La reina de picas

by Alexander Pushkin

"La Reina de Picas" narra las desventuras de un joven oficial, en principio poco aficionado a los juegos de azar, pero que no tarda en obsesionarse con descubrir los pormenores de una misteriosa forma de apostar que ofrece una ganancia asegurada. En sus pesquisas se verá involucrado en la muerte de una anciana condesa. Atormentado por el sentimiento de culpa, sufre la visita del espíritu de la anciana... En palabras de Dostoievski, "La Reina de Picas" constituye ‘la obra cumbre de la fantasía’, y en efecto, Pushkin, ‘padre’ de la literatura rusa, ensayó en este texto pionero muchas de las formas en las que autores posteriores rusos dialogarían con los géneros literarios dentro de los cánones de la literatura ‘clásica’.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Russia, Fiction, Russian Literature, 19th Century, Literature

81 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1834

About the author

Works of Russian writer Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin include the verse novel Eugene Onegin (1831), the play Boris Godunov (1831), and many narrative and lyrical poems and short stories.

See also:
Russian: Александр Сергеевич Пушкин
French: Alexandre Pouchkine
Norwegian: Aleksander Pusjkin
Spanish:Aleksandr Pushkin

People consider this author the greatest poet and the founder of modern literature. Pushkin pioneered the use of vernacular speech in his poems, creating a style of storytelling—mixing drama, romance, and satire—associated ever with greatly influential later literature.

Pushkin published his first poem at the age of 15 years in 1814, and the literary establishment widely recognized him before the time of his graduation from the imperial lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo. Social reform gradually committed Pushkin, who emerged as a spokesman for literary radicals and in the early 1820s clashed with the government, which sent him into exile in southern Russia. Under the strict surveillance of government censors and unable to travel or publish at will, he wrote his most famous drama but ably published it not until years later. People published his verse serially from 1825 to 1832.

Pushkin and his wife Natalya Goncharova, whom he married in 1831, later became regulars of court society. In 1837, while falling into ever greater debt amidst rumors that his wife started conducting a scandalous affair, Pushkin challenged her alleged lover, Georges d'Anthès, to a duel. Pushkin was mortally wounded and died two days later.

Because of his liberal political views and influence on generations of Russian rebels, Pushkin was portrayed by Bolsheviks as an opponent to bourgeois literature and culture and a predecessor of Soviet literature and poetry. Tsarskoe Selo was renamed after him.

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a masterful bluff! What a genius this Pushkin is!
I did not know I was an interpreter, but I baited myself with the countess and the story of the count De Saint Germain, then with Hermann, a character so reasonable in appearance. I did not run. I jumped into this story with both feet and could not stop until the game ended. Hermann is a devious, suspicious, hypocritical, and calculating man. Whom will gold fever push to the last extremity, and who will not doubt his success even after what he has done?
It's a concise, perfect text where I let myself get caught up in the game. Finally, a new author is going through the doors of my library and reading for all.

[Adina ( back from Vacay…slowly recovering) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was much better than The Shot. A spooky short story about card games and greed. Really good twist at the end.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Avarice. The insatiable desire for wealth. That thing that tears family and friends apart. That moves the world in different directions. That creates in people the worst feelings and intentions. And a huge void that nothing can fill: “Poverty wants much; but avarice, everything”.
You can't have everything.

This short story, written by Pushkin in 1833, describes avarice with a brilliant writing and a witty plot. A little fella named Hermann enjoyed watching other people play cards. He never played because he was not in the position to sacrifice the necessary in the hope of winning the superfluous, even though he was a gamester at heart. One night, he listened to a story involving someone's grandma (a Countess who makes you laugh but you would want to disintegrate if you were working for her) who apparently used to gamble when she was young. She lost a lot of money and turned to some Count to ask for help because her husband refused to pay that debt. The Count didn't lend her the money but taught her how to win it back.

So... what would you do in order to get that secret move that would let you win every game you play and, therefore, would make you instantly rich?

"...if the old Countess would but reveal her secret to me! if she would only tell me the names of the three winning cards. Why should I not try my fortune? I must get introduced to her and win her favour--become her lover... But all that will take time, and she is eighty-seven years old: she might be dead in a week, in a couple of days even!"

Too funny. I mean, his thoughts are quite sad because... Gah! Whatever. Yes, a myriad of moral dilemmas yada yada yada. It is still funny. There are several humorous and amusing passages I enjoyed reading.

I have never read Pushkin before. Dostoyevsky led me to him. One great writer leads you to another, you know how this is. And I was delightfully surprised: I wasn't expecting a writing style so full of wit, humor and irony (speaking about harsh comments, Gogol? Ringing any bells?).
Pushkin had a short yet intense life; he died at 37 while fighting a duel because some guy wanted to seduce his wife. Not a nice way to go. One can only imagine what other great stories he could have written, unfortunately, he didn't have the opportunity. Nevertheless, he left us many gifts to enjoy. Poems, plays, novels, short stories, you name it. There are also a couple of unfinished works created by his enchanting pen.

After reading this book–a couple of days later, actually–I found some fictional story about the last words of Alexander the Great (I assume it's fiction, since according to historians, he was too sick to even speak, although others say he replied “to the strongest” when asked to whom he was leaving the kingdom; either way, he didn't tell the "three wishes" story) on the Internet. I don't know who wrote it but it suits Pushkin's story perfectly. Here it is:

Alexander the Great, as a military commander, was undefeated and the most successful throughout history. On his way home from conquering many countries, he came down with an illness. At that moment, his captured territories, powerful army, sharp swords, and wealth all had no meaning to him. He realized that death would soon arrive and he would be unable to return to his homeland. He told his officers: 'I will soon leave this world. I have three final wishes. You need to carry out what I tell you.' His generals, in tears, agreed.

'My first wish is to have my physician bring my coffin home alone. After a gasping for air, Alexander continued: 'My second wish is scatter the gold, silver, and gems from my treasure-house along the path to the tomb when you ship my coffin to the grave.' After wrapping in a woolen blanket and resting for a while, he said: 'My final wish it to put my hands outside the coffin.' People surrounding him all were very curious, but no one dare to ask the reason. Alexander's most favored general kissed his hand and asked: 'My Majesty, We will follow your instruction. But can you tell us why you want us to do it this way?' After taking a deep breath, Alexander said: 'I want everyone to understand the three lessons I have learned. To let my physician carry my coffin alone is to let people realize that a physician cannot really cure people's illness. Especially when they face death, the physicians are powerless. I hope people will learn to treasure their lives. My second wish is to tell people not to be like me in pursuing wealth. I spent my whole life pursuing wealth, but I was wasting my time most of the time. My third wish to let people understand that I came to this world in empty hands and I will leave this world also in empty hands.' He closed his eyes after finished talking and stopped breathing."

In the long term, do we really possess anything?

Three, seven, ace!

Feb 11, 2014
* Also on my blog.

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander Pushkin is widely known as Russia's master poet. He also published a variety of stories and his best known prose is The Queen of Spades, first published in 1833. Later a Tchaikovsky opera, The Queen of Spades is a short tale of greed that left me intrigued throughout.

Hermann the officer was in need of money desperately. He found out from his comrade Tomsky that his grandmother Countess Anna Fedorovna once got out of debt by winning in cards. Her tale is sixty years old and as it ages, it has taken on mythic proportions. On an additional instance, Countess Fedorovna assisted a young officer in getting out of his own debt. Thus, gentlemen seek out the Countess in their greed in hopes that her card skills will bring them wealth.

Pushkin uses a young woman to create an additional angle to his short yet evoking story as he counters lust against greed. As a result, multiple storylines are packed into this tale that is short in length yet long in depth. One can see where the scenes with the Countess and young woman translate well to the stage. Tchaikovsky's production must have been equally compelling.

