The Gambler / Bobok / A Nasty Story

by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The stories in this volume demonstrate Dostoyevsky's genius for fusing caricature, irony and the grotesque to create a powerful dark humour. The Gambler is a breathtaking portrayal of an intense and futile obsession. Based on Dostoyevsky's own experience of financial desperation and the compulsive desire to win money, it focuses on the characters that take their places at the gaming tables of 'Roulettenburg': the outspoken, aristocratic 'Grandmamma', the mercenary Mademoiselle Blanche, the cool, mysterious Polina and Alex, the author's self-portrait; a man gripped by exhilaration and hopelessness. Bobok is a blackly comic satire in which a desolate writer becomes drawn into the conversations of the dead, and A Nasty Story is a humorous look at the disparity between a man's exaggerated ideal of himself and the sad reality.

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

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1862

About the author

Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский (Russian)

Works, such as the novels Crime and Punishment (1866), The Idiot (1869), and The Brothers Karamazov (1880), of Russian writer Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky or Dostoevski combine religious mysticism with profound psychological insight.

Very influential writings of Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin included Problems of Dostoyevsky's Works (1929),

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky composed short stories, essays, and journals. His literature explores humans in the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of 19th-century and engages with a variety of philosophies and themes. People most acclaimed his Demons(1872) .

Many literary critics rate him among the greatest authors of world literature and consider multiple books written by him to be highly influential masterpieces. They consider his Notes from Underground of the first existentialist literature. He is also well regarded as a philosopher and theologian.

See also:
Russian → Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский
French → Fédor Dostoïevski
French → Fiodor Dostoïevski
Spanish → Fiódor Dostoyevski
Portuguese → Fiódor Dostoiévski

Reviews

[Clint Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

The argument of "The Gambler" is that one's destiny is beyond the reach of winning or losing. Destiny can be best realized by not imposing a morality on success or failure: by acting dispassionately from a perspective beyond consequences. This is not, however, a conclusion that Dostoyevsky champions. He satirizes the nature of a compulsive gambler to show the true cost of such a material — and ultimately valueless — existence. Alexis traps himself in this questionable premise.

At one point the narrator, Alexis Ivanovich, has everything he wants in hand: considerable winnings. Polina, Alexis' elusive, enigmatic love interest, has finally admitted her love for him. Rather than banking his winnings and standing by Polina he throws it all away on a trip to Paris with a concubine. Even when confronted with the decision to live a meaningful life, Alexis finds himself a zero: a paradox both valueless, and an origin of potential.

What am I now. Zero. What may I be tomorrow? Tomorrow I may rise from the dead and begin to live again! I may find a man within myself, before he vanishes for good!

Alexis refuses to recognize the failure in his premise since he refuses to consider losing, disregards moral consequences.

...if I won anything at all, I could continue to play; if I lost, I should have to become a servant again.

Yes, in such moments one forgets all one's previous failures. I had got this, you see, at the risk of more than life, I had dared to run the risk—and now I was a man again!

Astley, his former friend recognizes Alexis is at a turning point. Alexis' initial act of will has become a compulsion. He has abandoned his life to fate, blind to the true riches it has to offer:

'You've not only renounced life, your own interests and those of society, your duty as a man and a citizen, your friends (and you did have them, all the same)—you've not only renounced every aim whatever in life, except winning at roulette—you have even renounced your memories

Ultimately, Alexis has already chosen to believe the decision is always open to him, but it's clear he no longer makes willful decisions. Again:

Tomorrow I may rise from the dead and begin to live again! I may find a man within myself, before he vanishes for good!

"The Gambler" is a brilliant and humorous story in both form and content. Dostoyevsky's decision to explore free will and bad faith actions in gambling terms could easily result in forced symbolism, but it's all very natural and realistic. The symbolism is in easy reach when you want to explore deeper.

Dostoyevsky uses a lot of untranslated French, a blemish in any piece when the author fails to incorporate the foreign languages’ meaning. Coulson's translation itself is easily accessible and captures both the humor and the darker aspects.


"Bobok" is a more difficult story to appreciate. A little research helps to provide the context that it encapsulates most of the themes Dostoyevsky explores in his major works (as do the other stories in this collection). It helps to keep in mind the nature of Menippean satire Dostoyevsky uses in all his writing, targeting ideas more than the characters themselves.


