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At that point I ought to have gone away, but a strange sensation rose up in me, a sort of defiance of fate, a desire to challenge it…
Whenever I hear the advice “write what you know,” this is one of the first books to come to mind. Dostoevsky had an incredible ability to capture the feeling of guilt and instill it into the reader. In “The Gambler,” this is coupled with his own struggles with gambling addiction. Not only did this inform the novel, but it was also written to cover a gambling debt.
As a testament to his craft, this short 1866 novel will have you gripping the pages, feeling uncomfortable with a dry mouth and glassy eyes, as if you too were falling headlong into a gambling addiction. And while it is considered one of his “light” novels, it still packs such an emotional hit that resonates long after it's over.
The story follows Alexey Ivanovitch, a tutor in the house of a dignified Russian general. He pursues the step-daughter, Polina, despite her affections towards a fake French marquis who is involved in a real estate scheme with the General’s money. Alexey gambles for love and also for money in an attempt to rise above his station. Dostoevsky delivers a sharp analysis of the gambling-addicted mind, criticism of both Western Europe and the Russian character, and satisfies yet again with a darkly existential novel.
The story behind “The Gambler” is nearly as interesting as the novel itself. Due to his debts to Russian publisher Stellovski, Dostoevsky made a deal that he could complete a novel in 30 days or lose the publishing rights to all his past and future work. Perhaps the rapid pace and gambling stressors added to the manic tone of the novel. In order to complete it more quickly, he hired a stenographer for the first time, Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina, a woman 25 years younger than him who would quickly become his wife within a year and transcribe many of his famous works.
This also followed his heartbreak at the death of his wife, Maria, from tuberculosis in 1864, and the breakdown of an affair he had with Polina Suslova in 1862. The character of Polina here is undoubtedly based on her, and the French marquis is likely based on the man she left him for. Alexey spares no insult for the man in the novel. He also had an idea ready to go, having written about the idea for this novel 3 years prior to a friend.
Like every college essay I ever wrote, Dostoevsky completed “The Gambler” right at the deadline. When the publisher could not be located (by design, so the rumor goes), he turned it into the police station in order to validate his success of the bet. And now we have this little gem, though Dostoevsky would soon abandon Russia in 1967 and remain outside the country for 4 years due to being pursued by creditors.
This is the classic tale of pursuing wealth in all the wrong ways. For much of the book, Alexey isn't at the roulette tables, but merely enticed by them and in a frenzy over Polina and the Frenchman. He says initially, “I had come there not only to look at, but also to number myself sincerely and wholeheartedly with, the mob.” Before finally, in a state of frustration, he begins to gamble. Things get dark here. Even when he is losing, he feels a foolish hope he can change his fortune, thinking, “What may I be tomorrow? Tomorrow I may rise from the dead and begin to live anew!” Dostoevsky frames the novel as if he is a damned soul and the slide into gambling addiction is an inevitability that we watch in horror as he is pulled towards it.
When he does take the plunge, he loses clarity, and Dostoevsky shows how hope is a double-edged sword, one that can help you persevere but one that can also cloud your judgment. Not that gambling addiction is something that will destroy everyone forever. I urge anyone who suspects they may be in danger to seek help because it is out there and you can get through it. Our character here, however, sees gambling as the way to win Polina as well as money, and Dostoevsky does not have a bright future laid out for him. The ending feels similar in vibes to “Chess Story” by Stefan Zweig, undoubtedly different books and aims, but that feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach reaches a fever pitch as the books come to an end.
Which is something I LOVE so much about Dostoevsky. He can really instill emotion into the reader. I talk about this at length in my review of “Crime and Punishment” because while reading that, I happened to get a seasonal cold that doubled down on my feelings of guilt and dread along with Raskolnikov’s illness. If police were to show up and clap cuffs on me for accessory to murder, I would have confessed—Dostoevsky makes you feel that complicit. Which is part of why he has remained such a classic author. There are moments where this book feels dated, particularly the long passages on what gambling addiction is and some sort of time-period issues (as well as some not great generalizations about ethnicities…), but overall it has a powerful impact in the present day.
This novel is unique in a way that it does not take place in Russia and allows Dostoevsky to comment upon Western culture as well as reflect back on Russia. He pretty much has nothing positive to say about anyone, but the French definitely fall under his ire. He also reflects on himself as a Russian and his critiques of Russian culture, as he tends to do. “Russians alone are able to combine so many opposites in themselves at one and the same time,” and these dualities and incongruities are often mined for his best insights into humanity throughout his fabulous career.
While this may not have the huge moments of genius and sweeping insights, “The Gambler” is an excellent psychological tale on the small scale. If anything, Dostoevsky welcomes you into his hellish state of gambling and makes you understand him in a way that few other writers are able to find the shortcut to so effectively. A highly recommended read, particularly for those who have loved the big novels and are craving more. He does compel you, which is an interesting feeling to be having when suddenly reading his book about addiction and looking over to see you have a tattoo of him on your arm and thinking, maybe I have a literary addiction? Okay, maybe that is just me. “The Gambler” is a minor work but one that still leaves a major impact.
