The Gambler

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) is considered one of the greatest writers of all time. His works include such seminal novels as Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov. Inspired by Dostoevsky's own gambling addiction and written under pressure in order to pay off his creditors and retain his rights to his literary legacy, The Gambler is set in the casino of the fictional German spa town of Roulettenburg and follows the misfortunes of the young tutor Alexei Ivanovich. As he succumbs to the temptations of the roulette table, he finds himself engaged in a battle of wills with Polina, the woman he unrequitedly loves.