The Queen of Spades, and other stories

"The Queen of Spades, and other stories" by Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin is a compilation of short stories from the 1800s that explores Russian culture through intriguing characters and elements of mystery and the unreal. The leading story follows Hermann, an army officer who becomes fixated on learning an old countess's secret to winning at cards. The story begins at a card game, where Hermann, unlike the other players, watches instead of playing, all the while keenly listening to the stories. The other players discuss the Countess Anna Fedotovna, who knows a secret about three winning cards. Hermann becomes obsessed with learning secret, leading to what appears to be an impending clash.