The Queen of Spades is shrewd and lustful and presents a side of Pushkin that may not be revealed in his poetry. This story contains many elements that keep me reading a full length novel- lust, greed, ghosts, and intrigue. My edition was in a volume of Russian crime and thriller stories of varying lengths. Pushkin's work is just an entry to the abundance of thrilling Russian stories that I am interested in reading. A compelling 4 star read, it would be thrilling to see The Queen of Spades on stage.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Short Story Club

This novella is a timeless literary work. It has all the characteristics of Pushkin's style - simplicity and laconic precision of the language, the intensity of the plot, a fascinating story about human passions (where supernatural is, probably only are in the protagonist's head) and, of course, the author's wit and humour. You can actually see Pushkin's mocking grin which I love.

'The letter contained protestations of love. It was tender, respectful, and translated word for word from a German novel. But Lisaveta did not read German, and she was quite delighted.'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'They remained for some time without speaking, without looking at one another. The day was breaking, and Lisaveta put out her candle. She wiped her eyes, drowned in tears, and raised them towards Hermann. He was standing close to the window, his arms crossed, with a frown on his forehead. In this attitude he reminded her involuntarily of the portrait of Napoleon. The resemblance overwhelmed her.'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
'He bowed his head. But suddenly the dead woman seemed to be staring at him; and with a mocking look she opened and shut one eye. Hermann by a sudden movement started and fell backwards. Several persons hurried towards him. At the same moment, close to the church door, Lisaveta fainted.'

[Cecily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darkly witty tale of gambling and fate, told in six short parts. Some friends are talking about thrills, ruin, and success from gambling. Names are dropped. Tomski, nephew of Ivan Ilyich (did Tolstoy borrow the name for his novella, which I reviewed HERE?) mentions his grandmother, Countess Anna Fedotovna. In her youth, she clocked up gambling debts that her husband refused to pay. She asked a wealthy friend for a loan, but instead, he told her a way to win, with three cards, on condition she use it only once, keeps it secret, and never gambles again.

The story of the three cards follows, involving the aged Countess, her companion and ward, Lizaveta, and a dashing soldier, Hermann. It reminded me of tales of three wishes or magic lamps: you have to abide by the rules, be careful what you wish for, and expect fate to play a role.


Image: The Queen of Spades from a Russian deck of cards (Source)

The Queen of Spades, sometimes called the Black Maria, is often a totem of more than her face value. And an 87-year old Countess could bear a resemblance. 😉

Whether it’s a supernatural Faustian tale or more prosaically about the corrupting power of greed is left to the reader. The framing of the story, and the exploration of other stories (including Herman writing down his encounter), and Lise’s head being turned by romantic fiction, make it borderline metafiction.

Quotes

• "Paul," cried the Countess from behind the screen, "send me a new novel; no matter what. Only see that it is not in the style of the present day."
"What style would you like, grandmother?"
"A novel in which the hero strangles neither his father nor his mother, and in which no one gets drowned. Nothing frightens me so much as the idea of getting drowned."

• “Having very little religious faith, he was exceedingly superstitious.” [Rosemary Edmonds’ translation]

• “The Countess had all the caprices of a woman spoilt by the world. She was avaricious and egotistical, and thought all the more of herself now that she had ceased to play an active part in society. She never missed a ball, and she dressed and painted in the style of a bygone age. She remained in a corner of the room, where she seemed to have been placed expressly to serve as a scarecrow.”

• “Hermann witnessed the hideous mysteries of her toilet.” [Rosemary Edmonds’ translation]


Image: Illustration of a strange man appearing in the Countess’ room (Source)

Short story club

I read this in Black Water: The Anthology of Fantastic Literature, by Alberto Manguel, from which I’m reading one story a week with The Short Story Club, starting 4 September 2023.

You can read Mrs Sutherland Edwards’ translation of this story here.

You can join the group here.

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This classic Russian short story is an odd, mystical tale of greed and avarice, and the choices we make in life. A group of military men is gambling at cards, a few of them commenting on how one of the group, a German named Hermann, never gambles. Another man then tells how his grandmother had been told some mysterious method of a sure bet in playing and guessing three cards. (I don't quite get the game here, other than that one predicts the number of the card that is drawn from the deck, but it's not really important.) But with one exception, this mean grandmother has refused all her life to share her card-playing secret with anyone--not even her own kids. Geez, Grandma, have a heart!



Hermann is convinced that this card game secret is the way out of his financial problems, if he can just get Grandmamma to talk to him and tell him the secret. He decides that romancing the grandmother's innocent young ward Lizaveta will be his way in.

Some very strange stuff goes down; I haven't figured out whether it's truly spooky paranormal stuff or whether Hermann is just losing his mind over this. I think the author deliberately left it ambiguous. If you like rather cryptic Russian short stories, this is worth a look. It's an old story, so there are several free copies floating around on the web, including here at this link.

At first read this story didn't strike me a particularly profound, but there are literary folks who consider it a masterpiece, so maybe I just didn't search deeply enough for meaning. Also, although this is on Gutenberg, don't read that version: it's been edited and some significant pieces to the story have been deleted. A better version is the one I linked above, but even that one is missing Pushkin's epigraphs at the beginning of each of the 6 chapters of the original story, that add some depth to the story. I couldn't find an English version of this story with the epigraphs, so I'll copy them here for your edification, courtesy of Cummings Study Guide:

Narrator's Epigraphs and Statements

Chapter 1 (Topic: Gambling)
The Queen of Spades denotes secret ill-will.
(From the latest Fortune-Teller.)

In the cold, rain, and sleet
They together would meet
To play.
Lord, forgive them their sin:
Gambling, late to win
They'd stay.
They won and they lost,
And put down the cost
In chalk.
So on cold autumn days
They wasted no time
In talk.
(K. Ryleev and A. Bestuzhev)

Chapter 2 (Topic: A Conversation)
"II parait que monsieur est décidément pour les suivantes."
"Que voulez-vous, madame? Elles sont plus fraîches."

–A Society Conversation.
"It appears, Monsieur, that you clearly prefer the maids."
"Would you wish me otherwise, Madame? They are much fresher."

Chapter 3 (Topic: Writing Letters)
"Vous m'ecrivez, mon ange, des lettres de quatre pages plus vite que je ne puis les lire."

- A Correspondence.
"My angel, you write me four-page letters so fast that I am not able to read them."

Chapter 4 (Topic: Morality and Religion)
Homme sans moeurs et sans religion.

–A Correspondence
A man without morals or religion.

Chapter 5 (Topic: A Vision)
That night the dead Baroness von W. appeared to me. She was all in white and said: "How do you do, Mr. Councillor?"
–Swedenborg.

Comment: This fabricated quotation appears at the beginning of the chapter in which Hermann has a vision of the old countess.

Chapter 6 (Topic: Angry Reaction)
“Attendez!”
“How dare you say ‘attendez’ to me?”
“Your excellency, I said ‘attendez, sir’ "

Attendez: wait.

CSG Comment: The reply of the important person appears to be one that Napoleon might have had made when addressed improperly by an underling. Hermann, of course, has become like Napoleon in his obsession to conquer the world of cards.

The author, Alexander Pushkin, is a well-regarded 19th century Russian author. He lived a brief but exciting life and died at only age 37, shot in a duel by a man Pushkin had accused of having an affair with his (Pushkin's) wife. I was motivated to read this by my friend Debbie's review.