“A Nasty Story" is another of Dostoyevsky's dark humor approaches, criticizing those who follow wild ideas uncritically, even with the best of intentions. Ivan Ilyich makes a show of vanity. His idea is to put on a show of moral and humanitarian benevolence to his subordinates so that they will personally respect his liberal views, but continue to fear his authority in the workplace. What actually happens is that Ilyich makes everyone uncomfortable at a wedding party, where he fails to voice the high moral purpose of his visit. He gets drunk and is otherwise mostly ignored. Ivan's risk from the fallout is high, but ultimately mild. It's clear he never should have pursued the idea, and that his subordinates have more at stake—and suffer more harm by it.

[Kostas Tsiakalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "A nasty story" is one of my favorite books,i think everyone has something in common with the protagonist and a similar experience.Its a story that teached me to expect the unecpected when i think everything is gonna be perfect.Nothing goes as we dream.

[Brendan Monroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The very idea of gambling is anathema to me. I can't particularly say why, because other than an amateur game or two of poker in my formative years, or the occasional small bet, I haven't ever gambled at all. Yet the very idea of risking one's money on the roll of the dice, on fate itself, I find somehow appalling.

As a result, I was not a particular fan of "The Gambler." It was entertaining enough, but the fact that our protagonist is the titular "Gambler", made me at once dislike him. It would have been preferable to me if he'd been a whoring alcoholic with a penchant for wearing ladies' underpants. As it was, I found him pathetic. Even more so because he's besotted (yes, "besotted" certainly seems to be the right word here) with a woman who doesn't give a damn about him. He flings his money at her, makes a public spectacle of himself to try and impress her, and never seems to get the point - she's just not that into you.

The highlight of this story is the delightfully acerbic grandmama who turns up by surprise in the Central European spa town, "Roulettenburg", where the action takes place. What does one do in Roulettenburg? Why, play roulette of course! and so goes grandmama's entire fortune - driving her desperate heirs predictably bonkers.

Towards the end, our protagonist, finding himself broke after once again staking his livelihood at the roulette wheel, is given a much-deserved tongue lashing by Mr. Astley, a visiting Englishman.

"You have destroyed yourself," Mr. Astley tells him. "You had some capabilities, and a lively mind ... but you will stay here and your life is finished. I don't blame you. In my mind all Russians are like that, or inclined to be. If it's not roulette, it's something else like it. There are too few exceptions. You are not the first not to understand what work means ... Roulette is chiefly a Russian game."

One wonders if Mr. Astley is perhaps playing the part here of one of Dostoyevsky's better angels (the author was quite an accomplished gambler in his own right).

I enjoyed the delightful silliness of "A Nasty Story" a bit more. A comedy of (good) errors, it is more or less a take on the old adage, "no good deed goes unpunished."

Dostoyevsky lite, for sure. The great author wrote "The Gambler" alongside "Crime and Punishment", and it's quite apparent which of these received the greater of his immeasurable talents.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first serious girlfriend being an expert, much inspired and informed by Dostoevsky, I devoted months to reading all I could find written by him. Fortunately, I was working as a security guard at the Chicago Women's Athletic Club on Ontario and Michigan at the time, a job which basically required that I sit at the service entrance and handle the occasional delivery. Mostly I read and wrote, eight hours a day at work, two in travelling to and from work--a very constructive time!

Of these three pieces I found the novella, The Gambler, excruciatingly boring, perhaps because I've never shared the author's obsession for gambling. A Nasty Story was fine, but unmemorable. Bobok was intriguing because it was unlike anything else I'd ever read by Dostoevsky. I don't usual appreciate, or maybe even notice, Dostoevsky's humor, but this story struck my funny bone.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all three stories in this book. The Gambler and the hypnotic magic of the roulette table. The belief that you are going to win and the example of Grandmama. Capturing the highs and lows set against the background of a love story. The characters are brilliant. The General, his mistress, the Frenchman who no one liked, the Englishman Atley and of course Polina with her cruelty and manipulation of the weak minded tutor Alexis. I suppose one lesson from the story is the house always win.

Bobok is a macabre brilliant short story. The idea of dead people talking from the graveyard was for me entertaining.

