The Gambler (Dostoevsky)
Short Summary
A German resort town in the 19th century became the pivotal setting for a drama fueled by gambling addiction and obsession. Alexis Ivanovitch, a young and impulsive Russian tutor employed by an indebted General, was deeply entangled in self-destructive gambling and an obsessive love for his employer's stepdaughter, Polina Alexandrovna.
Arriving unexpectedly, the General's elderly and imperious mother, Antonida Vassilievna Tarassevitcha, visited from Moscow, and soon became consumed by the thrill and ruin of roulette herself. Her intense passion led to rapid financial devastation, undermining the General's prospects of inheritance and marriage to a calculating French beauty, Mlle. Blanche.
Driven by a desperate desire to win Polina and secure his future, Alexis's gambling intensified. Though at first successful and momentarily wealthy, Alexis inevitably spiraled into severe ruin, losing everything. Bound in cycles of abasement, Alexis repeatedly sought redemption through gambling, until finally only hope mixed with despair remained: "No: tomorrow all shall be ended! Yet I have a presentiment that things can never be otherwise... Yet why should I not rise from the dead? I should require at first but to go cautiously and patiently and the rest would follow."
No: tomorrow all shall be ended! Yet I have a presentiment that things can never be otherwise... Yet why should I not rise from the dead? I should require at first but to go cautiously and patiently and the rest would follow.
Detailed Summary by Chapters
Chapter titles are editorial.
Chapter 1. The General's Household in Roulettenberg
The story began when Alexis Ivanovitch returned from a two-week leave of absence to find that his employers had arrived three days earlier in Roulettenberg. The General greeted him coldly and dismissed him to pay respects to his sister. It was clear that the family had somehow acquired money, and there was a sense of uneasiness in the air.
Alexis learned that the family expected French guests for luncheon, as they were celebrating their newfound wealth in typical Russian fashion. When he met with Polina Alexandrovna, she inquired why he had been away so long but departed before receiving an answer. Alexis sensed something was amiss.
The General soon summoned Alexis and instructed him to take the children away from the Casino. He revealed that Alexis had 120 roubles in the General's keeping, gave him 100 thalers, and kept the rest. The General warned Alexis not to gamble, claiming he knew of his addiction.
While walking with the children, Alexis encountered the General's party in magnificent carriages with Mlle. Blanche, Maria Philipovna, and Polina, accompanied by a Frenchman, an Englishman, and the General on horseback. Alexis calculated that with the 4,000 francs he had brought, plus what they had acquired, the party must have at least 7,000 or 8,000 francs.
Chapter 2. Polina's Commission and First Gambling Success
At luncheon, Alexis met Mr. Astley, an Englishman he had encountered several times during his travels. The Frenchman, De Griers, dominated the conversation with talk of finance and Russian politics. Irritated by the atmosphere, Alexis deliberately provoked an argument about Russians being insulted at tables d'hôte throughout Europe.
After lunch, Polina asked Alexis to accompany her for a walk. She revealed that the General was mortgaged to De Griers and that if the General's mother did not die soon, De Griers would become the absolute possessor of everything. Polina then asked Alexis to take her 700 gülden and gamble with it at the Casino.
Despite his warnings that she would lose everything, Alexis agreed to Polina's request. At the Casino, he won 1,600 gülden for her in a short time. When he returned the money, Polina insisted that he take half as his commission, but he refused, stating he was playing for her, not himself.
Chapter 3. The Wager with Polina
The next day, Polina avoided discussing gambling with Alexis. Their relationship was complex; she allowed him to speak of his passion for her but never responded with clear affection. During their walk, Alexis confessed his love for her again, describing how he could both love and hate her simultaneously.
Polina challenged Alexis, asking if he would truly jump off the Shlangenberg (a steep cliff) if she ordered him to. He insisted he would, that her command would be enough. She then asked if he would kill someone on her order, specifically mentioning the Baron. Alexis agreed he would kill whomever she wished.
To test his obedience, Polina ordered Alexis to approach the Baroness Burmergelm and say something offensive in French. Despite recognizing the foolishness of the task, Alexis complied, approaching the Baroness and saying, "Madame la Baronne, j'ai l'honneur d'être votre esclave." The Baron was outraged, and the incident created a scene.
