About The Gambler“I yearn but to be in her presence, and within the circle of her light and splendour—to be there now, and forever, and for the whole of my life. More I do not know.”The Gambler is a novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1866. This dark and gripping work tells the story of Alexey Ivanovitch, a young teacher working in the home of an authoritarian Russian general.Alexey, struggling to break into the social elite in Russia, instead finds himself trapped in a never-ending cycle of betting and loss. His uncontrollable addiction is exacerbated by his affair with Polina, the General's cruel but alluring niece. A masterpiece of psychological portrayal, in The Gambler Dostoevsky achieves new heights of intensity and suspense.