[Ruxandra (4fără15) · Rating 4 out of 5]

drăguță povestioară despre lăcomie & goana după bani, în care protagonistul se pornește să scoată la iveală *trucul magic al unei bătrâne contese*, care se presupune că i-ar aduce câștiguri enorme la jocurile de cărți. recomand să ascultați cartea audio, narată de Rebengiuc – sunt convinsă că face experiența de 10 ori mai plăcută <3.

[Mohsin Maqbool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writer and Poet Aleksander Pushkin, Palekh School of Painting.

RUSSIAN writers have a way of telling stories that have you gripped on the edge of your chair and your eyes hooked on the written word. You neither leave your chair nor take your eyes of the book till you have read the last word. And then the story gets etched in your mind forever like a stupendous photograph.
Alexander Pushkin's "The Queen of Spades" starts at the house of a cavalry officer where gambling has just ended. There are the winners with lit up faces and then there are the losers with faces hanging down.


Altai Palace Casino.

One of the gamblers asks Herman, a German, as to why he never plays cards or rather gambles. The latter replies, "Play interests me greatly, but I hardly care to sacrifice the necessaries of life" for uncertain superficial things.
His friend Tomsky explains that since Herman was a German, therefore he tended to be economical. But the person he found most difficult to understand was his 80-year-old grandmother, the Countess Anna Fedorovna, who never gambled. Nobody found this to be surprising as nobody expected such an old woman to gamble.
Then Tomsky starts telling a story about the Countess by taking the listeners 60 years back when she was only 20 and known as the 'Muscovite Venus'. He goes on that she had gone to Paris where all the ladies loved playing faro and once while playing with the Duke of Orleans, she lost an enormous amount. He continues that her husband refused to help her, so she was left with no alternative but to ask for help from a friend of hers, Count Saint ­Germain, the one who "discovered the elixir of life, the philosopher's stone, and many other equally marvellous things".
Tromsky emphasizes that the Count was ready to give Countess Anna a loan but warns her that she would not enjoy a moment's rest until she had returned it; it would only add to her embarrassment. The story-teller elucidates that the Count then told her a secret which would free her from her burden for good.
Everybody's curiosity is raised on hearing this part of the story.


Three of a kind aka set.

Mr Pushkin writes: 'Tomsky lit his pipe, took a few whiffs, then continued: "The next evening, grandmother appeared at Versailles at the Queen's gaming ­table. The Duke of Orleans was the dealer. Grandmother made some excuse for not having brought any money, and began to punt. She chose three cards in succession, again and again, winning every time, and was soon out of debt."
"So you have a grandmother who knows three winning cards, and you haven't found out
the magic secret." Tomsky immediately makes it clear that he had not.


A deadly combination.

Now Herman wants to learn the winning combination of cards at all costs, as they have worked more than once for their gamblers. But will he belonging to a noble profession -- a young officer of the Engineering Corps -- do it by hook or by crook? Or will he use the ward of the Countess, a young girl called Lisaveta, as a trump card? He does write to her a beautiful romantic note which sets her heart beating at the speed of a bullet train. But little does she realize that it has been plagiarized from a German novel. Or will Herman enter the Countess's house on tiptoes in the dead of night to request her to reveal the secret of the cards?
Will Herman turn into a millionaire when the story ends? Or will he turn into a pauper at a certain gambling table?


Winking Woman.

Somewhere in the story you will meet a ghost, you will go on a round of a sanatorium, you will meet a winking woman, you will attend a funeral, you will watch the stakes at a popular gambling house, and you will visit the beautiful city of St Petersburg. In which order and why I won't tell you. What I will tell you is read the story and read it now as tomorrow never comes!


A casino for the jet-set in Moscow.

[Nikos Tsentemeidis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Από τη σπουδαία αυτή νουβέλα και τον Χέρμαν, τον ήρωα αυτής, επηρεάστηκαν ο Ντοστογιέφσκι με τον Παίκτη και ο Ναμπόκοφ με την Άμυνα του Λούζιν. Επίσης ο ίδιος ο Πούσκιν είναι επηρεασμένος από τον Φάουστ του Γκαίτε. Πραγματικά η ρωσική λογοτεχνία είναι τεράστια.

[°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.· ʜᴇʟᴇɴ Ροζουλί Εωσφόρος ·._.·°¯°·.·° .·°°° ★·.·´¯`·.·★ Ⓥⓔⓡⓝⓤⓢ Ⓟⓞⓡⓣⓘⓣⓞⓡ Ⓐⓡⓒⓐⓝⓤⓢ Ταμετούρο Αμ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Στην πλατεία της Μόσχας που φέρει το όνομά του στέκεται ακόμη ατάραχο το άγαλμα του Πούσκιν.
Κι ίσως «καθώς τις νύχτες ο σφοδρός άνεμος που φυσά αναταράζει με βία την ρεντιγκότα του ήρωος,
ο προκαλούμενος θόρυβος είναι τόσο μεγάλος, εκκωφαντικός, που στέκεται αδύνατον να κλείσει κανείς μάτι.»
(Ν. Εγγονόπουλος).

Όταν διαβάζεις ανυπέρβλητη «τέχνη» πεζογραφίας, δραματουργίας και κορυφαίας συγγραφικής τεχνικής απο έναν προνομιούχο εξόριστο ποιητή, απο μια μεγαλοφυΐα του 19ου αιώνα, τότε, σίγουρα, γνωρίζεις
εκ των προτέρων ότι διαβάζεις αριστουργήματα της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας.

Η Ντάμα πίκα, η βασίλισσα των σπαθιών, είναι ένα νουβελάκι που αποτελεί ίσως το πιο συγκλονιστικό δείγμα της πένας του μεγάλου ρώσου συγγραφέα, του ταλαντούχου αριστοκράτη, που κυριάρχησε τον πολιτισμό της ηδονής, του έρωτα και της συνένοχης λαγνείας του παθιασμένου ποιητή, πάνω στην άγραφη πλάκα που είναι η ανθρώπινη ψυχή.

Η λογοτεχνική αφήγηση του Πούσκιν διαβάζεται ασκαρδαμυκτί ( βαρέθηκα το απνευστί, έγινε κοινότοπο πια).
Πρόκειται για μια μικρή ιστορία, αχαλίνωτης παραίσθησης με μπερδεμένα συμπλέγματα πνευματικής διαύγειας και ψυχολογικής εμμονής στα όρια της τρέλας, η οποία αλληλοαποκλείεται λογικά απο την συνύπαρξη της φανταστικής πραγματικότητας, όπου το υπερφυσικό εκδικείται με τραγικά απόλυτη επιτυχία.
Τόσο παραστατικά στοιχειωμένη απο μυσταγωγικές έξεις.που οφείλεις σχεδόν να πιστέψεις το μίγμα
της αμφίσημης ερμηνείας και να το χαρακτηρίσεις
κατά τα λεγόμενα του Ντοστογιέφσκι ως ορισμό της τέχνης.

Και κάπου εδώ, ανάμεσα στην γνήσια, άμεση, μεγαλειώδη πεζογραφία, που ξέρει να χτυπάει
τα σωστά σημεία υπεροχής σε ένα σύντομο αριστουργηματικό ανάγνωσμα, απογειώνεσαι πνευματικά και αναπέμπεις προσευχές στο βωμό
της τέχνης, της αλχημιστικής επιστήμης των σοφών, που χωρίς πολλές εξηγήσεις αναφορικά με τον ήρωα, τον πρωταγωνιστή, τους κύριους χαρακτήρες της ιστορίας μας και το υπόβαθρο τους ή τον τόπο και τον χρόνο που εγκιβωτίζει ζωές, πράξεις και φανταστικές πραγματικότητες σε διεγείρει με ανείπωτη περιέργεια για απαντήσεις που δεν θα έρθουν, που θα τις ψάξεις, χωρίς ελπίδα να τις βρεις, με το πλεονέκτημα να τις δημιουργήσεις.