Chapter 4. First Personal Experience at the Roulette Table
Two days after the incident with the Baron, Alexis visited the Casino to observe the gambling. He described the atmosphere in detail – the croupiers, the players desperately clinging to their spots at the table, and the various strategies people employed. He noted the regular patterns in how numbers appeared and the superstitions of the gamblers.
Alexis decided to try his luck with his own money. He staked two hundred gülden on "even" and won, then continued to win several more times. At one point, he had about 4,000 gülden in his hands. Instead of leaving, he felt a challenge to Fate and staked the maximum allowed – 4,000 gülden – and lost it all. He then staked his remaining money and lost again.
I myself was in a fever. I felt as though I were walking on air. I felt that I was about to plunge into something unknown, yet it would surely be better than what was past, for worse could not come.
At luncheon, Alexis was questioned about his losses. The General was surprised to learn that Alexis had been gambling with his own money. De Griers remarked that Russians were not good at gambling, which prompted Alexis to deliver a speech about Russian character and the appeal of roulette to Russians who want to get rich quickly without working.
Chapter 5. The Confrontation with Baron Burmergelm
The Baron lodged a complaint with the General about Alexis's behavior. The General summoned Alexis and demanded an explanation for his actions. Alexis explained that he had merely greeted the Baroness in French and bowed to her, but the General insisted that Alexis had deliberately insulted the couple.
The General revealed that the Baron had demanded additional satisfaction beyond Alexis's dismissal. Alexis suggested challenging the Baron to a duel, but the General forbade it. Alexis then considered approaching Mr. Astley to act as his second, believing the Baron would not refuse to receive an Englishman of good standing.
De Griers intervened, attempting to persuade Alexis to apologize to the Baron. He hinted that the incident could interfere with the General's plans to marry Mlle. Blanche. Alexis refused to apologize unless the Baron first expressed regret for referring to him as a servant when complaining to the General.
The confrontation ended with the General dismissing Alexis from his service and paying him forty gülden in settlement. Alexis accepted the money but insisted that their relationship could not end there, as the General had answered for his conduct to the Baron without authority.
Chapter 6. Aftermath of the Baron Incident
After leaving the General, Alexis received a note from Polina asking him to deliver a letter to Mr. Astley. When he found Mr. Astley and handed him the letter, the Englishman quickly read it and rode away without explanation. Alexis was jealous and confused about the correspondence between Polina and Mr. Astley.
Upon returning to the hotel, Alexis was summoned to the General's apartments, where he found De Griers, Mlle. Blanche, and the General in a heated discussion. They were alarmed about something, and Alexis suspected it concerned the telegram they were expecting about the Grandmother's death.
The General begged Alexis to save him from ruin, explaining that Mlle. Blanche would not marry him unless she was certain of his inheritance. De Griers added that the Grandmother might gamble away her fortune if she came to Roulettenberg. Alexis was asked to prevent this by not accompanying her to the Casino.
Chapter 7. Revelations About Mlle. Blanche
Mr. Astley revealed to Alexis that Mlle. Blanche had been in Roulettenberg before, under different names. Three years ago, she had appeared as Mlle. Zelma with an Italian prince who abandoned her after she lost heavily at gambling. She then attached herself to a Polish count.
When her luck turned bad again, the Count disappeared, and Mlle. Zelma was forced to play alone. After losing her last louis d'or, she asked Baron Burmergelm to stake for her. The Baroness complained, and the Casino authorities requested that she not return. Mr. Astley explained that now she wanted to become Madame General to avoid such humiliations in the future.
Astley also confirmed that De Griers was waiting for the Grandmother's death so he could be repaid the money owed to him by the General. Alexis suspected that Polina would throw herself into De Griers' arms once she received her inheritance from the Grandmother's will.
Chapter 8. The Grandmother's Unexpected Arrival
As Alexis and Mr. Astley were talking, they heard someone calling Alexis's name. To their astonishment, they discovered the Grandmother herself had arrived at the hotel. Instead of being on her deathbed in Moscow, as everyone had believed, she was very much alive and had come to Roulettenberg in person.
