness two days earlier, rev...
The Power Behind the Throne
The narrator receives an unexpected visit from De Griers, the French schemer who normally treats him...
The Englishman's Revelations
The narrator encounters his English acquaintance Astley on the promenade, and what begins as casual ...
The Grandmother's Explosive Arrival
The moment everyone has been dreading finally arrives: Antonida Vassilievna, the formidable 75-year-...
The Grandmother's First Taste of Victory
The Grandmother arrives at the luxurious spa hotel and immediately establishes her dominance through...
Victory's Dangerous Intoxication
The Grandmother's spectacular gambling win transforms her from family burden to dangerous wildcard. ...
The Point of No Return
The Grandmother's gambling addiction reaches its peak as she loses everything in a devastating sessi...
The Aftermath of Ruin
A month after the gambling crisis, the narrator reflects on how everything has changed. The Grandmot...
The Miracle of Desperate Luck
In a moment of pure desperation, the narrator rushes to the casino with a wild plan to win enough mo...
Money Can't Buy Love
The narrator returns to Polina with his massive gambling winnings, convinced that money will solve t...
The Gambler's Last Dance
The narrator burns through his winnings in three weeks of Parisian debauchery with Blanche, who syst...
The Final Gamble
A year and eight months later, our narrator reflects on his complete downfall. He's been a servant, ...
About Fyodor Dostoevsky
Published 1867
Dostoevsky wrote The Gambler while simultaneously writing Crime and Punishment, desperate to pay his own gambling debts. He understood addiction from the inside, making this novella uncomfortably authentic.
Why This Author Matters Today
Fyodor Dostoevsky's insights into human nature, social constraints, and the search for authenticity remain powerfully relevant. Their work helps us understand the timeless tensions between individual desire and social expectation, making them an essential guide for navigating modern life's complexities.
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