Κάπου εδώ, αναγνωρίζεις το μεγαλείο της τέχνης.
Δεν γίνεται αλλιώς, διότι ξαφνικά και αναπάντεχα βρίσκεσαι στον πυρήνα της ιστορίας, πριν καλά καλά
το καταλάβεις απογειώνεσαι στην καρδιά των γεγονότων και ο πιλότος των υπερβατικών οριζόντων,
που γράφει, σε προσγειώνει εκεί που θέλει.
Σε εμπλέκει σε ένα παράδοξο και μοιραίο απόσπασμα ύπαρξης και θανάτου απο κάποια παλιά νεκρολογία, μιας αληθινά φανταστικής πραγματικότητας, όπου υπάρχει η κεντρική προσωπικότητα, μία Ντάμα πίκα,
μία βασίλισσα των σπαθιών.
Αυτή χειρίζεται και γνωρίζει μυστικά και κώδικες,
που σε εξαγνίζουν με πλούτη και μυθικούς θησαυρούς, αν πιστέψεις στην φιλοσοφική λίθο, αν μεταφέρεις τα κρυφά της τρέλας στα απόκρυφα της λογικής
και συμμετέχεις στα παιχνίδια της τράπουλας που τα διοργανώνει η θανατηφόρα συνέργεια της μοίρας
ή το άπληστο μυαλό που το νίκησαν οι εμμονές του.

Έτσι,χωρίς κόπο, με το βαθύ, απλό και μεγάλο πλεονέκτημα ο Πούσκιν σου επιτρέπει να μοιραστείς μαζί του την συνενοχή του μυστηρίου και τον οργασμό της γραφής/ανάγνωσης.

Αν και βρίσκεται ανάμεσα στον αριστοκράτες του 19ου αιώνα, η Ντάμα πίκα είναι μία απο τις παγκόσμιες ιστορίες που θα μπορούσαν να παρουσιαστούν εξίσου αποτελεσματικά και με απόλυτη ταύτιση σε οποιαδήποτε εποχή και σε οποιαδήποτε τοποθεσία.

Ναι, σίγουρα, η Ντάμα πίκα θα μπορούσε εύκολα να πρωταγωνιστεί στην αρχαία Ελλάδα, στην Κίνα του μεσαίωνα ή στο σημερινό Λας Βέγκας.



Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς ασπασμούς.

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book was the perfect sampler of Pushkin’s work for a novice like me: I got a taste of his short stories, his poetry and his plays, and all that was portable enough to fit in my coat pocket! I greatly enjoyed the elegant prose, the mordant and tragic little tales, but I feel like I am a poor judge of poetry; it’s also possible that my undercaffeinated morning commute is just not the right setting for trying to absorb it. I also have to wonder how much is lost in translation, and not having any Russian speakers in my direct circles, I have no idea if this edition’s translation does that poetry any justice…

After reading a lot of Russian literature last year, I can definitely see how Pushkin has a place in that pantheon, alongside Tolstoy and Dostoevsky: he has that same talent for tackling the great tragic themes (greed, envy, jealousy) and illustrating them with a sardonic flourish.

“The Queen of Spade” is an ironic fable about a gambler’s scheming to obtain an infallible card trick. This predictably bites him in the ass, but who does enjoy watching a greedy douche get what’s coming to him? I preferred “The Stationmaster” over the first story, as I found it much more moving, with its regretful and bittersweet conclusion.

The short sample of “Mozart and Salieri” took me by surprise: “Amadeus” is one of my favorite movies, and I had no idea that anyone but Peter Shaefer (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) had written about that notorious rivalry, but it turns out, this was Shaefer’s main inspiration! Derp!

I look forward to “Eugene Onegin”, which I hope to really be able to sink my teeth into: as usual with short stories, I get to the end hungry for more!

[Jokoloyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic light fantasy thriller. I won't discuss the content much, you must enjoy the story yourself. The story hit me hard at the climax. I put spoiler tag for further discussion.

This story has some techniques that has become troupes nowadays. The author used the troupes beautifully, it is not so easy to copy them: The title that actually a spoiler for climax (before climax, my intention was to gave this story 2-3 star, the twist is that good), and rule of three that executed flawlessly (how many times I read the rule of three jokes or stories, but still I didn't expect the rule on this story). Alexander Pushkin is a true master of storytelling.

[Paula Mota · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5*

Esse Hermann – continuou Tomski – é, na verdade, uma personagem romanesca. Tem o perfil de Napoleão e a alma de Mefistófeles. Creio que deve ter, pelo menos, três crimes na consciência!

Quase a raiar a perfeição este conto que dizem ter servido de inspiração a “Crime e Castigo” de Dostoiévski . O jovem alemão Hermann, que não podia arriscar o necessário para obter o supérfluo mas se deixa levar pela ganância, a inocente dama de companhia que não é nada burra e a velha condessa intratável e vingativa são personagens fabulosas numa história que ansiei por saber como terminava.

[Nickolas B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ένα άλυτο και μυστηριώδες αίνιγμα. Μια αμφίσημη ιστορία. Το ανθρώπινο πάθος για εύκολο κέρδος. Ένα θανατηφόρο παιχνίδι. Η παράνοια...
Ένα εξαιρετικό διήγημα από τον Πούσκιν που έχει κάτι από το μυστήριο των διηγημάτων του Πόε και κάτι από τον μυστηριακό ρομαντισμό του ΕΤΑ Χόφμαν.
Μικρό αλλά φανερώνει το τεράστιο μέγεθος του δημιουργού του...
5/5

[Vanitha Narayan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, such an amazing short story!
I have a feeling that Russian literature, however small in size and scope ,can never disappoint me.
Great stuff!

[Ivana Books Are Magic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nevjerojatno je da jedna pripovijest sadrži u sebi toliko dubine i tako razrađene likove. Pikovu damu sam počela čitati na ruskom, ali kako jako sporo čitam na ruskom, poslužila sam se audio verzijom knjige (ukoliko nekoga zanima ima ih hrpa na YouTube-u), no negdje na „pola puta“ odlučila sam pogledati jednu sovjetsku filmsku ekranizaciju koja mi je preporučena kao „klasična“. Doista je i bila takva, jer slijedi knjigu rečenicu po rečenicu, neka žena (glumica) čita one dijelove knjige koji nisu dijalozi, tako da je filmska verzija jako slična audio knjizi, a još ima i tu prednost pristojne glume. Tako da taj film mi se svidio, ali opet moram naglasiti da mi se neusporedivo više svidjela knjiga i u papirnatoj i u audio verziji. Većinom je takav slučaj sa mnom, volim pogledati ekranizacije, ali uvijek mi se knjiga više dopada. Pretpostavljam da volim tu slobodu da sama zamišljam likove, ne samo njihov izgled nego i njihove manire, pokrete i tako dalje.
Nakon što sam pogledala film koji traje otprilike koliko i audio verzija knjige, malo duže (oko sat i pol dok je audio knjiga ravno sat vremena), odlučila sam pročitati priču i na hrvatskom jer sam htjela biti potpuno sigurna da sam sve razumjela. Ova knjiga nije teška za pratiti, čak i za nekoga poput mene, čiji je ruski još u povojima, ali dobro je pročitati i prijevod. Što se samoga prijevoda tiče čini mi se dobar (ne mogu biti autoritet po tome pitanju jer nemam dovoljno znanja ruskoga), ali neki su mi se izrazi učinili baš čudnim i općenito čini mi se da ima par sitnih pogrješaka ( u onom prijevodu kojega sam pročitala, a radilo se o nekom doista starijem izdanjem). U ovom ogledu ću koristiti samo svoj prijevod, to jest sve citate koje uključim ću sama prevesti. Uglavnom, nakon čitanja na hrvatskom ponovo sam je pročitala na ruskom i onda još jednom poslušala audio verziju. Tako da mogu reći da mi se ova pripovijest usjekla u pamćenje.