The Grandmother was carried in an armchair, as she could not walk, but was as brisk, aggressive, and imperious as ever. She immediately recognized Alexis and demanded to know why he looked so surprised. She explained that she had grown tired of lying in bed and being treated by doctors, so she had decided to visit the spa herself.
The General and his household were shocked by her appearance. The Grandmother's arrival disrupted all their plans, as they had been counting on her death and subsequent inheritance. The General stood speechless, De Griers was petrified, and Mlle. Blanche was visibly disturbed. Only Polina maintained her composure.
The Grandmother demanded to be shown to her rooms and insisted on knowing everything about the General's affairs. She noticed Mlle. Blanche and asked about her, then declared she wanted to see the famous gambling halls. Despite the General's attempts to dissuade her, she ordered Alexis to take her to the Casino immediately.
Chapter 9. The Grandmother's First Casino Visit
Alexis escorted the Grandmother to the Casino, with Potapitch and Martha following behind. The General, De Griers, Mlle. Blanche, and others from their party also accompanied them, concerned about what the Grandmother might do. Upon entering the gaming rooms, the Grandmother observed the players with great interest and asked Alexis to explain the rules of roulette.
After watching for a while, the Grandmother decided to play. She ordered Alexis to stake twelve ten-gülden pieces on zero. When zero did not come up after three attempts, she switched to red and won. Excited by her win, she continued playing and won again. Her initial stake of 4,000 gülden on red won, doubling her money.
The Grandmother became increasingly animated as she played. She won 12,000 gülden in total and decided to stop for the day. She distributed some of her winnings to the servants and beggars they encountered on their way back to the hotel. The General and De Griers were horrified by her gambling success, as it meant she still had money that they had hoped to inherit.
Chapter 10. The Grandmother's Gambling Addiction
The next day, despite warnings from Alexis and others, the Grandmother returned to the Casino. This time, her luck turned. She began losing heavily, especially when she started staking on zero. De Griers attempted to advise her, but she dismissed him angrily. She continued to lose until she had squandered all her previous day's winnings.
Yet with the money which the authorities restored to her from the pockets of the Poles the Grandmother effected very, very little, for there soon arrived to take his countrymen's place, a third Pole.
The Grandmother became surrounded by Polish gamblers who claimed to assist her but were actually cheating her. They filled their pockets with her money and argued over her stakes. Despite the Casino authorities intervening and returning some money taken by the Poles, the Grandmother continued to lose heavily.
Chapter 11. The Grandmother's Financial Ruin
By the end of the day, the Grandmother had lost all her ready money – about ninety thousand roubles. She had changed all her securities into cash and lost everything. She announced her intention to return to Moscow immediately, lamenting her foolishness. Alexis tried to console her, but she was determined to leave.
Meanwhile, the General and De Griers had been trying to find a way to restrain the Grandmother from gambling, even considering involving the police on the grounds that she was mentally unsound. De Griers, seeing that all was lost, departed after a secret conference with Mlle. Blanche.
The Grandmother asked Alexis to help her exchange her last remaining notes for travel money. She refused to give any money to the General, whom she blamed for not stopping her. Before departing, she advised Polina to stay with her rather than with the General's household, offering her a place in her Moscow home.
Chapter 12. A Message from Polina and a Fateful Decision
After the Grandmother's departure, Alexis received a note from Polina asking him to deliver a letter to Mr. Astley. When he found Astley and handed him the letter, the Englishman quickly rode away without explanation. Alexis was confused and jealous about their correspondence.
Upon returning to the hotel, Alexis found the General, De Griers, and Mlle. Blanche in a heated discussion. The General begged Alexis to save him from ruin, explaining that Mlle. Blanche would not marry him unless she was certain of his inheritance. Alexis was asked to prevent the Grandmother from gambling away her fortune.
Despite these pleas, Alexis decided to try his luck at roulette with his remaining money. He felt a strange certainty that he would win and could then help Polina. With fifty gülden, he went to the Casino, determined to change his and Polina's fortunes.
