The Gambler (Russian: Игрокъ, romanized: Igrok; modern spelling Игрок) is a short novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky about a young tutor in the employment of a formerly wealthy Russian general. The novella reflects Dostoevsky's own addiction to roulette, which was in more ways than one the inspiration for the book: Dostoevsky completed the novella in 1866 under a strict deadline to pay off gambling debts.
Sympa, j'aime toujours le style cynique/aigris/hautain de doistoievski, après c'est assez lent c'est pas le roman du siecle mais je regrette pas.
Bonne représentation (je penses) du côté diabolique des casinos
I wasn't surprised to learn that Dostoyevski had a gambling problem himself because his insight into his narrator, Alexey's, compulsive behaviour is wonderfully realistic. Apparently this novella was written in great haste because the profits from its publication were needed to settle gambling debts! I liked the evocation of high society shenanigans in a German casino town called Roulettenberg where everyone knows everyone and strict rules of class and etiquette abound. There seems to be little entertainment other than strolling through the park or gracing the roulette tables, yet from this Dostoyevsky has created an interesting story of selfish, back-stabbing people all unashamedly out to gain as much of each other's fortunes as they can.
I am not sure I would have enjoyed The Gambler so much if I had read the book, because most of the story is presented through often overly melodramatic dialogue, but listening to Zimmerman's deft …
I wasn't surprised to learn that Dostoyevski had a gambling problem himself because his insight into his narrator, Alexey's, compulsive behaviour is wonderfully realistic. Apparently this novella was written in great haste because the profits from its publication were needed to settle gambling debts! I liked the evocation of high society shenanigans in a German casino town called Roulettenberg where everyone knows everyone and strict rules of class and etiquette abound. There seems to be little entertainment other than strolling through the park or gracing the roulette tables, yet from this Dostoyevsky has created an interesting story of selfish, back-stabbing people all unashamedly out to gain as much of each other's fortunes as they can.
I am not sure I would have enjoyed The Gambler so much if I had read the book, because most of the story is presented through often overly melodramatic dialogue, but listening to Zimmerman's deft portrayal of the characters lifted it into another league. Granny is by far my favourite character and her casino scenes are superb. I felt the story meandered somewhat once Alexey left Roulettenberg for Paris, but this is still well-deservedly a classic.
Catarata de pasiones sin dosificar, in crescendo: una serie de ociosos y parásitos pasan el tiempo en un balneario alemán y se arruinan alegremente jugando a la ruleta, hasta que algunos se lo toman demasiado en serio.
Un ejemplo perfecto de novela en que lo importante es hablar de emociones (¡y cómo! ¡el protagonista tiene que estar agotado, siempre exclamando cosas!), aunque sea a pesar de la claridad narrativa (el argumento es algo muy secundario) y sea una lástima que no se detenga algo más en muchos personajes, porque los esboza magníficamente. La abuela, la favorita de todo el mundo; y los capítulos en que se deja arrastrar por el juego y otros vicios cual marioneta, una maravilla de fuerza expresiva. La traducción también está a la altura.