PRVO POGLAVLJE

Pripovijest počinje: „Jednom su igrali na karte kod konjaničkog časnika Narumova. Duga noć prošla je nezapaženo; sjeli su jesti u pet ujutro. / Однажды играли в карты у конногвардейца Нарумова. Долгая зимняя ночь прошла незаметно; сели ужинать в пятом часу утра.", tako da su naši junaci vojnici koji kartaju. Oni koji su izgubili su loše volje, oni koji su dobili jedu s boljim apetitom (Те, которые остались в выигрыше, ели с большим аппетитом, прочие, в рассеянности, сидели перед пустыми своими приборами. Но шампанское явилось, разговор оживился, и все приняли в нем участие.) No, šampanjac otvara svima usta i razgovor počinje. Na pitanje domaćina što je učinio, Surin odgovara da je po običaju izgubio ( . Что ты сделал, Сурин? — спросил хозяин.— Проиграл, по обыкновению.)
Uskoro jedan od igrača komentira činjenicu da je među njima jedan Hermann ( u ruskom originalu Germann) koji ih samo promatra, a ne sudjeluje u igri.

A kakav je Germann!- reče jedan od gostiju, pokazujući mladoga inženjera- otkada se rodio, on nije nijednom uzeo karte u ruku, od rođenja ni jednom nije zaigrao partije, a do pet ujutro sjedi sa nama i promatra našu igru ( А каков Германн! — сказал один из гостей, указывая на молодого инженера, — отроду не брал он карты в руки, отроду не загнул ни одного пароли, а до пяти часов сидит с нами и смотрит на нашу игру!)

Sada dolazi trenutak u kojem naš protagonist progovara u svoju obranu. Da, naš protagonist i moram priznati da nisam odmah (čitajući po prvi put prvo poglavlje) shvatila da bi njegova uloga mogla biti bitna i zapravo sam bila iznenađena kada se u drugom poglavlju pojavio kao bitni lik, a još više kada sam shvatila da će on zapravo biti glavni lik pripovijesti. Uglavnom, on kaže sljedeću rečenicu (koja će se u pripovijesti ponoviti barem još jednom) za koju smatram da je jako bitna:

„ Igra mene zanima silno“, reče Hermann, „No, ja nisam spreman žrtvovati neophodno u nadi da ću dobiti izlišno.“( — Игра занимает меня сильно, — сказал Германн, — но я не в состоянии жертвовать необходимым в надежде приобрести излишнее.)

Zatim se javlja Tomskij, koji će postati jedan od sporednih likova koji zamijećuje: „ Hermann je Nijemac. On je proračunat, to je sve!“ (Германн немец: он расчетлив, вот и все! — заметил Томский.

Ta mi je rečenica odmah privukla pozornost, no nisam imala vremena puno razmišljati o njoj jer Tomskij napominje da zapravo ne razumije svoju baku ( — А если кто для меня непонятен, так это моя бабушка графиня Анна Федотовна.) i tako započinje priču unutar priče.
Svi se odmah zainteresiraju o čemu se radi, a Tomskij ih začuđeno pita (iskreno reklo bi se ) zar stvarno nisu čuli za nju? Priča koja slijedi, priča o kartaškoj tajni o tri karte koje uvijek pobijeđuju, je jako bitna za samo djelo, ali osim toga pobliže opisuje lik starice koja će postati jedan od bitnijih likova već u sljedećem poglavlju.

Uglavnom, Tomskij im govori kako je u svoje vrijeme njegova baka bila poznata ljepotica, te su svi u Parizu hrlili da vide tu Moskovsku boginju. (Надобно знать, что бабушка моя, лет шестьдесят тому назад, ездила в Париж и была там в большой моде. Народ бегал за нею, чтоб увидеть la Vénus moscovite;1) Svejedno, njena ljepota je zapravo sporedna jer u njegovoj priči glavnu igru igra igra (nisam mogla odoljeti da tako posložim rečenicu). Naime njegova baka je također voljela kartanje posebno igru „faraona“. Dogodilo se da je izgubila veću sumu na kartama, a njegov djed unatoč tome da se bojao žene kao ognja jer je bio nešto kao čuvar njena imanja, (Покойный дедушка, сколько я помню, был род бабушкина дворецкого. Он ее боялся, как огня; ) odbija isplatiti njen dug. Njegova baka odlučuje spavati sama, uz znak svoje nemilosti (легла спать одна, в знак своей немилости), ali ni to ne pokoleba njenoga muža (a mene je nasmijalo). Da skratim priču ( koja mi je usput rečeno bila veoma zabavna), baka se utječe poznatoj tajnovitoj ličnosti da joj posudi novaca, no on je u svojoj plemenitosti podučava tajni kako da sama vrati tj. dobije svoj gubitak na kartama te ona učini tako. Baka nikad više nije dirnula karte, nije nikome otkrila svoju tajnu (pa ni unuku koji priča priču) doli jednom dobrom mladom čovjeku koji je učinio kao i ona- isplatio dug i ostavio se kocke. Reakcije na ovu priču su zanimljive, nekima je čudno što baka nije tajnu otkrila unuku, neki je odbacuju kao slučaj, a Herman je naziva bajkom (— Сказка! — заметил Германн.).

Tako da u ovoj priči unutar priče svakako ima i neka moralna poruka, a možda i uvjet. Pisac to nije sasvim razjasnio, namjerno je ostavio dvosmislenim, no mislim da je moguće tumačenje da se taj trik (magija?) može upotrijebiti samo jednom i samo da se spasi obraz. Naravno moguće je i tumačenje da je sve zapravo bila šala, da je trik samo u Hermannovoj glavi, a on će se on unatoč tvrdnji da se radi o bajci u kasnijim poglavljima ozbiljno pozabaviti otkrivanjem tajne.

DRUGO POGLAVLJE

Drugo poglavlje počinje riječima: „Stara grofica ***** sjedila je u svojoj svlačionici pred zrcalom. (Старая графиня *** сидела в своей уборной перед зеркалом.), a radi se upravo o starici koja je bila tema prvoga poglavlja. Ona priča sa Paulom tj. Tomskijom, koji traži dozvolu da je upozna sa svojim prijateljem. Lizaveta (družbenica/služavka bake) pita o kome se radi, a Tomskij joj kaže ime, a kada ona pretpostavi da je on inženjer, on ju pita zašto je ona mislila da je Narumov inženjer ( Простите, Лизавета ��вановна! Почему же вы думали, что Нарумов инженер?). Razgovor između bake i unuka također je ( u retrospektivi) veoma zanimljiv. Kada ona pita u svezu nekoga bala, je li se neka njena prijateljica postarala, on kaže da se nije mogla postarati jer je već sedam godina mrtva. Izgleda da se od bake smrt njenih prijateljica krije, a njemu je to izletjelo, ali svejedno grofica prima vijest naizgled mirno. Svejedno, traži od unuka da joj preporuči neki roman u kojem junak ne davi ni oca ni majke i u kojem nema utopljenika jer je to užasava (То есть такой роман, где бы герой не давил ни отца, ни матери и где бы не было утопленных тел. Я ужасно боюсь утопленников!). Tomskij kaže da takvih nema pa joj preporučava ruski roman, a grofica se sa čuđenjem pita zar postoje ruski romani. To mi nije moglo promaknuti i mislim da to Puškin nije slučajno tu stavio, to je zapravo njegov mali književni komentar. Moram primijeti i to da je to već drugo spominjane smrti u poglavlju! Je li nas pisac htio za nešto pripremiti?

