The Gambler - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

. .

Résumé :
Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story The Gambler is about a young teacher working for a once-rich Russian general. The novella, which was in many respects inspired by Dostoevsky's own addiction to roulette, illustrates this behavior: Dostoevsky finished the book in 1866 under pressure to finish it before he had to pay off gambling debts. The Gambler dealt with gambling, a topic that Fyodor Dostoevsky was familiar with. In 1863, Fyodor Dostoevsky played a hand of cards at a Wiesbaden casino. He played frequently at Baden-Baden, Homburg, and Saxon-Les-Bains from that point on until 1871, when his fervor for gambling petered out. Frequently, he would start out winning a modest sum of money and end up losing much more. Fyodor Dostoevsky and F. T. Stellovsky then entered into a risky contract whereby Stellovsky would acquire the right to publish Dostoevsky's works for nine years, until 1 November 1875, without paying the author any money. This clause would apply if Dostoevsky failed to deliver a novel with 12 or more signatures by 1 November 1866. He jotted down some of his story's details before dictating them to one of Russia's earliest stenographers and his future bride, young Anna Grigorevna, who carefully wrote them out for him.

Biographie:
Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a Russian novelist, journalist, and philosopher born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary figures in Russian and world literature. Dostoyevsky was the second son of a former army doctor. His mother died when he was young, and his father was murdered by his own serfs when Dostoyevsky was 18. These events greatly influenced his writing, which often explores themes of suffering, redemption, and the human condition. Dostoyevsky began his writing career in the 1840s, with works like Poor Folk and The Double. He was arrested in 1849 for participating in a political group, and spent several years in prison and exile in Siberia. This experience would later inform his writing, particularly in his novel The House of the Dead. After his release, Dostoyevsky wrote several of his most famous works, including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and The Brothers Karamazov. He was known for his psychological depth and his exploration of philosophical and religious themes. Dostoyevsky died on February 9, 1881, in St. Petersburg, Russia, leaving behind a legacy of literary masterpieces that continue to be read and studied to this day....

Sommaire:
Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story The Gambler is about a young teacher working for a once-rich Russian general. The novella, which was in many respects inspired by Dostoevsky's own addiction to roulette, illustrates this behavior: Dostoevsky finished the book in 1866 under pressure to finish it before he had to pay off gambling debts. The Gambler dealt with gambling, a topic that Fyodor Dostoevsky was familiar with. In 1863, Fyodor Dostoevsky played a hand of cards at a Wiesbaden casino. He played frequently at Baden-Baden, Homburg, and Saxon-Les-Bains from that point on until 1871, when his fervor for gambling petered out. Frequently, he would start out winning a modest sum of money and end up losing much more. Fyodor Dostoevsky and F. T. Stellovsky then entered into a risky contract whereby Stellovsky would acquire the right to publish Dostoevsky's works for nine years, until 1 November 1875, without paying the author any money. This clause would apply if Dostoevsky failed to deliver a novel with 12 or more signatures by 1 November 1866. He jotted down some of his story's details before dictating them to one of Russia's earliest stenographers and his future bride, young Anna Grigorevna, who carefully wrote them out for him....