The radio drama The Gambler is an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short novel under the same title, written in 1866 – incidentally, as part of a bet. Completing the text in an incredibly short time allowed the author to pay off his gambling debts. The plot is set in the Alps, towards the end of the 19th century, in high society, whose members, however, are constantly struggling with financial difficulties. We get to know the story of gambling addiction from the perspective of Alexey Ivanovich, a teacher to the General’s children. Everyone gambles in this story: young Polina, the General’s stepdaughter; the General, who, having lost his own fortune, is waiting for news about the death of his rich grandmother living near St. Petersburg; and even Grandmother herself, who shows up unexpectedly at the resort. The narrator himself also faces temptations to play roulette, his other fascination being the close and at the same time inaccessible Polina.
