The Gambler
Ratings79
Average rating3.9
“I wanted to fathom her secrets; I wanted her to come to me and say: “I love you,” and if not that, if that was senseless insanity, then...well, what was there to care about? Did I know what I wanted? I was like one demented: all I wanted was to be near her, in the halo of her glory, in her radiance, always, for ever, all my life. I knew nothing more!”
‘'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, to put out my tongue at it. I laid down the largest stake allowed – four thousand gulden – and lost it. Then, getting hot, I pulled out all I had left, staked it on the same number, and lost again, after which I walked away from the table as though I were stunned. I could not even grasp what had happened to me.''
The greatest of the greats demonstrates in the most eloquent, bitter and acute manner the whirlwind that is created when Love and Gambling unite. When the obsession of the heart and the obsession of the wallet meet to lead the victim to destruction...
Thirteen years later, Dostoevsky said it all in The Brothers Karamazov.
‘'If he's honest, he'll steal; if he's human, he'll murder; if he's faithful, he'll deceive.''
It's been a while since I read something by Dostoevsky and this rather short novel didn't disappoint. Powerful and intense narration combined with interesting characters! Written from his classic first person point of view, Dostoevsky sheds light on gambling addiction and takes us inside the mind of a roulette gambler. The book explores a lot of other themes about human nature, along with addiction and delves into the very soul of the protagonist. I borrowed the audiobook from the local library via Libby and it was my first audiobook experience. Would surely recommend!
Some later chapters when Alexi describes his strange thinking and mad behavior are really page-turners.
Another excellent work by Dostoevsky. One reason I am a huge fan of Dostoevsky is because of how well he puts readers into the minds of his characters. We in turn are able to learn a lot about life from the characters' perspectives. For example, what goes through the head of a chronic gambler? How are they able to spend the last bit of money they have on gambling? What urges them on to keep gambling? Through The Gambler, the reader can get very clear answers to these questions.
Compared to other works of Dostoevsky, The Gambler is a much easier read. The plot is often incredibly riveting. The characters feel very real. The language isn't as dense as Dostoevsky's other works. Still, something prevented me from giving the book 5 stars. Highly recommend nonetheless!
Esperaba más, mucho más. Mí primer encuentro con Dostoyevski no ha sido el más fructífero.
I've been through the BBC radio 3 audio version of the book. It have amazing sound effects and each character narrated by different person. It's short and sweet novel. However it seems this version of the audio book look a bit different from the original version.
“Useless, you say? But pleasure is always useful, and wild, boundless power—if only over a fly—is also a pleasure of a certain sort. Man is a despot by nature and likes to play the torturer. You like it terribly.”
“A true gentleman, even if he loses his entire fortune, must not show emotion.”