Heart of a Dog

by Frank Galati (adaptation)

This title is presented with a new introduction by Andrey Kurkov. A rich, successful Moscow professor befriends a stray dog and attempts a scientific first by transplanting into it the testicles and pituitary gland of a recently deceased man. A distinctly worryingly human animal is now on the loose, and the professor's hitherto respectable life becomes a nightmare beyond endurance. An absurd and superbly comic story, this classic novel can also be read as a fierce parable of the Russian Revolution.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, the play is much clearer about what is going on than the book, but in others it is the opposite. The book definitely has more commentary, theorizing, monologues, etc. but it could be very fun to watch this play performed.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't know i was getting the dramatization when i ordered this, but in the end i'm not disappointed as it manages to convey the story quite effectively in a very compact format. i will still eventually have to read a prose version but as far as delivering a scathing parody of the early soviet era the play delivers. not entirely sure how it would be staged, as there are several animals featured in important scenes...

[Erin Shiba · Rating 2 out of 5]

i'd be interested in reading the original material. as a play- eh. maybe it's more convincing in performance.