Ljubav i smrt vječne su teme književnosti, rekli bi neki, a možda su doista i dvije najznanije teme, no kako bilo vratimo se radnji. Tomskij izlazi iz sobe, a Lizaveta vidi nekoga mladoga časnika ( inženjera?) kraj prozora i zacrveni se. Grofica zatim ulazi odjevena u sobi, naloži joj da naruči kočiju, onda je prekori ( „Zar si gluha? глуха, что ли!“ ), zahtjeva da joj čita, pa odustaje nakon dvije stranice, , nestrpljivo čeka Lizavetu prebacujući joj lickanje, pa naposljetku, napadne sobara da uvijek govori da je lijepo vrijeme, da ne zna procijeniti vrijeme, da je vani grozno puše te otkazuje kočiju (— Вы всегда говорите наобум! Отворите форточку. Так и есть: ветер! и прехолодный! Отложить карету!) Grofica kaže: „Lizanka, mi ne idemo: uzalud si se uređivala (Лизанька, мы не поедем: нечего было наряжаться.) “
„I takav je moj život, pomisli Lizaveta“ («И вот моя жизнь!» — подумала Лизавета Ивановна.).

Lik koji se uvodi i koji je zapravo najviše bitan u drugom poglavlju je Lizaveta, naime ona je nekakva družbenica ( u neku ruku zaposlenica) bake koja se na njoj redovito iskali za sve što joj se ne sviđa, a i obitelj se prema jadnoj Lizabeti nezahvalno odnosi, nikad joj ne isplaćujući plaću do kraja, a zahtijevajući da se nosi iznad svojih mogućnosti. Doista je vrlo lako suosjećati s ovom djevojkom čiji je položaj nezavidan. U romanu se opisuje ovako: „ U biti, Elizaveta Ivanova je bila nesretno stvorenje. Gorak tuđi je kruh, govoraše Dante, i teške su stube do tuđega doma, a tko može bolje znati gorčinu zavisnosti od bijedne družbenice plemenite starice? (В самом деле, Лизавета Ивановна была пренесчастное создание. Горек чужой хлеб, говорит Данте, и тяжелы ступени чужого крыльца, а кому и знать горечь зависимости, как не бедной воспитаннице знатной старухи? ) Međutim, Puškin u isto vrijeme brani i staricu govoreći da grofica u konačnici nije imala zlu dušu (Графиня ***, конечно, не имела злой души) već da je njeno ponašanje zapravo posljedica njenoga pomalo razmaženoga života i navika. Pitam se ne radi li se možda i o usamljenosti? Puškin nam ne otvara prozor u srce starice, ali nam kazuje dovoljno da je ne osuđujemo na prvu. Svakako je u prilog umješnosti pisca što je u toliko malo riječi, u prva dva poglavlja, uspio dočarati cijeli niz likova kao što su : Tomskij, Hermann, Elizaveta i stara grofica. Elizaveti se posvećuje posebna pozornost. Puškin nam otkriva koliko je duboka njena usamljenost, „svi su je znali, a nitko ju nije primijetio/ Все ее знали и никто не замечал“ , a „Ona je bila samosvjesna i živo je osjećala svoj položaj /Она была самолюбива, живо чувствовала свое положение. “Muškarci su ju u pravilu ignorirali zbog njenog siromaštva iako je bila sto dražesnija od drugih hladnih udavača oko kojih se oni vrtjeli („изавета Ивановна была сто раз милее наглых и холодных невест, около которых они увивались).

Zatim se opisuje događaj koji se dogodio tjedan prije ovdje opisanoga, a dva dana nakon kartaške večeri, a to je zapravo kako je Lizaveta vidjela časnika. On je stajao i promatrao je, a ona je nastavila vesti, no kada je pogledala opet za pet minuta, on je i dalje gledao u nju. Nije previše obazirala na njega jer nije imala naviku koketirati sa časnicima, a kada se vratila s objeda njega nije bilo pa ga je zaboravila…. (Однажды — это случилось два дня после вечера, описанного в начале этой повести, и за неделю перед той сценой, на которой мы остановились, — однажды Лизавета Ивановна, сидя под окошком за пяльцами, нечаянно взглянула на улицу и увидела молодого инженера, стоящего неподвижно и устремившего глаза к ее окошку...... но уже офицера не было, — и она про него забыла...).

Ponovo da skratim priču, nastavio se misteriozni časnik pojavljivati, i sa vremenom joj se uvukao pod kožu. Uzvratila je časniku pogled i činilo se da joj je on za to zahvalan. To je za nju bilo novo osjećanje (мучась любопытством и волнуемая чувством, для нее совершенно новым.) . Kada je Tomskij ponudio upoznati groficu sa svojim prijateljem, Lizaveta je neopreznošću svoga pitanja „je li on inženjer?“ otkrila ponešto Tomskiju i to je požalila.

Puškin nas sada upoznaje s Hermannom (Germannom) i u malo riječi otkriva nam ne samo njegovo podrijetlo već i navike. Za njega kaže da je : „bio sin propaloga Nijemca, koji mu je ostavio maleni kapital. Budući da je bio tvrdo uvjeren u neophodnost očuvanja svoje nezavisnosti, Hermann nije ni taknuo kamate, živio je posve skromno, nije si dozvolio nikakve ni najmanje raskoši.“ Германн был сын обрусевшего немца, оставившего ему маленький капитал. Будучи твердо убежден в необходимости упрочить свою независимость, Германн не касался и процентов, жил одним жалованьем, не позволял себе малейшей прихоти. Впрочем, он был скрытен и честолюбив, и товарищи его редко имели случай посмеяться над его излишней бережливостью. Puškin nam otkriva i ovo o njemu: „ On je imao silne strasti i ognjenu maštu, no njegova tvrdoća ga je spasila od uobičajenih zabluda mladosti.“ (Он имел сильные страсти и огненное воображение, но твердость спасла его от обыкновенных заблуждений молодости.) , a zatim i što se krije u njegovoj duši. Naime, iako je u duši igrač, nikada nije uzeo karte u ruke jer je držao da mu imetak to ne dopušta, no cijele bi noći s grozničavim uzbuđenjem pratio kartanje i igračke obrate. Pisac nam otkriva i da je anegdota s tri karte silno djelovala na Hermannovu maštu i da mu nikako nije izlazila iz glave. Tako mu je čak i palo na pamet da zavede staru groficu pa da mu ona otkrije tajnu, ali kada malo bolje razmisli shvati da za to treba vremena, a starica može umrijeti svakoga dana. Meni se ova ideja učinila pomalo komičnom, pa se pitam nije li i Puškin imao tako neki efekt na umu. Možda se htio narugati ljubavnim romanima. U svakom slučaju, izgubljen u svojim mislima Hermann dospijeva do impresivne kuće , upita čija je i doznaje da je grofičina ( Чей это дом? — спросил он у углового будочника. — Графини ***, — отвечал будочник.)
Možda on to uzima kao nekakav predznak. U svakom slučaju, Hermann se trzne, vraća se kući, nemirno spava, a sutra se opet nađe pred istom kućom i onda : „Hermann je ugledao nečije svježe lice i crne oči. Ta je minuta odredila njegov udes/ Германн увидел свежее личико и черные глаза. Эта минута решила его участь.“

Moram priznati da nakon ovakvoga kraja nisam još bila oblikovala mišljenje o Hermannu. Povezala sam u glavi konce, no nisam pretpostavljala ono što će otkriti treće poglavlje- da on promatra Lizavetu isključivo iz koristoljublja. Mislim da je pozornost koja je posvećena baki u prvom i drugom poglavlju nimalo slučajna, jer svi ti detalji koji se čine zabavni, ali sporedni, dobivaju značenje kasnije. Npr. stube kojima se Hermann na kraju penje, a kojima se nekad penjao neki mladi ljubavnik dotične. Isto se može reći i za njegova unuka, iako je sporedni lik, opet doznajemo ponešto o njemu, igra neku svoju ulogu, a spominje se i u zaključku.

