Get Your Free Audiobook

Preview

Prime logo New to Audible Prime Member exclusive:
2 credits with free trial
1 credit a month to use on any title to download and keep
Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks
Download titles to your library and listen offline
₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

The Gambler

Written by: Fyodor Dostoevsky
Narrated by: Walter Zimmerman
Free with 30-day trial

₹199 per month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for ₹915.00

Buy Now for ₹915.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice.

Publisher's Summary

The Gambler brilliantly captures the strangely powerful compulsion to bet that Dostoevsky, himself a compulsive gambler, knew so well. The hero rides an emotional roller coaster between exhilaration and despair, and secondary characters such as the grandmother, who throws much of her fortune away at the gaming tables, are unforgettable. The book's publishing history is equally so: under the pressure of a deadline from an unscrupulous publisher, and with rights to his entire body of works at stake, Dostoevsky dictated the book in less than a month to the star pupil of Russia's first shorthand school. Then he married her.

In this dark and compelling short novel, Fyodor Dostoevsky tells the story of Alexey Ivanovitch, a young tutor working in the household of an imperious Russian general. Alexey tries to break through the wall of the established order in Russia, but instead becomes mired in the endless downward spiral of betting and loss. His intense and inescapable addiction is accentuated by his affair with the general's cruel yet seductive niece, Polina. In The Gambler, Dostoevsky reaches the height of drama with this stunning psychological portrait.

©1981 Jimcin Recordings (P)1981 Jimcin Recordings

Editorial Reviews

In Fyodor Dostoevsky's novella, Alexei Ivanovich is the tutor of a Russian family living in Germany. The General, the head of the family, is in debt, and knowing this, his niece Polina puts Alexei onto a life of gambling. Walter Zimmerman has a wonderfully terse style that fits Dostoevsky's marvelous prose, while also using a variety of accents when giving voice to the multitude of characters, making each one as distinct and memorable as Dostoevsky's narrative. The Gambler is a powerful portrait of Ivanovich's addictions to gambling and love, and the thrilling highs and crippling despair that come with both.

What listeners say about The Gambler

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.