Elisabeth Markstein

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Der Spieler. Aus den Aufzeichnungen eines jungen Mannes.

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 heights of drama with this stunning psychological portrait.

The Gambler

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“Do you know that one day I'll kill you? I won't do it because I'm no longer in love with you, or because I'm jealous, but—I'll just kill you for no better reason that I sometimes long to devour you.”

“I wanted to fathom her secrets; I wanted her to come to me and say: "I love you," and if not that, if that was senseless insanity, then...well, what was there to care about? Did I know what I wanted? I was like one demented: all I wanted was to be near her, in the halo of her glory, in her radiance, always, for ever, all my life. I knew nothing more!”

Der Spieler

Oscar Kömpel

Ich habe mich ganz einfach zugrunde gerichtet! Ich kann mich übrigens überhaupt mit fast gar nichts vergleichen, ja, und es hat auch gar keinen Zweck, mir selber Moralpredigten zu halten! Nichts kann alberner sein in einer solchen Lage als Moral! Oh, die selbstzufriedenen Menschen: Mit wie stolzer Selbstüberzogenheit lieben diese Schwätzer, ihre Sentenzen herzuplappern! Wenn sie nur wüßten, wie sehr ich selber die ganze Widerlichkeit meiner jetzigen Lage begreife, so würde Sich natürlich nicht ihre Zunge regen, um mir gute Lehren zu geben.

Das ist ganz so, als fürchte ich, durch ein ernstes Buch oder durch eine ernste Beschäftigung den Zauber des eben erst Erlebten zu zerstören: So, als sei mir dieser häßliche Traum und alle die Eindrücke, die mir von ihm zurückblieben, schon so teuer, daß ich mich sogar fürchte, ihm mit irgend etwas Neuem zu nahen, aus Angst, er könne in Rauch auffliegen! 

Wissen Sie denn, daß ich Sie noch einmal töten werde? Aber nicht deshalb, weil ich aufhören werde, Sie zu lieben, oder weil ich von Eifersucht gefoltert werde, vielmehr ganz einfach deshalb werde ich sie töten, weil es mich bisweilen drängt, Sie zu vernichten.

My first Dostoevsky and I was pretty disappointed. Perhaps this was partially a translation issue, but I found the content of the "story" here to be pretty all-over-the-place and, while I'd bet gambling-addict Dostoevsky had something he wanted to say with "The Gambler," I do not know what it was ("We're ALL gamblers", probably).

Again, likely a translation issue, but I still don't quite understand what Alexei's connection to The General was. I don't recall him ever saying it directly, so from context I figured these two (and the others) were some pack of traveling scammers who used Alexei, their gambler, as a way to finance shenanigans. This was clearly incorrect and there really didn't seem to be any cohesion going on between any members of the group; everyone hates everyone and there's really no goal.

Despite my confusion, I liked the beginning a bit. I found Alexei to be a funny annoyance, as he clearly intended to cause mischief for no real reason other than boredom. His tirades and arguments were absurd yet amusing, he was successfully able to get his targets to at least partially agree to him, too. This humor doesn't last too long and is instead replaced by a mood I found similar to the Camus' "The Stranger." I wasn't a huge fan of that book, either, but I'd rate it higher than this one. It ends pretty poorly, with Alexei making stupid choices seemingly only to bother the reader as they don't even relate to his gambling addiction but instead seem wildly masochistic. The guy outta no where loves findom and that just pissed me off.

I didn't hate it but it was pretty lousy, I think. I'm not impressed but still willing to give another Dostoevsky a try; however, the thought now of reading "The Brothers Karamazov" terrifies me because I found the writing style to be pretty cumbersome and signing up to read ~800 pages of this seems painful, but I already have a copy. I'd probably try another shorter story of his, next.

Evan

My first Dostoevsky and I was pretty disappointed. Perhaps this was partially a translation issue, but I found the content of the "story" here to be pretty all-over-the-place and, while I'd bet gambling-addict Dostoevsky had something he wanted to say with "The Gambler," I do not know what it was ("We're ALL gamblers", probably).

Again, likely a translation issue, but I still don't quite understand what Alexei's connection to The General was. I don't recall him ever saying it directly, so from context I figured these two (and the others) were some pack of traveling scammers who used Alexei, their gambler, as a way to finance shenanigans. This was clearly incorrect and there really didn't seem to be any cohesion going on between any members of the group; everyone hates everyone and there's really no goal.

