The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky is widely acclaimed for its incisive exploration of addiction and human psychology. Reviewers praise the compelling characterization and intense narrative. Criticisms often focus on the uneven pacing and dense prose. Despite these flaws, the novel remains a powerful study of human failures and obsessions.

A reader who would enjoy The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky is likely intrigued by psychological drama, character studies, and the themes of obsession and self-destruction. Fans of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment or Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina may find this novel similarly compelling for its intense exploration of the human condition.

In Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Gambler, Alexey Ivanovich returns to Roulettenburg, working as a tutor for a Russian aristocratic family. Alexey falls for Polina, the general’s stepdaughter, but his love is thwarted by his lack of wealth and the ruinous gambling of the general’s aunt. Attempts to win Polina over with gambling gains fail as she leaves for Mr. Astley, while Alexey descends into gambling addiction. The novel depicts addiction to gambling.

Mysterious / Unnerving / Dark / Bittersweet / Melancholic

Fyodor Dostoevsky

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The Gambler

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