Собачье сердце

Собачье сердце or “Heart of a Dog” is without a doubt one of my favourite books of all time, and I'm so happy to have finally had the time to read it in full, in its original, beautiful Russian. Not easy by any means, but highly entertaining and an all-round marvel.

Sharik begins the story as a simple, stray dog. He is saved from starvation on the freezing streets of Moscow by Doctor Preobrazhensky. The doctor believes he can obtain scientific notority by transforming this simple dog into a human being, by replacing the dog's testicles and pituitary gland with those of a deceased man.

What follows is chaotic absurdity. Sharik tears the apartment apart, causes floods, kills unsuspecting kitties, and is altogether rude, unpleasant and disruptive. But Sharik the dog had no control over what was done to him; this is a warning over the consequences of those with power attempting to exploit those who lack it.

I'd recommend this book to anyone, and I'd also recommend the fantastic Soviet film adaptation, which stays remarkably close to the novel. I'll be reliving this story many times over in the future.