The player

The player ( Russian : Игрок, Igrok ) is a novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky .

Embedded in a burlesque , occasionally grotesquely comical story about a group of people who, on the verge of financial ruin, is waiting in the fictional spa town of Roulettenburg for the blessing of an extensive inheritance that will save everyone, there are precise and detailed descriptions of gambling addiction , the Dostoevsky knew from personal experience.

The novel is the basis for Sergei Prokofiev 's opera of the same name (1917) and for several film adaptations.

background

The player appeared in 1867 shortly after Schuld und Atonement in the first complete edition of Dostoyevsky's works. Dostoevsky dictated it to his future wife Anna , who mastered shorthand , in just 26 days. In the summer of 1865, Dostoyevsky had committed to the publisher Stellowski to deliver a novel with ten printing sheets by November 1st. The delivery deadline was met - although Stellowski left St. Petersburg on October 31st, precisely to make delivery impossible - because the stenographer Anna had the idea of depositing the manuscript with a notary. The Gambler is Dostoyevsky's only novel that did not appear as a feature novel.

The novel has autobiographical features. One could further at Roulettenburg at Wiesbaden thinking where Dostoevsky himself first roulette played, or at Bad Homburg - these two cities take claim for themselves, Dostoevsky Roulettenburg to be. However, in the story, Homburg (as well as Baden-Baden ) is named as a non-identical city alongside Roulettenburg.

Further autobiographical traits can be found in the description of the relationship between Aleksej and Polina: Here Dostoyevsky has processed his unhappy love for Apollinarija ("Polina") Suslowa into literature.

content

The deeply indebted Russian general is waiting in Roulettenburg with his family, some acquaintances and believers for the news that the rich heir aunt is blessing the time and he can inherit her. This is his only chance to pay the debts to the arrogant French de (also: des) Grieux, the gentleman of Polina, the general's stepdaughter. At the same time, this push of money would favor a wedding between the general and Mademoiselle Blanche, who is also not unprofitable, and with whom the considerably older general is hopelessly in love. The general's head of house, the first-person narrator Aleksej Ivanovich, observes the intrigues of the Frenchman, who has secretly allied himself with Blanche, and vies with him for the favor of Polina, with whom he is immortally in love. However, she takes advantage of him, ridicules him and punishes him with contempt.

Suddenly, instead of the hoped-for telegram of the death of the heir, the resolute matriarch herself appears on the scene. Interested in roulette, she lets everyone involved know openly her feelings and thoughts about the situation: The general will not receive any money from her. On the contrary - she puts her whole environment, especially her family, in their place with her unconditional claim to rule.

A few days later, the catastrophe is complete: the aunt has gambled away a large fortune playing roulette and is going back to Moscow. De Grieux leaves Polina, Mademoiselle Blanche is no longer interested in the general, who is now on the brink of a nervous breakdown after seeing his legacy disappear day after day.

Now Polina Aleksej confesses her love, who then immediately runs to the casino to get the money for the debt with de Grieux. After he actually succeeded in doing this, he and Polina realized that his love for her had turned into gambling addiction, as the surprising win of 100,000 florins at Roulette and Trente et quarante left him completely devoted to gambling and the addiction to profit. Polina flees to Mr Astley, a cool, reserved Englishman who takes care of her. Aleksej also has a friendly relationship with him, but it is not confidential and is damaged by Polina's bitterness.

Ultimately, Aleksej moves to Paris with Mademoiselle Blanche. She treats him like a pet; a treatment which is also given to the general after he has traveled and arrived in Paris. After the French woman has brought through the 100,000 florins with pomp and luxury, including a wedding (just for the sake of the title) with the general, who has since slipped into stupidity, Aleksej leaves Paris impoverished and fights as a lackey in Homburg and Baden -Bath through. Once he's made money, he takes it to roulette. Even the news from Mr Astley that Polina really loves him cannot tear him away from his gambling addiction, which is now completely filling him.