Chapter 13. The Enormous Win and Its Consequences
At the Casino, Alexis began playing with his fifty gülden. His luck was extraordinary – he won consistently, and his winnings multiplied rapidly. Within a short time, he had amassed a fortune of over two hundred thousand francs. Other gamblers began to follow his bets, and many congratulated him on his success.
As he was leaving the Casino, several people advised him to depart from Roulettenberg early the next morning to avoid losing everything. In a state of excitement, Alexis rushed back to the hotel, eager to show Polina his winnings and declare his love for her again.
I am zero—nothing. What shall I be tomorrow? I may be risen from the dead, and have begun life anew. For still, I may discover the man in myself, if only my manhood has not become utterly shattered.
To his surprise, Alexis found Polina waiting in his room. She appeared distressed and told him she could no longer stay in the General's apartments. She revealed that De Griers had returned her letters and formally broken with her, offering her fifty thousand francs as compensation, which she had refused.
Chapter 14. Polina's Illness and Mr. Astley's Help
Alexis offered Polina his winnings, declaring that they were hers to use as she wished. In a fit of anger and humiliation, Polina threw the money in his face and fled the room. Confused and distressed, Alexis gathered the scattered banknotes and went looking for her, but she had disappeared.
The next morning, Alexis learned that Polina had fallen ill and was being cared for by Mr. Astley. The Englishman explained that he had come to Roulettenberg at Polina's request to see Alexis and report on his feelings for her. He revealed that Polina truly loved Alexis, despite her behavior.
Mr. Astley also informed Alexis that the General's engagement to Mlle. Blanche was proceeding, now that the Grandmother had lost her fortune. He predicted that Alexis would soon leave for Paris with his gambling winnings, following the pattern of all Russians who suddenly acquire wealth.
Chapter 15. A Night of Passion and Heartbreak with Polina
That evening, Alexis returned to his room to find Polina waiting for him. She was in a strange, feverish state, alternating between affection and hostility. She embraced him passionately one moment and pushed him away the next. Alexis was bewildered by her behavior but overjoyed that she seemed to return his feelings.
Throughout the night, Polina spoke disjointedly about Astley, her grandmother, and her feelings of humiliation at De Griers' treatment of her. Alexis comforted her as best he could, and they spent the night together in a state of emotional turmoil.
In the morning, Polina awoke in a different mood. She looked at the money on the table with disgust and asked if Alexis was going to give her the fifty thousand francs. When he offered them to her, she hurled the banknotes in his face and fled the room. Alexis realized that she saw his offer of money as equivalent to De Griers' attempt to pay her off.
I need to act. Above all things I need to think of Switzerland. Tomorrow, tomorrow—Ah, but if only I could set things right tomorrow, and be born again, and rise again from the dead! But no—I cannot. Yet I must show her what I can do.
Chapter 16. Squandering Fortune with Mlle. Blanche in Paris
After searching unsuccessfully for Polina, Alexis was approached by Mlle. Blanche, who persuaded him to accompany her to Paris. Over the next three weeks, he squandered his fortune on her whims. Blanche treated him with contempt, using him merely as a source of money while planning to marry the General once his affairs were settled.
In Paris, Blanche hosted parties for her friends, spent extravagantly on clothes and a carriage, and made no secret of her intention to discard Alexis once his money was gone. The General soon joined them in Paris, and Blanche eventually married him in a quiet ceremony, though she continued to treat him with barely concealed disdain.
Chapter 17. Descent into Gambling Obsession
A year and eight months after the events in Roulettenberg, Alexis found himself in a state of complete degradation. Having lost all his money, he had worked as a valet to a Privy Councillor and wandered from one gambling resort to another, always hoping to win back his fortune and dignity.
I have only to remember what happened to me some months ago at Roulettenberg, before my final ruin. What a notable instance that was of my capacity for resolution! On the occasion in question I had lost everything.
In his final reflections, Alexis encountered Mr. Astley again, who informed him that Polina had been ill but was now traveling in Switzerland with his sister's family. Astley offered Alexis ten louis d'or but refused to give him more, knowing he would only gamble it away. Despite his degraded state, Alexis still harbored hopes of winning at roulette and beginning a new life.