Review
Bulgakov's (The Master and Margarita) 1925 satire of the Russian Revolution and the utopian socialist vision of the 'New Soviet Man' tells of a surgeon who transplants human body parts into a dog, which results in the dog turning into an uncouth, narcissistic, and ill-mannered lout of a human being. British actor Roy McMillan (Bulldog Drummond) gives a spirited reading of this new translation of Bulgakov's comic gem. After opening the book with a howl, he narrates the novel in an appropriately dispassionate manner, voicing the doctor as confidently arrogant, giving the dog a working-class (Cockney) accent, and also adeptly rendering the other characters. While likely to do best among those having some knowledge of Russian literature and the Soviet era, this title will appeal to any listener enjoying satirical fantasies, especially as read by McMillan. --Library Journal, Michael T. Fein, Central Virginia Comm. Coll. Lib., Lynchburg
Product Description
Through his surreal, often grotesque humour, Bulgakov creates in this book - a new translation of one of the most popular satires on the Russian Revolution and on Soviet society - an ingenious new twist to the 'Frankenstein' parable. Having been scalded by boiling water earlier that day, and with little chance to survive the severe winter night, a stray dog is left for dead on the streets. Lamenting his fate, he is ill prepared for the chance arrival of a wealthy professor who befriends him and takes him home. However, it seems the professor's motives are not entirely altruistic - an expert in medical experimentation, he sees his new charge as the potential subject for a bizarre operation, and implants glands from a dead criminal in the dog. The resulting half-man, half-beast is, as to be expected, a monstrosity, yet one that fits in remarkably well with Soviet society...