The Queen of Spades

A short story of ambition and obsession in St Petersburg. Hermann, a young army engineer, is fascinated by gambling but never risks money himself. When he hears of an old countess who is said to know the secret of three winning cards, he becomes determined to learn it. Pushkin blends social realism with a touch of the supernatural, and the tale is admired for its economy and mounting tension. It later inspired Tchaikovsky's opera.