The last story or A Nasty Story aptly captures the delusion of people with power. The wedding party and the gate crashing of the bride grooms boss and the description of when good intentions go completely wrong is at times comical and tragic.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

"يک قدرت جبار و مستبد و بی‌حد، اگر روی يک مگس هم باشد يک نوع خوشی و لذتی دارد. سرشت انسان، جابر و مستبد است، و دوست می‌دارد که برنجاند. راستی هم، انسان دوست دارد که بهترين دوستان خودش را در مقابل خود، خوار ببيند. دوستی بيشتر اوقات برروی تحقير و شرمساری بنا نهاده می‌شود. اين حقيقتی است قديمی که همه‌ی مردان بافکر از آن اطلاع داشته‌اند."

[Mark McKenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gambler is the perfect story, an absolute 10/10 and a reminder that Russian Literature is the best in the world. Bobok and A Nasty Story are both a little disappointing and bring this book as a whole, down to a 4/5. But my god, so good to be back with the Russians.

[Chloe Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the context of Dostoevsky’s own gambling addiction and the fact he gambled whether he would finish the book and then did it and won but then gambled away the winnings.. wild novella.
Many characters including the narrator are almost autobiographical.

The writing can be very captivating. Especially when in the gambling rooms. The ending is bleak but realistic, seemingly open for interpretation but we all know how it would follow. Not a bad read but not particularly exciting either. There are much better Dostoevsky books to read.

The bobok was harder for me to appreciate as it is a satirical novel which requires a lot of context of Russia at the time. It has a lot of the themes of a typical Dostoevsky story, as well as the idea of a souls depravity even after death. Although contextually challenging, an interesting short read.

A nasty story was a funny little one, especially the pretense that Ivan Ilyich was the ‘hero of our story’. A hard read at points when you see it tumbling down hill, so cringe & uncomfortable - and poor Pseldonimov.

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was there a writer who wrote with more psychological acumen than Dostoevsky? The more I read this great writer’s works, the more I am amazed by the depth of acuity this man had. In these three stories, Dostoevsky not only weaves a story in the way only he can, but also provides acute insights into the Russian society of those times.

‘The Gambler’ took a while for me to really get into because I was completely confused at what was happening, but once you set aside the book reader’s compulsion to completely understand everything and instead, really just enjoy the story, you can obtain the quintessential Dostoevsky experience - a throbbing tale of one man’s obsession. But my favorite was ‘Bobok,’ which was darkly comic and brimming with wisdom. If you are a Dostoevsky fan like me, then you would enjoy these stories. But I don’t suggest starting your Doestoskvy journey with this collection.

[Brian "Alostarre" King · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 star book for me.
The Gambler started off very slowly but I was later engaged when the grandmother came into the picture. By the end of it, I felt that I had enjoyed myself somewhat. Not the greatest I've read of Dostoyevsky, but I can't really compare this to his masterpiece that is Crime and Punishment.

The other two stories, Bobok and A Nasty Story didn't grab my attention much at all. Luckily, both were fairly short and didn't require too much in the way of time.

[Literati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great collection of work, that really shows the length and breadth of Dostoyevsky.
The gambler- based on his notorious gambling addiction, is a true look into both slow and fast descents into self-destruction, all through the lens of a luxurious gambling resort and its Russian visitors. At the same time, it clearly shows that gambling is not the true destroyer, it is merely the worst habit for the destructive person.
Bobok and a Nasty story are a complete inverse- they are hilarious in their critique of decadent Russian bureaucrats, and their pretenses of culture vanishing when they die or, in the case of nasty story, believe themselves to be an ally of the people.
Human nature is always Dostoyevsky's focus, and in this collection he uses myriad ways to satirize or bleakly present its grandest flaws

[Derrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog here in August 2001.

Dostoyevsky wrote The Gambler in three weeks to clear his debts. It is, like many famous nineteenth century Russian novels, partly autobiographical, but it paints a very different picture of that country's soul from any other. Almost uniquely, it is set abroad; the Russian countryside is completely absent.

The theme of The Gambler is addiction; its narrator starts playing roulette in a German resort, just as Dostoyevsky did, and is continually willing to lose everything, always expecting to win. It is an honest portrait of addiction, a precursor to Burroughs' Naked Lunch, but the novel also contains humour. There is a wonderful portrait of a terrible old lady, Antonida Vasilyevna Tarasevichev, who starts out as a background figure whose death will solve everyone's financial troubles, but who suddenly appears without warning in Roulettenburg and herself starts gambling away the inheritance.

