The Gambler

The novel is about gambling, though it may be viewed as an allegory of hazard that is life itself; a hazard that includes the struggle for survival, the precariousness of wealth, and the whims of love—existence itself.

Although Alexey demonstrates that he is a winner, in the end he is shown to be a loser; that is, a man victim —not of his heart— but of his intellect, which harbors the eccentric theory that extreme humiliation may not only heal a broken heart, but also repair the soul. While...