Despite my confusion, I liked the beginning a bit. I found Alexei to be a funny annoyance, as he clearly intended to cause mischief for no real reason other than boredom. His tirades and arguments were absurd yet amusing, he was successfully able to get his targets to at least partially agree to him, too. This humor doesn't last too long and is instead replaced by a mood I found similar to the Camus' "The Stranger." I wasn't a huge fan of that book, either, but I'd rate it higher than this one. It ends pretty poorly, with Alexei making stupid choices seemingly only to bother the reader as they don't even relate to his gambling addiction but instead seem wildly masochistic. The guy outta no where loves findom and that just pissed me off.

I didn't hate it but it was pretty lousy, I think. I'm not impressed but still willing to give another Dostoevsky a try; however, the thought now of reading "The Brothers Karamazov" terrifies me because I found the writing style to be pretty cumbersome and signing up to read ~800 pages of this seems painful, but I already have a copy. I'd probably try another shorter story of his, next.

I don't recommend "The Gambler."

 hatte sehr hohe Erwartungen nach Aufzeichnungen aus dem Kellerloch. Die Geschichte ist schön aber nicht sehr spannend - ganz nett aber irgendwie mittelmäßig 

Cristina

Manchmal etwas anstrengend am Ball zu bleiben, aber wenn mal einmal im Lesefluss ist ist es super einfach sich in die Szenerie hineinzuversetzen. Ich brauchte aber etwas um mich in alles hinein zu fühlen und vor allem bis ich bei den Charakteren durchgeblickt habe. Sehr schön dass viele Sätze im französischen geblieben sind und nicht übersetzt wurden (hinten gibt es einen Übersetzungsteil)

Emma Kim

Kumarbaz

Bilge Ince

Yarın küllerimden doğup yeni bir hayata başlayabilirim. Tamamen mahvolmadan önce içimdeki insanı keşfedebilirim. der her kumarbaz, ama bunu başarabilen pek azdır diye düşünüyorum.
Selçuk Yöntem’in sesinden dinlediğim Kumarbaz soylu bir General’in evinde öğretmen olarak çalışan bir adamın hissettiği tutkulu aşkının peşinde direnmesine karşın dönüştüğü kumarbaz kişiliğin hikayesi. Kitap Selçuk Yöntem’in sesiyle daha bir güzel, anlamlı ve vurgulu oldu.

Even though he shat on the French during half of the book, I devoured it.

In a normal book there are only a few sentences that really hook you. 

This one is so perfectly written, that you’re just fated to choose the worst sentence as a highlight

Even though he shat on the French during half of the book, I devoured it.

In a normal book there are only a few sentences that really hook you. 

This one is so perfectly written, that you’re just fated to choose the worst sentence as a highlight

Jesse Morley

"Useless, you say? But pleasure is always useful, and wild, boundless power—if only over a fly—is also a pleasure of a certain sort. Man is a despot by nature and likes to play the torturer. You like it terribly."

"A true gentleman, even if he loses his entire fortune, must not show emotion."

Manu Fernandes 

The beginning was boring, it takes a few chapters to settle in with the narrative and the characters, it wasn't until Antonida appears that I got really invested in the novel, definitely got better when she came to the scene and started to offend everyone. Her humor is just so funny to me somehow.

Capucine Fachot

my first and certainly not my last day with Dostoyevsky...

Le Joueur

Safiya 

If you happen to be a newbie in Russian Lit and very hesitant about reading the big books, this might give you an avant-goût. Short, concise, yet profoundly moving!

margot colville

- Grandmother is quite possibly one of my favorite characters of all time. 
- such psychological depth and story building packed into a short lil novel
- i love love love the perspective from which the novel is presented

Erin 

I don't really have much to say about this. This is my first Dostoyevsky book and I really chose it on a random whim one day. It is impeccably written, as expected - enough to keep me intrigued to read about a story that, on its own, I have no interest in. I will definitely read more of his books even if they are the same for that fact alone.

Jana Pashovska

Not the best of Dostoevsky's works in my opinion, but it is a great novel nonetheless and an amusing analysis of the human psyche. It has comic moments and infuriating moments, a bit of stereotyping and prejudicing, and tragic and farcical blend together well as in any other Russian novel, but I must admit I was not as charmed by this work as I expected. Nevertheless, Dostoevsky is Dostoevsky so I'm glad to have added this to my shelves.

Der Spieler. Aus den Aufzeichnungen eines jungen Mannes.

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