Even for someone, like myself, who has never really felt the appeal of this kind of gambling - I would like to win because of intelligence or skill, not because of luck, particularly with the odds are stacked against the gambler, as they are in casinos - Dostoyevsky's novel paints a fascinating portrait. This is especially the case, as in Naked Lunch also, because it is to a large extent autobiographical.

[Liam Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gambler shows how obsessive risk-taking pervades every aspect of one's life. It traps you in the head of someone whose reasoning is on the very limits of sympathetic understanding. Dostoyevsky describes the scenes in gambling with an authentic (and autobiographical) inner-ecstasy and gripping prose. One of his very finest works.

[Jon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not D-Dog's best works but readable and interesting enough. Would recommend but not before almost all of his other works,

[David]

Altogether disturbing and unsettling. Every much worth the attention.

[rubyhartbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Gambler, though less cerebral than other Dostoevsky works, serves as an introspective piece for the author. Dostoevsky offers a sympathetic stance towards gamblers—as one himself—while being simultaneously self-aware. This was a fun read, and I enjoyed the flow and pace of the story, particularly the introduction of Grandmama.

Bobok—though short—was a captivating story of an author mentally cracking up. Again, I think this story holds well as an introspective, self-reflective piece for Dostoevsky.

A Nasty Story can be summed up as (1) screw your head on straight, and (2) don’t get sloppy drunk at your subordinates wedding!

[matthew cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd read bobok and a nasty story previously, bobok is good and nasty story is probably one of my favorites from him, but oh my god The Gambler is phenomenal, really really loved it, what a collection

[Dr Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not every writer that can take a break from writing a classic to pen an excellent novella but as we should know by now FD is not every writer. For this is exactly what he did with this work alongside one of his masterpieces Crime and Punishment. Apparently he wrote this in four weeks and in a very un Dostoevsky Hollywood moment he fell in love and married the young stenographer who helped him. This has been the subject of a pretty ropey movie with Michael Gambon - interspersed with the plot of the original book - which to be honest would need a bit of padding as it is a fairly slight story.

The other part of this story is that the reason he wrote it was to pay off a gambling debt. This segues into the most striking element of the book - that is the element of autobiography. All the early Dost traits are here: doomed unrequited love with unattainable woman, mediation on the nature of addiction and vaguely xenophobic characteristics of the main European nationalities. In some ways the work this most resembles is his travel journal of his continental travails.

I think one of the most significant elements of the work is that it is his first fiction set completely outside Russia. This gives a sharpness to his description of the Russian psyche when they are far from home. The nominal "hero" works in the loosest sense for a "family" of chancers - an ostensibly aristocratic group who have washed up in the elite mittel - European gambling resort of Roulette-enberg. Headed by the General the pretence is that they have untold wealth - he has attracted a few parasitic good looking hangers-on with this story.

In reality there is nothing there. Quite a telling comment by FD on the flimsiness of the image of much of the entourage of Tsarist Russia in the 19th Century. Money means status - nothing else; it is not related to work or wages. A common theme of some of the weaker aristocratic figures in Dost's work. When there is no money everything else crumbles away. This is similar to FD's characterisation of a French nomadic aristocrat who does seem to have wealth - maybe making an ironic point of the relative wealth of an aristocrat who comes from a country that overthrew its feudalism to the poverty of ones from a country that they nominally rule. The pragmatic Englishman (Mr Astley! Never gonna give him up) who is in the ambit of the group has a stable financial background - the nascent bourgeoisie then beginning to dominate all of Europe - if not Russia.

Given that context gambling is the perfect activity. Dostoevsky explains brilliantly in parts of the work the attraction of beating the casinos: in the novella (and in FD's actual life) this is roulette. He also explains the double think and calculations gamblers make with every transaction in life - including in the final analysis with the "Gambler" Alexis' romantic obsession with the femme fatale Polina. He also provides a whistle stop tour of the finer technical points of "rouge et noir" or the roulette wheel -useful for any online gambling addicts out there. Money and the weird forms of coin that make up the currency are a constant in the work - all relations are measured in some financial way - with wins and losses.

