The Double and The Gambler
(Author) Fyodor DostoevskyThe award-winning translators Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have given us the definitive version of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s strikingly original short novels, The Double and The Gambler.The Double is a surprisingly modern hallucinatory nightmare–foreshadowing Kafka and Sartre–in which a minor official named Goliadkin becomes aware of a mysterious doppelganger, a man who has his name and his face and who gradually and relentlessly begins to displace him with his friends and colleagues. The Gambler is a stunning psychological portrait of a young man's exhilarating and destructive addiction to gambling, a compulsion that Dostoevsky–who once gambled away his young wife's wedding ring–knew intimately from his own experience. In chronicling the disastrous love affairs and gambling adventures of Alexei Ivanovich, Dostoevsky explores the irresistible temptation to look into the abyss of ultimate risk that he believed was an essential part of the Russian national character.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881) was a Russian novelist and philosopher known for his psychological depth and existential themes. His most notable works include "Crime and Punishment," "The Brothers Karamazov," and "Notes from Underground." Dostoevsky's writing style is characterized by its intense exploration of human nature, moral dilemmas, and the complexities of the human psyche. His works have had a profound impact on literature, inspiring generations of writers with their profound insights into the human condition. "Crime and Punishment" is widely regarded as his most famous work, exploring themes of guilt, redemption, and the nature of evil. Dostoevsky's contributions to literature have solidified his legacy as one of the greatest novelists in history.