The Gambler

A quick read that will keep you captivated into the deplorable habits of a few Russians and their gambling - as well as Dostoyevsky’s own struggles with gambling. I’m not a gambler, but peering into what the psyche of a gambler is within the context of this novel illuminates exactly why I am not. In the novel, Alexei shows the range of emotions a person who has beholden themselves into hard circumstances can get into in the most Dostoyevsky way, that is cynical in manner, arrogantly, and regretfully.

Reading about the cast of gamblers, in general, was fun and enjoyable. The characters that are painted are amusing, and you can sort of dream up the setting quite well if you’ve been to a casino or watched some historical crime/gangster fiction.

Alexei ruminates on a lot of thoughts throughout the book. For instance, he notes that a Gentleman can bet high and take a loss and show no emotion and is merely amused by it, but a Commoner will have to pretend to be composed yet meanwhile he is searing internally. The Gentleman has a complete ignorance for other’s realities, and the Commoner does not know when to quit.

This isn’t Dostoyevsky’s best, but its a sliver of a story with interesting bits and pieces that fans of his will enjoy. Read this after reading his more famous works.