Hermann, a young engineer in St. Petersburg, watches his officer friends gamble at cards but never plays himself. He hears that an old countess, years ago, learned a secret of three cards that always win. Obsessed, he sneaks into her house, courts her ward Lizaveta Ivanovna to get access, and confronts the countess in her bedroom. What follows leaves him with a secret that may or may not be real and a final night at the gambling table.
Pushkin's ghost story is short enough to read in one sitting and was adapted into an opera by Tchaikovsky. It suits readers who like Russian classics but want something compact, with a sting in the ending.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1834
- Language
- EN
