The Queen of Spades - Alexander Pushkin

If one is to bracket Alexander Pushkin’s short story “The Queen of Spades”, then no doubt suspense in combination of super natural would be the appropriate one. The short story is indeed an enjoyable one and also one with a disguised moral message about one’s deeds that is Karma. Published in the year 1834 first, it is one of those stories where the reader has an option to select his own interpretation about the ending. Though there is a definitive climax, but the reason for the same has a layered meaning that is open to alternative theories.

The short story is about a German officer named,” Herman” who one night at a get together with his friends comes to know about a secret. It is here in that one of the men discuss an unusual habit of his grandmother, Countess Anna Fedorovana of not gambling, in spite knowing a secret combination of three cards that had made her win in her earlier days. When Herman comes to know of this secret he tries to get in touch with the Countess through an unsuspecting lie that leads to a tragedy after which some supernatural events takes place giving Herman the secret combination of cards to win a gambling contest but there is a tricky condition. The climax when Herman uses those secret combination of cards is the ultimate turn around in the story and also the learning of Karma.

Interestingly, the story focuses on a card game named, Faro, which involves a player betting on a winning card. The second part of the story involves a good description of the game leading to the twisting finale.   

There are some great thoughts throughout the story. At the start of the story when Herman is questioned about his non participation in the all night card game by his friends, the reply is indeed an interesting one stating “Play interests me greatly, but I hardly care to sacrifice the necessaries of life for uncertain superfluities” The second impressive thought comes when Herman has got the information about the secretive combination of cards and he sits down to write down the same because he believes that “ Two fixed ideas cannot exist in the brain at the same time any more than two bodies can occupy the same point in space.”

“The Queen of Spade” gives a good insight into the writing style of Alexander Pushkin.  The story which was written in Russian originally has been translated into English by H. Twitchell. Also, through history there were reactions from great writers and critics on the short story who had different conclusions and theories to the short story,

The short story has also seen regular adaptions like a silent German film in 1927 to a film made by Anatole de Grunwald in the year 1949.

A thoroughly entertaining and introspecting read.