Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "The Gambler" is a concise yet profound novel, completed in 1866. It immerses readers in the opulent and perilous world of a German casino town, following Alexei Ivanovich, a young tutor entangled with an indebted Russian family. As they anxiously await the demise of a wealthy relative, Alexei finds himself hopelessly enamored with Polina, his employer's stepdaughter. This unrequited love, coupled with the intoxicating allure of the roulette table, draws Alexei into a spiraling addiction. The novel is a powerful reflection of Dostoyevsky's own struggles with gambling, masterfully capturing the fevered psychology of risk, obsession, and the desperate, often self-destructive, pursuit of fortune.
Reading ease score: 80.4 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Miva: the next reading experience beyond audiobooks
Listen like an audiobook, then ask anything, anytime.
Start Miva's narrationMiva does not just narrate. It keeps explaining based on what you ask.