There is no real narrative direction the Gambler wins and loses but it is full of very funny vignettes. In particular the appearance of the General's grandmother - who the General is expecting to drop dead at any minute to give him his legacy - at the resort and her arrogant behaviour which sees her believing she will beat the odds. In short measure she loses all her wealth outlined in painful detail as the General sees his Russian inheritance essentially disappear before his eyes.

Another thing I noted about the work was the absence of any real ideological debate which underpins most of the dynamic of Dostoevsky's fiction. Perhaps this is what leads to the slightly disposable feeling of the piece. It seems to focus solely on the dynamic of inter-Euro relations of the nineteenth century and Alexis own obsessions with gambling and Polina - the former wins. There are a few broad swipes at comparing Russia with other European countries but that is about it - no detailed dissection of nihilism or the necessity of religious feeling.

It is an enjoyable 100 pages though and actually given the utter reliance on gambling which late capitalism has - with house prices, credit and the stock market - there is a telling insight into the psychology of people thrust into this world. In 2014 in a sense that is all of us if we want to navigate the choppy waters of capitalism. I think Dostoevsky saw this even in early nineteenth century capitalism and could see the problems attached - he wrote this to clear his own gambling debts for God's sake!

All in all a slight detour from the wonders of writing Crime and Punishment then but a worthwhile little rest. That he created this in essence as a throwaway tells us a lot about the writer and the man.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Yes! It only takes being calculating and patient at least once in your life and--that's all! It only takes being steadfast at least once, and in an hour I can change my whole destiny” - The Gambler

From 1866 to 2026, it appears that being delulu still remains the solulu for most men… Really enjoyed The Gambler (purely the reason for my rating) and more particularly the irony behind its creation. It took me longer to read Babok and even longer to finish A Nasty Story but happy to have finally dipped into the world of Dostoevsky.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I read this quarter was The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The setting of the story is in a luxury German resort - the Roulette Burg. The main characters in this book are Alexei Ivanovich, a 25-year-old tutor, General Sagorjanski, a wealthy Russian General, Polina Alexandrovna Praskovya, the stepdaughter of Sagornjanski, Mr. Astley, a shy but sensible Englishman, and Nadjenka and Misha who are the children of Sagorjanski. Mademoiselle Blanche de Comminges is the General’s love interest. The secondary character Antonida Tarasevich Eva, also known as la baboulinka, is General Sagorjanski’s aunt who very wealthy, but also terminally ill. I found this book through a recommendation from an old teacher.

The story is told from Alexei Ivanovich point of view. He’s hired as a tutor by General Sagorjanski and lives with the Sagorjanski family in a luxury German hotel. Alexei discovers that General Sagorjanski is in debt and has mortgaged his property in Russia to pay only a small amount of his debt. The General learns about the illness of his aunt who he calls his grandmother. His aunt is wealthy so General Sagorjanskii sends telegrams to Russia to comfort her but he’s secretly waiting for her to die so that he can inherit her wealth. General Sagorjanski hopes that with his inheritance he can pay his debts and marry Mademoiselle Blanche de Comminges. Polina asks Alexei to go to the town’s casino and place a bet for her. He wouldn’t normally do this, but Alexei is in love with Polina so he agrees with some hesitation. Alexei wins the roulette game and returns to Polina and confesses his love to her. Polina responds by laughing. Alexei eventually meets a man named Mr. Astley who is a friend of Polina. Mr. Astley wants Alexei and Polina to be together and admires Alexies fondness of Polina. Alexei loves Polina so much that he vows an oath of servitude to her and says that he would do anything she asks. Polina tests this by telling Alexei to insult an aristocratic couple they see while out on a walk. Alexei does this without hesitation and this eventually gets him fired from his job as a tutor. After this incident, General Sagorjanski’s aunt arrives and says that she knows that Sagorjanski was waiting for her to die and as a result no one is going to get her money. She then meets Alexei and tells him to guide her around the town and to the local casino. Antonida plays a game of roulette and wins a large sum of money, and then she plays again. She keeps playing until she’s lost over a ₽ 100,00. When Mademoiselle Blanche de Comminges hears that General Sagorjanski will not be inheriting any money she leaves Sagorjanski and seduces another rich Russian man who takes her to Paris. Mademoiselle Blanche de Comminges asks Alexei to join them and he agrees after Astley balems Alexei for failing to protect Polina throughout this ordeal. After three weeks in Paris he decides he hates his job. He regrets wasting his money and decides to leave for Hamburg. The story picks back up more than one and a half year later with Alexei wandering through German cities and gambling anything he can find. In Hamburg Alexei unexpectedly meets Mr. Astley. They talk and Mr. Astley reveals that Polina is in Switzerland and that she actually does love him. Mr. Astley gives Alexei money but he knows that Alexi will just use it for more gambling. The story ends with Alexei going home with dreams of going to Switzerland to start his life with Polina.



