<i>The Queen of Spades</i>&nbsp;has long been acknowledged as one of the world&#39;s greatest short stories. In this classic literary representation of gambling, Alexander Pushkin explores the nature of obsession. Hints of the occult and gothic alternate with scenes of St Petersburg high-society in the story of the passionate Hermann&#39;s quest to master chance and make his fortune at the card table. Underlying the taut plot is an ironical treatment of the romantic dreamer and social outcast.