Dostoevsky's 1867 novel, The Gambler, holds some autobiographical irony for the author who rushed to finish the manuscript in time to pay-off his own gambling debt. Dostoevsky was fascinated with roulette -- which figures prominently in this story -- and was a frequent gambler from 1863 - 1871.
The story follows Alexei Ivanovich, a tutor employed by an indebted Russian general. This text presented here is from the 1917 translation by C. J. Hogarth.