The Gambler is another literary masterpiece from Fyodor Dostoevsky. It is an humorous (I literally laughed out loud several times), entertaining read from cover to cover. What I enjoyed most was the colorful interplay between the, at times, outrageous cast of characters around which the narrative revolves; from the imperious Grandmama, to the bombastic, duplicitous Frenchman de Grieux. Moreover, I was absolutely enthralled by the vivid accounts of the adrenaline-filled gambling sessions at the casino in the fictional German town of Roulettenburg. Dostoevsky skilfully transports the reader into the feverish, fanatical mindset of a gambler who is chronically searching for his next winning streak to the point of financial ruin. The main character, Alexei Ivanovich, embodies the espirt de corps of an astute gambler, who can win and lose thousands of francs in a matter of minutes. Interestingly, throughout the narrative, Alexei uses the ‘I’ form, which seems to imply a posssible link to Dostoevsky’s own life experience as an avid gambler. The Gambler showcases a lighter more carefree side of Dostoevsky’s virtuosity as a writer, when compared to his other ‘heavier’ works such as Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov and Notes from Underground. It is definitely worth reading if you would like to explore the breadth of Dostoevsky’s literary works or simply enjoy literary fiction.
Have you read The Gambler? or any of Dostoevsky’s other works such as Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov or Notes from Underground.? What are your thougts after reading his work? What do you find most interesting about his writing? Thanks as always for stopping by! Please feel free to share your thoughts or reactions in a comment below. Also, if you would like to receive more updates about my writing please consider joining my newsletter mailing list by subscribing below.