The Gambler (1867) is one of Dostoyevsky’s most personal works, drawing directly on his own ruinous addiction to roulette. Narrated by Alexei, a young tutor employed by a Russian general’s household at a German spa resort, it captures with extraordinary vividness the psychology of compulsive gambling — the euphoria, the self-deception, the spiral of loss.
Famously dictated to his stenographer (who later became his wife) in just 26 days to meet a contract deadline, the novel pulses with urgency. This free EPUB download delivers one of literature’s sharpest portraits of addiction straight to your device.