4/5
Whenever I hear the advice “write what you know,” this is one of the first books to come to mind. Dostoevsky had an incredible ability to capture the feeling of guilt and instill it into the reader. In “The Gambler,” this is coupled with his own struggles with gambling addiction. Not only did this inform the novel, but it was also written to cover a gambling debt.
As a testament to his craft, this short 1866 novel will have you gripping the pages, feeling uncomfortable with a dry mouth and glassy eyes, as if you too were falling headlong into a gambling addiction. And while it is considered one of his “light” novels, it still packs such an emotional hit that resonates long after it's over.
The story follows Alexey Ivanovitch, a tutor in the house of a dignified Russian general. He pursues the step-daughter, Polina, despite her affections towards a fake French marquis who is involved in a real estate scheme with the General’s money. Alexey gambles for love and also for money in an attempt to rise above his station. Dostoevsky delivers a sharp analysis of the gambling-addicted mind, criticism of both Western Europe and the Russian character, and satisfies yet again with a darkly existential novel.
The story behind “The Gambler” is nearly as interesting as the novel itself. Due to his debts to Russian publisher Stellovski, Dostoevsky made a deal that he could complete a novel in 30 days or lose the publishing rights to all his past and future work. Perhaps the rapid pace and gambling stressors added to the manic tone of the novel. In order to complete it more quickly, he hired a stenographer for the first time, Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina, a woman 25 years younger than him who would quickly become his wife within a year and transcribe many of his famous works.
This also followed his heartbreak at the death of his wife, Maria, from tuberculosis in 1864, and the breakdown of an affair he had with Polina Suslova in 1862. The character of Polina here is undoubtedly based on her, and the French marquis is likely based on the man she left him for. Alexey spares no insult for the man in the novel. He also had an idea ready to go, having written about the idea for this novel 3 years prior to a friend.
Like every college essay I ever wrote, Dostoevsky completed “The Gambler” right at the deadline. When the publisher could not be located (by design, so the rumor goes), he turned it into the police station in order to validate his success of the bet. And now we have this little gem, though Dostoevsky would soon abandon Russia in 1967 and remain outside the country for 4 years due to being pursued by creditors.
This is the classic tale of pursuing wealth in all the wrong ways. For much of the book, Alexey isn't at the roulette tables, but merely enticed by them and in a frenzy over Polina and the Frenchman. He says initially, “I had come there not only to look at, but also to number myself sincerely and wholeheartedly with, the mob.” Before finally, in a state of frustration, he begins to gamble. Things get dark here. Even when he is losing, he feels a foolish hope he can change his fortune, thinking, “What may I be tomorrow? Tomorrow I may rise from the dead and begin to live anew!” Dostoevsky frames the novel as if he is a damned soul and the slide into gambling addiction is an inevitability that we watch in horror as he is pulled towards it.
When he does take the plunge, he loses clarity, and Dostoevsky shows how hope is a double-edged sword, one that can help you persevere but one that can also cloud your judgment. Not that gambling addiction is something that will destroy everyone forever. I urge anyone who suspects they may be in danger to seek help because it is out there and you can get through it. Our character here, however, sees gambling as the way to win Polina as well as money, and Dostoevsky does not have a bright future laid out for him. The ending feels similar in vibes to “Chess Story” by Stefan Zweig, undoubtedly different books and aims, but that feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach reaches a fever pitch as the books come to an end.
Which is something I LOVE so much about Dostoevsky. He can really instill emotion into the reader. I talk about this at length in my review of “Crime and Punishment” because while reading that, I happened to get a seasonal cold that doubled down on my feelings of guilt and dread along with Raskolnikov’s illness. If police were to show up and clap cuffs on me for accessory to murder, I would have confessed—Dostoevsky makes you feel that complicit. Which is part of why he has remained such a classic author. There are moments where this book feels dated, particularly the long passages on what gambling addiction is and some sort of time-period issues (as well as some not great generalizations about ethnicities…), but overall it has a powerful impact in the present day.
This novel is unique in a way that it does not take place in Russia and allows Dostoevsky to comment upon Western culture as well as reflect back on Russia. He pretty much has nothing positive to say about anyone, but the French definitely fall under his ire. He also reflects on himself as a Russian and his critiques of Russian culture, as he tends to do. “Russians alone are able to combine so many opposites in themselves at one and the same time,” and these dualities and incongruities are often mined for his best insights into humanity throughout his fabulous career.
While this may not have the huge moments of genius and sweeping insights, “The Gambler” is an excellent psychological tale on the small scale. If anything, Dostoevsky welcomes you into his hellish state of gambling and makes you understand him in a way that few other writers are able to find the shortcut to so effectively. A highly recommended read, particularly for those who have loved the big novels and are craving more. He does compel you, which is an interesting feeling to be having when suddenly reading his book about addiction and looking over to see you have a tattoo of him on your arm and thinking, maybe I have a literary addiction? Okay, maybe that is just me. “The Gambler” is a minor work but one that still leaves a major impact.
4/5
