The Gambler

The Gambler

Tufts & Co. Classics Collection In The Gambler , Fyodor Dostoyevsky masterfully explores the dark and consuming world of addiction, desire, and self-destruction. Set in a fictional European resort town, the novel follows Alexei Ivanovich, a young tutor entangled in the obsessive pull of roulette. As his fortunes rise and fall at the gaming tables, Alexei becomes consumed not only by the thrill of gambling but also by his unrequited love for the beautiful and manipulative Polina. Dostoyevsky’s incisive psychological portrait of a man in the grip of both passion and vice reveals the devastating effects of addiction on the human soul. With its vivid characters and tense narrative, The Gambler is a powerful reflection on the nature of chance, free will, and the destructive potential of human weakness.