Film adaptations

The Rolling Ball is the title of a silent film adaptation from 1919 directed by Rudolf Biebrach . Martha Angerstein acts as Pauline Sagorianskij and Rudolf Biebrach as General Sagorianskij.
The player , also a novel of a player , Germany 1938 - directed by Gerhard Lamprecht . With Eugen Klöpfer (General Kirileff), Albrecht Schoenhals (Dr. Tronka), Lída Baarová (Nina) and Hannes Stelzer (Alexej Nikitin).
The player (OT: The Great Sinner ) from 1948. Directed by Robert Siodmak played Gregory Peck (Fedja), Ava Gardner (Pauline Ostrovsky), Walter Huston (General Ostrovsky).
Le joueur (German title: The player , also: The game was his curse ) is the title of a French film adaptation from 1958. Directed by Claude Autant-Lara , Gérard Philipe (Alixei Ivanovitch) and Liselotte Pulver (Pauline Zagorianski) played the leading roles . Bernard Blier was Le Général Zagorienski.
Le joueur is the title of a French film adaptation from 1962, directed by François Gir, which starred André Charpak as Alexis, Huguette Hue as Pauline and Michel de Ré as Le Général.
The Gambler is the name of a TV adaptation from 1968 directed by Michael Ferguson. John Phillips played the general, Maurice Roëves played the Alexi and Georgina Ward played the Polina.
Dark Days in St. Petersburg (OT: The Gambler ) 1997 - Director: Károly Makk . The general was played here by John Wood , Alexei by Dominic West and Polina by Polly Walker .
The player , German film adaptation from 2005, directed by Erhard Riedlsperger . Hannelore Elsner can be seen in the role of the player Polina Sieveking.

Current issues

Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky: The player. From the notes of a young man (translated by Swetlana Geier). Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 2011, ISBN 978-3-596-18899-4 .
Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky: The player. From the notes of a young man (translated by Arthur Luther ). dtv 19107, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-423-19107-4 .
Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky: The player. From the notes of a young man (translated by Werner Creutziger). Assembly TB 6110, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-7466-6110-0 .
Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky: The player. From the notes of a young man (translated by Hermann Röhl ). Anaconda, Cologne 2005, ISBN 978-3-938484-49-4 .
Fyodor M. Dostojewskij: The player or roulette castle (translated by Alexander Nitzberg ). dtv, Munich 2016, ISBN 978-3-423-28097-6 .

Audio books

Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky: The player. [Radio play, directed by Gert Westphal], Hörverlag, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-86717-726-9 (audio CD).
Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky: The player. [Unabridged reading. With Michael Rotschopf. Translated by Swetlana Geier. SWR. Directed by Felicitas Ott] DAV, Berlin 2011, ISBN 978-3-86231-055-5 (5 audio CDs, approx. 393 minutes).

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Epilogue in: The Player - Late Novels and Novels, Piper-Verlag, Munich, 1965 (10-volume thin print edition)
^ Letter 279 of June 17, 1866 to Ms. Anna Korvin-Krukovskaya, Dostoevsky Letters, Vol. 2, 1860-1867, Ardis, Ann Arbor 1989, ISBN 0-88233-926-5 .
^ Antonius Lux (ed.): Great women of world history. A thousand biographies in words and pictures . Sebastian Lux Verlag , Munich 1963, p. 134.
↑ For example, the last chapter says: “At that time I really went to Homburg; but ... I was then back in Roulette Castle, I was also in Spa . I was even in Baden , where I had traveled as a valet of a Mr. Hinze ... "

[1] Epilogue in: The Player - Late Novels and Novels, Piper-Verlag, Munich, 1965 (10-volume thin print edition)

[2] Letter 279 of June 17, 1866 to Ms. Anna Korvin-Krukovskaya, Dostoevsky Letters, Vol. 2, 1860-1867, Ardis, Ann Arbor 1989, ISBN 0-88233-926-5 .

[Lux-3] Antonius Lux (ed.): Great women of world history. A thousand biographies in words and pictures . Sebastian Lux Verlag , Munich 1963, p. 134.

[4] For example, the last chapter says: “At that time I really went to Homburg; but ... I was then back in Roulette Castle, I was also in Spa . I was even in Baden , where I had traveled as a valet of a Mr. Hinze ... "