I thought the book ended very sadly, even for a Dostoyevsky novel. The last words of Alexei are “Tommorow, tommorow it will all come to an end”. This comes after Mr. Astley gives Alexei the money to go to Switzerland, but Alexei spends it on his gambling habit even after he promised to go to visit Polina. In the beginning of the novel Alexei seemed fragile and innocent, but at the end he was ruthless and cold. The things that happened to him were unavoidable and ultimately shaped who he became and why he became addicted to gambling.

I personally liked this book and thought that Dostoyevsky did a good job in showing just how easy it antipode of yourself within a matter of years. Alexei Ivanovich was relatable and realistic which helped add to the reality that the addiction and depression that Alexei experienced are possible for anyone.I liked this book and if anyone else likes this book I would recommend other Dostoyevsky novels such as the Babok, or Crime and Punishment. This book also reminded me of the Stephen King book Gerald's Game.

[Syed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting way to end the book. So vague but satisfying as well. We do not know what will happen to the main character and while it may seem positive, we know how human nature is.
While some of the book was hard to comprehend due to the french, overall, it was quite enjoyable. The way it displayed addiction was well described and as someone who knows nothing of gambling, it was quite entertaining nonetheless. The internal dialogue of Alexei was also nice and pleasant to read after having read Notes from the Underground. Alexei was quite the character and the way he had degraded himself for Polina was pretty funny considering how proud Alexei had been portrayed. The open ended nature of the ending reinforces this idea of addiction and what people will do for their dreams, regardless of their practicality.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is a collection of three shorter pieces by Dostoyevsky, put together largely, I think, by virtue of being short and fitting nicely together in a paperback edition.

The first and longest piece is "The Gambler", a short novel with a fascinating history of its own - Dostoyevsky made a rash deal with a publisher that would have cost him everything if he couldn't produce a novel by a specific date - and by all reports including his own letters, he didn't start the thing until right before the deadline. This, my friends, is the novel Dostoyevsky pulled out of his butt to save his life. And it's thought to be a bit autobiographical (a nice cheat when one's butt needs saving), though if it is, Dostoyevsky is either a complete ass or he was self-depricatingly depicting himself as a complete ass. And I'm not talking about the gambling addiction. More the "I'm attracted to you therefore you owe me something" attitude and other just mean things the main character does.

BUT "The Gambler" is worth it for the character of Grandmama, who had me turning pages furiously the moment she showed up.

"Bobok" to me feels a bit phoned in. It reminded me of Gogol's "Diary of a Madman" and I did notice that the crazy narrator mentions Gogol at one point which made me think unkind thoughts toward D. Still, there's some satire to it - if a bit over-the-top and with a somewhat misogynist flavor to my tastes.

"A Nasty Story" was the title that got me to buy this paperback. Who can not want to read a story called "A Nasty Story"? Sadly, it was not the kind of nasty I'd hoped for. (Oh shush, you were thinking it, too.) It starts slow with self-important bureaucrats arguing, and not even sure each one what they are arguing about. There is only one character in the whole story who is at all redeemable, and she is a woman, so that made me forgive D. my impressions made on the female character in "Bobok". Our main character, whom we do not realize is the main character until some way into the story when the author says "This is our main character", sets out to make a point about equality between classes, but for all the wrong reasons - to show up the fellow he was arguing with and to gain fame and popularity for his 'bold move'. So of course it all goes to pot and the second half of the story, if you'll forgive a mild spoiler, is one long train-wreck. I quite enjoyed the last line, which if you read it, we can discuss. I'm trying ever so hard not to be a spoilerish person!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gambler is the great literary account of addiction - on this occasion it's gambling, but it could be any activity which increases adrenalin by taking a chance. The narrator is an average young man with the usual obsessions - he is proud, in love, resentful and on occasions likeable and approachable. But gradually he gets sucked into the habit of gambling, and that leads to the loss of everything that makes him a promising and productive human being. In the finale, he is almost a ghost - but redemption is possible if he could only turn his back on his addiction; Dostoyevsky leaves whether he will or not up in the air. The characters, notably the irascible grandmother and the ineffectual general, are brilliantly drawn. Interestingly, when Prokofiev came to adapt the book for his opera, he left off the final two chapters, which was probably right - the drama has already ended with Polina walking out.
Bobok is a minor story, notable for its disgust at humanity (even in the grave, we witter and are depraved). Its dead characters who continue to talk their inanities post-mortem look forwards to the Beckett of Play.
A Nasty Story shows the hollowness at the heart of wealthy liberal patronage. A young general pays a visit to the wedding of his subordinate, hoping to embody the liberal reforms that are in the air. He wrecks everything, befouls and disgraces himself, and then falls back on his class privilege as he recovers. A great satirical jibe at the reforming classes who never really give up their own status and privileges, and whose zeal is mere personal vanity.