TREĆE POGLAVLJE

Treće poglavlje je zapravo za mene bilo odlučujuće. Šokirala me Hermannova ekstremna sebičnost i njegova opsesija novcem, a kako je priča napredovala, postalo je sve napetije. Koliko god da je njegov opis u drugome poglavlju bio deskriptivan, ja sam se opet možda naivno nadala da će iduće poglavlje možda otkriti neku otkupljujući kvalitetu, no ono što se zapravo događa je da se Hermann nastavlja hrabro udvarati Lizaveti, predaje joj pismo iskoristivši trenutak kada je izašla, pismo prepisano iz njemačkoga romana, a pošto ona ne zna njemački, ona sa pismom bude zadovoljna (Письмо содержало в себе признание в любви: оно было нежно, почтительно и слово в слово взято из немецкого романа. Но Лизавета Ивановна по-немецки не умела и была очень им довольна.) Lizaveta mu napiše veoma pristojan odgovor u kojem ga moli da ne piše, da započnu poznanstvo na prikladniji način, te baci pismo kroz prozor, a on ga uzima ( «Я уверена, — писала она, — что вы имеете честные намерения и что вы не хотели оскорбить меня необдуманным поступком; но знакомство наше не должно бы начаться таким образом.).

On ne odustaje i nastavlja joj pisati, čini se da lako pronalazi riječi, čini se mu je strast i želja za novcem otvorila vrata mašte. On preko prodavačice šalje pismo Lizaveti u kojem ju moli za susret. Nju to šokira i podere pismo, govoreći prodavačici da se onaj tko je to napisao mora sramiti. Hermann naravno ne odustaje. Konačno Lizaveta mu otkriva kako bi je mogao posjetiti, to jest kako da uđe u kuću neopažen dok su svi na balu, a sluge ne čuvaju vrata (Наконец она бросила ему в окошко следующее письмо: «Сегодня бал у *** ского посланника....)

Herman tako i čini, ušulja se u kuću, čeka dok baka nije gotova sa toaletom, te konačno izlazi pred nju i traži od nje da mu oda tajnu. Starica tvrdi da je ta priča o tri karte koje dobivaju samo trik, no Hermann joj ne vjeruje, pokušava sve, zaklinje ju, moli ju. Naposljetku vadi pištolj i prijeti joj. Starica umire, a on to ne shvaća odmah. Ironija je zapravo u tome da je Hermann doista žrtvovao neophodno (svoju dušu, svoju ljudskost, svoju savjest, svoju muškost) da bi dobio izlišno (nepotrebno/suvišno), a to je više novca. Još je veća ironija sami kraj koji zapravo ne želim otkriti.

ČETVRTO POGLAVLJE

Četvrto poglavlje otkriva nam nutrinu Lizavete, razgovor koji je na balu vodila s Tomskijim, njezin strah da on sve zna i konačno iščekivanje da dođe Hermann. Ona to u isti čas i želi i toga se boji. On stiže kasnije, pa je ona iznenađena. Kada ulazi u sobi Lizavete, Hermann sve to priznaje bez zadrške. Čini se da ga i ne grize savjest zbog staričine smrti. Kada doznaje istinu, Lizavete je slomljena. No, Hermanna to nimalo ne zanima. Sada nam se otkriva sva tragedija položaja djevojke. Prvi put u njenom tužnom životu, netko je pokazao zanimanje za nju, ona se zaljubila, a sada ispada da je on običan razbojnik, da ju je iskoristio samo radi novaca. Ja sam se također naivno nadala da je možda Hermann i imao nekakve osjećaje prema Lizaveti, pa da je htio novac i zbog nje, a ne samo zbog sebe, no sve se to otkriva kao iluzija. Može se reći da sam patila s Lizavetom, doista mi ju je bilo žao. Moji osjećaji prema njemu isti su kao njezini: „Vi ste čudovište“, rekla je naposljetku Lizaveta Ivanova— Вы чудовище! — сказала наконец Лизавета Ивановна.


PETO POGLAVLJE
Što slijedi? I ja sam se to pitala, a zapravo priča tek počinje i događa se jedan veliki okret. Duh starice javlja se Hermannu, otkriva mu tajnu (pod uvjetom da oženi Lizavetu Ivanovnu). Što će on učiniti?Hoće li prvi put u životu uzeti karte u ruke? Hoće li se oženiti Lizavetom? Hoće li se pokajati za svoje postupke? Da biste to saznali, morat ćete pročitati pripovijest.


ZAKLJUČAK: Ovo je pripovijest koja se čina veoma lako i u dahu, a u isto vrijeme je duboka. Radnja je napeta i zanimljiva do samoga kraja. Psihološki portret likova, njihova analiza te logičnost njihovih postupaka je na tako zavidnoj razini, da bih rekla da se naprosto radi o jednom savršeno osmišljenom i napisanom djelu. Nadnaravni element je više kao dodatak, moguće je čitati duh starice i kao više i kao manje stvaran. No, likovi su svakako stvarni. Atmosfera je odlična, kroz priču se provlači tajnovitost i tama ljudske prirode. PUŠKIN JE BIO GENIJ!

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#My tryst with Eternal Tales:

This story is a masterful assortment of psychological profundity, gothic intrigue, and social commentary, set against the opulent yet decaying world of 19th-century Russian aristocracy. This novella is commonly regarded as one of Pushkin's best works and a bedrock of Russian literature. The plot follows Hermann, a go-getting yet frugal German officer infatuated with wealth and power. Hermann becomes consumed by the legend of a mysterious secret — three winning cards — that an aged countess allegedly learned from a secretive source. The countess, once a distinguished beauty and gambler in her youth, now lives in a state of faded grandeur. Hermann's obsessive quest to expose this secret drives him to manipulative schemes, eventually leading to a series of dramatic and supernatural events. Pushkin weaves together themes of greed, obsession, and fate with remarkable finesse. Hermann's relentless pursuit of fortune at the expense of morality serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive power of unchecked ambition. The story also explores the fragile veneer of aristocratic society, where the pursuit of wealth often masks a deeper moral decay. The novella's engagement with the supernatural is subtle yet impactful. Pushkin expertly blurs the lines between reality and the ethereal, leaving readers to ponder whether Hermann’s descent into lunacy is driven by external forces or his own psychological unraveling. Hermann’s stoic exterior conceals a volatile mix of ambition and desperation, making him both repellent and pitiable. The countess, with her enigmatic past and tragic end, embodies the tension between the grandeur of a bygone era and the inevitability of decline. Liza, the countess’s ward, adds a touch of poignancy to the story as a victim of Hermann’s handlings, representing the collateral damage of his greed. The use of irony is particularly striking, as Pushkin highlights the absurdities and contradictions of his characters’ actions and the society they inhabit. This makes the novella as much a social evaluation as it is a tale of individual downfall. This story is truly a work of genius.

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Puede usted -aseguró Herman- asegurar la felicidad de mi vida sin que le cueste nada: sé que puede nombrar tres cartas seguidas..."

Gran cuento efectista de Pushkin a lo Poe, con un delicado toque sobrenatural sobre el final.
Dado que trata sobre el juego de cartas, "apuesto" a que Dostoievski, que admiraba a Pushkin; disfrutó de este cuento y que tal vez se inspiró en él para escribir su novela "El jugador".

