Rossi, Cristina Peri

New York. 1996. July 1996. Picador. 1st American Paperback Edition. Very Good in Wrappers. 0312143222. Translated from the Spanish by Laura C. Dail. 180 pages. paperback. Cover: Henry Sene Yee. keywords: Literature Translated Uruguay Latin America Women. FROM THE PUBLISHER - ‘Only in gambling does nothing depend on nothing.' Dostoevsky's insight into the predicament of the gambler informs this brilliant contemporary novel by one of Spain's most acclaimed authors. For most people, gambling is a legal vice, a brief escape from the monotony of everyday life, a small adventure in tempting fate. But for the gambler, a game of chance if powerfully erotic, even mystical - an enclosed space and time in which he can assume a god's ability to master circumstance. Jorge is just such a gambler. Chance is his passion, his addiction: no woman can match the subtle allure of the gaming tables, the palpable smoothness of dice, the siren song of the slot machine, the husky murmur of the croupier. But his addiction is devouring him, and to kick it he enlists the help of an analyst - Lucia, who is herself a formidably seductive presence. As the two debate, the balance of power begins to shift in a sexually charged battle of wits for the soul of a gambler. Erotic, intelligent, resonant with provocative ideas, DOSTOEVSKY'S LAST NIGHT introduces American readers to a vibrant international voice. CRISTINA PERI ROSSI was born in Uruguay and has lived in Spain since 1972. DOSTOEVSKY'S LAST NIGHT is her nineteenth published book; her essays, short stories, poems, and novels have been translated into nine languages. She has recently received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grant for her work. inventory #31905 ISBN: 0312143222.