In Moscow in the 1920s, the surgeon Professor Preobrazhensky picks up a stray dog, Sharik, and feeds him sausage. He then carries out an experiment, implanting a human pituitary gland and testicles into the dog. Sharik gradually turns into a man, Sharikov, who is coarse, loud, and quickly takes on the language and attitudes of the new Soviet order, demanding a registration, a job, and a room. Bulgakov uses the comic horror of the situation to mock social engineering and the pretensions of the new regime.
A good read for those who like satire, science fiction, and Russian literature, and a shorter one than The Master and Margarita. It still feels pointed whenever someone tries to remake people by force.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1982
- Publisher
- Newton Compton
- ISBN
- 9788879830904
- Language
- IT
