The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov is a strange, funny, and sharp little book. It’s set in post-revolutionary Moscow, where a wealthy professor takes in a stray dog. At first, it seems like a kind act—he treats the dog’s wounds and gives him shelter. The dog, who narrates parts of the story, doesn’t understand much of what’s going on but is just happy to be safe. Then things get weird: the professor implants the pituitary gland and testicles of a recently deceased man into the dog. From there, the transformation begins—and it’s both hilarious and disturbing. The creature that emerges is somewhere between human and animal, and the professor is forced to face the consequences of his experiment. Written in 1925, the novella is full of references to the Russian Revolution and clearly meant as a satire of the new Soviet society. It switches between the dog’s and the professor’s points of view and mixes absurdity with real social criticism in a way that’s very clever and entertaining. I really enjoyed it—it’s short, fast-paced, and left a strong impression. Definitely worth reading if you like satire with a surreal twist.