The Queen of Spades
Tufts & Co. Pocket Essentials Obsession, honor, fate— two classic tales from the father of Russian literature that delve into the perilous games men play with life, death, and the human soul This elegant edition brings together two of Alexander Pushkin’s most celebrated prose works: The Queen of Spades and The Shot— both brimming with intrigue, duels, and the psychological intensity that prefigures Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. In The Queen of Spades, a calculating young officer becomes obsessed with uncovering a secret gambling formula, whispered to be possessed by an elderly countess. As greed gives way to madness, Pushkin crafts a chilling parable about the costs of ambition and the fine line between reason and delusion. The Shot introduces a mysterious veteran who defers a life-or-death duel, guarding a secret grudge with unnerving patience. In just a few pages, Pushkin compresses a lifetime of pride, restraint, and vengeance into a tale of hypnotic precision. Thomas Keane’s clear, faithful translation preserves Pushkin’s rhythm, wit, and psychological nuance— delivering the stories to modern readers in language that remains sharp and resonant. Critical Acclaim for Pushkin “If the Russian language were lost, it could be reconstructed from Pushkin’s work.” — Nina Berberova “Pushkin is the fountainhead of Russian literature— every writer who followed stands in his shadow.” — Joseph Brodsky, Nobel Laureate in Literature “In The Queen of Spades, Pushkin blends realism and the supernatural with the elegance of Mozart and the precision of Poe.” — Caryl Emerson, Princeton University This Edition Includes: The Queen of Spades – A gothic tale of gambling, greed, and psychological descent The Shot– A duel delayed, a life defined by pride and silent vengeance Ideal for Readers Who Enjoy: Gothic suspense and psychological fiction Russian literature and 19th-century European classics Themes of fate, obsession, and social honor Works by Poe, Dostoevsky, or Maupassant