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a short ebook and it went by rather quickly and dint think much of it when I finished it yesterday. But I've been thinking of it and while it was short the ghost story definitely did something. Cool way to mix playing cards and a ghost story in one.

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic spooky tale, of the sort where corrupt intentions are rewarded in kind.

This is a story about gambling, or perhaps it is a morality tale. Actually, as I reflect on it, there is quite a bit going on considering it it only a few pages long.

[Piyangie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting short story of a man's greed and his ultimate destruction in its course. Though the work is short, Pushkin has well managed to lay down some fine characters to play out his tale. His writing is simple and precise and easy to read. I really enjoyed this short read and hope to read more of his works in the future.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

اولین داستانی بود که از پوشکین خوندم و خیلی جذاب بود. قلم ساده و داستان‌گویی داره و پایان داستان هم ضربه خوبی به مخاطب می‌زنه. احتمالا امسال بازم از پوشکین بخونم. ممنون از سعید بابت معرفی داستان.

[Werner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally, I don't review individual short stories, because I typically read them as part of a book-length collection. However, I actually did read this one, both times, as a stand-alone, although out of the 1943 book A Treasury of Russian Life and Humor (which doesn't identify the translator of the text used there), rather than in the edition this review is attached to. When I read it the first time, early in this century, it was because I'd heard it favorably mentioned and wanted to add a bit to my scanty experience of Russian literature. The dates below are for the second reading; I'd forgotten the plot, so knew I needed a refresher before reviewing it.

Although anthology editor John Cournos doesn't provide any author information (or writing/publication dates), poet, dramatist and fiction writer Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) is generally considered the father of modern Russian literature. (And he might have written much more had he not been tragically killed in a duel at the young age of 37.) This was my first, and so far only, experience of his work. He wrote this particular tale in 1833, and it was published the following year.

Like many short stories, this one is hard to review without a spoiler. Set in St. Petersburg in the author's present, it begins with a card party featuring heavy gambling by a group of Czarist army officers. One of them relates how, though his 80+ year old grandmother now never plays cards, was, as a young woman some 60 years ago, given a magic secret for winning at cards by the infamous real-life Count Saint Germain (who cultivated a widespread belief in his prowess as a sorcerer). That sets up an ironic study of the effects of human greed, not scary but pithy. Besides the supernatural elements, it has a scathing description of some of the social conditions of the time, particularly the constraints on women, and features good characterization. Personally, I have zero knowledge of the rules of faro, so couldn't really follow the card-playing action; but that's not essential to appreciating the story.

[Oguz Akturk · Rating 4 out of 5]

YouTube kanalımda Puşkin'in hayatı, bütün kitapları ve kronolojik okuma sırası hakkında bilgi edinebilirsiniz:
https://youtu.be/nljKaOPQcBI

Dostoyevski nasıl Suç ve Ceza kitabında Raskolnikov karakteri tasarımı ve id kavramıyla öldürme ve hırsızlık arzusunu, ego kavramıyla bu olayların sorgulamasını, süper ego kavramıyla ise de Raskolnikov'un kıvranmaları ve bir türlü Napolyon olamayışlarını anlatmak istemişse, Puşkin de Maça Kızı kitabında Hermann karakteri tasarımı ve id kavramıyla kendini gerçekleştirme, kazanma ve elde etme arzusunu, ego kavramıyla bu olayların sürecinde yaşadıklarını, süper ego kavramıyla ise de Hermann'ın kitabın sonucunda elde ettiği saplantıyı anlatmak istemiş.

Maça Kızı, Dostoyevski için hem Kumarbaz hem de Suç ve Ceza kitaplarının ilhamını vermiş olabilir. Zaten Dostoyevski de bu kitabı şöyle nitelendirmiş : "...muazzam bir kişilik, Petersburg döneminin alışılmadık bir tipi... Onda bir Napolyon profili ve bir iblis ruhu var..." E Raskolnikov da kendisini sürekli Napolyon'a ulaştırmaya çalışıp Maslow ihtiyaçlar hiyerarşisine en üst sıradan girmek istemiyor muydu?

Kronolojik sıraya göre Puşkin okunursa Puşkin'de karakterlerin iç dünyasına ait değişimlerin başladığını, daha keskin ve uç duyguların yer verildiğini ve Rusya'da kapitalist döneme girildiğinin sinyallerini görebileceğiniz Puşkin kitabıdır.

[Ian D · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Του πλούτου αχορταγιά, τση δόξας πείνα, του χρυσαφιού ακριβιά καταραμένη..." γράφει στην Ερωφίλη ο Γεώργιος Χορτάτσης και θα' λεγε κανείς πως ο Pushkin κινείται πάνω στο ίδιο νήμα για να καταγράψει και να καταγγείλει την ανθρώπινη φιλαργυρία, την απληστία που είναι ικανή να φτάσει στην απάτη. Ίσως και στο θάνατο.

Τρία - επτά - άσσος. Τρία - επτά - ντάμα. Τρεις λέξεις, εξήντα σελίδες κι όμως ο συγγραφέας είναι ικανός μέσα από την αριστοτεχνική χρήση του λόγου να περάσει το μήνυμά του κάνοντας το έργο του ξεχωριστό κι αναλλοίωτο στο πέρασμα του χρόνου.

[Paul Ataua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short and intriguing tale of greed that is probably a less effective read these days as its structure has been copied so often over time. I was surprised to see that this was the story on which the Tchaikovsky opera of the same name was based. Short and sweet with a little bit of the paranormal!

[Steven Godin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This classic tale tells of an inveterate card player who develops a dangerous obsession with the secret of an old lady's luck, which he believes will lead to great wealth. Told against the background of young aristocrats drinking and gossiping, and one eager eyed German soldier, Hermann listening intriguing to the story of how the once reckless gambler, the now aged Countess Anna Fedotovna, lost and then regained her fortune. Hermann goes and seduces the young and beautiful Lizaveta Ivanovna in order to gain access to the bedroom of the Countess who refuses to reveal to him the sequence of the three cards, and when desperately he produces a pistol the poor old Countess has a problem with her ticker. Hermann! But the Countess isn’t done for just yet, and reappears to Hermann in a vivid dream and on condition that he promises to wed her ward Lizaveta, and tells him the secret sequence. Back at the card table the audience awaits while Hermann appears for three consecutive days, playing as instructed one of the magic cards each time. For a short story the reader is kept on edge by the scenario, and it is wonderfully told, but I just wish it had been longer. Have read two or three more times since, but will stick with my original 3/5. Because I have read others from Pushkin better than this.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ ωραία, ευχάριστη και καλογραμμένη νουβέλα, με ατμόσφαιρα που θυμίζει όλα αυτά τα μυθιστορήματα της Ρομαντικής πεζογραφίας της εποχής, με τον συγγραφέα να καταφέρνει παράλληλα να κρατήσει σε μια κάποια αγωνία τον αναγνώστη, χάρη στην πλοκή και την όλη δομή της. Επίσης, σαν νουβέλα έχει και τις τσαχπινιές της, δηλαδή κάποιες ελαφριές δόσεις μυστηρίου και Φανταστικού! Μπορεί η ιστορία να είναι προϊόν μιας πολύ μακρινής εποχής, όμως με τον τρόπο που είναι γραμμένη, καταφέρνει να είναι ακόμα και σήμερα φρέσκια και ενδιαφέρουσα.

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Queen of Spades" is a short story about greed and obsession. Hermann wants to learn the Countess' secret to winning at faro, a card game. By the end, Hermann may be losing his rationality--or perhaps the Countess is taking revenge.

This story is in the anthology, "Black Water: The Book of Fantastic Literature," which I am reading with the Short Story Club.