[Ben Crandell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book holds three stories of the type that involve contemplation. Reading Dostoyevsky is similar to running uphill. It is slower going, but it has rewards.
The first "The Gambler" is about the follies of gambling. Below the surface are characters whose philosophy about life are all together different, yet their fates hinge on money. Gambling seems the obvious cure, but is in fact a merciless destructive action. Good lesson. Great writing. Love and madness are weaved in there, too.
The second is a short tale, Bobok. A reclusive old bachelor participates in a funeral and sleeps in a graveyard. In his dreams he hears the voices of the dead bodies below. Interesting. They decide they should all tell their stories "with no shame", honestly. The General (dead) is opposed. Food for thought.
The third is exactly what it's title says - "A Nasty Story". A young, highly qualified general (Russian 1870's) has political ideals about reaching out to the lower class. After receiving ridicule on this subject from elders, he misses his carriage home. On his walk home he decides to test his theory as he passes by a low class wedding celebration of one of his subordinates. His good intentions turn to humiliation and finally to indignities beyond his dreams.

[Owen Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

These three stories are much less depressing, and far more amusing, than expected. In fact, Bobok qualifies as comedy. I enjoyed this lighter side of Dostoevsky almost as much as his dark side. Although less gloomy, these stories still have great depth and range, with emphasis on human psychology. These writings, like many of his others, demonstrate Dostoevsky's depth of understanding about abnormal psychology, which is to his credit when you consider that psychology as a discipline did not even exist during his lifetime. Dostoevsky's short stories and novellas are actually a good place to start if you are new to his work because they are somewhat more accessible to a broader audience. I am getting very close to having read all of Dostoevsky's published works, but that's OK because many of them are worth reading a second time, which I'm sure I'll do.

[A.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gambler---
On gambling and thus, addiction: "I wanted to astonish the spectators by taking senseless chances and - a strange sensation! - I clearly remember that even without any promptings of vanity I really was suddenly overcome by a terrible craving for risk. Perhaps the soul passing through such a wide range of sensations is not satisfied but only exacerbated by them, and demands more and more of them, growing more and more powerful, until it reaches final exhaustion." Emphasis mine.

Are Russian-to-English translations ever satisfying? The acuity and intuition roughly hinted at here is dizzying. And it makes the slim chance of me reading Dostoyevsky in the original most unbearable.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If not for Bobok, this might have been given 5 stars. The Gambler and A Nasty Story were quite good. Apparently, the author was a gambler, himself, and had to write a novella by a certain date to retain the rites to his works with his publisher. He wrote The Gambler, delivering it right on the deadline, and then was free to continue writing Crime and Punishment. A Nasty Story was just that, but makes its point quite well.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. Just reread it before seeing the opear at the MET. Amazing story about compulsion. Alexei's (the protagonist) desperation is incredible. Dostoevsky really tears into the bourgeois. A short piece for him, but with all the characteristics of his work. Good book to read if you haven't read his work already.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, I didn't read "A Nasty Story" yet, but...I don't know if I want to get back to it very soon, if at all.
"The Gambler" was very good...I like how Dostoevsky conveyed the growing, consuming obsession and the fluctuating emotions that are caused by gambling/money.
"Bobok" was a clever little satirical work. Very timeless, as every society possesses pretentious, dissatisfied people...