A Dog’s Heart (aka Heart of a Dog)

The only reason that Mikhail Bulgakov was not liquidated by Joseph Stalin is that he wrote a play, Days of the Turbins (based on his novel White Guards), that Stalin happened to enjoy immensely. It is said that Stalin saw the play on at least seven occasions. While you read “A Dog’s Heart” (written in 1925, but not published in Russia until 1987) you will be astounded by the fact that upon the discovery of his typed manuscript by the OGPU, Bulgakov was not tortured in the Lubyanka, put in a train headed for the gulag archipelago, and then “eliminated”. This is because the tale is a biting, and blatant, satire of the Soviet Union in the1920’s, exposing the absurdities of a social experiment going horribly wrong. Set in crowded Moscow, the story begins with one of Russia’s greatest scientists, Philipp Philoppovich Preobrazhensky, taking in a stray dog. However, the motive is not an altruistic sense of concern for welfare of the dog, but rather a desire to conduct a radical experiment.
Into the dog are transplanted the testicles and pituitary gland of a recently deceased human (who turns out to have been a criminal). The dog then begins a gradual transformation until eventually it is recognisably “human” – it walks on two legs, is capable of speech, has human-like facial features and is given a new name: Sharikov. Soon Sharikov unleashes his terrible “personality” upon the Scientist’s household in particular and the city of Moscow in general. It can be read on many levels – as a comment on the futility of attempting to artificially bring socialism to “backward” Russia; as a cautionary morality tale; as a wonderful piece of science-fiction writing; or simply as a hilarious short story about a drinking, swearing, womanising human/dog hybrid. Whatever your take, you are sure to be delighted by Bulgakov, one of the greatest, and oft neglected, writers of the twentieth century.

Review by Michael Scutti

A dog's heart: A monstrous story. Fiction, Mikhail Bulgakov

Orwell’s Victory

Since Orwell's death in 1950 his legacy has become twisted and contradictory. People of all political persuasions have either attempted to 'win' him for their side or to 'expose' him as a charlatan. Was Orwell a homophobe? Why was his attitude towards women so negative? Was he a (shudder) Trotskyist? And what about "The List"? These questions and more are examined, and indeed answered, as Hitchens masterfully navigates the reader through the maze of (mis)interpretations of Orwell's considerable literary output. The book is clearly and logically constructed, with chapters on "Orwell and the Left", "Orwell and the Right", "Orwell and the Feminists" and so on. Hitchens maintains that while Orwell was by no means infallible, he possessed the entirely honourable quality of constantly evaluating his own beliefs and prejudices. What emerges is a picture of a remarkably honest, perceptive and consistent man in a world displaying precisely the opposite qualities.

Review by Michael Scutti

Orwell’s Victory, by Christopher Hitchens 823.912 ORW

Oliver Sacks

I find Oliver Sack's books so wonderful I couldn't choose just one to review. Oliver Sacks is a neurologist who was born in England and has lived in New York since the 1960s. You may have seen the film Awakenings (616.832 SAC)which is about him. The book and the film are available at the library. In The man who mistook his wife for a hat(616.8 SAC) and An anthropologist on Mars(616.832 SAC) Dr Sacks presents in a warm and personal way, case histories of people struggling to live with conditions such as Tourette's Syndrome, autism, phantom limb syndrome and epilepsy. He investigates the world of the deaf in Seeing voices(362.42 OLI) and the colourblind in The island of the colourblind(616.8 SAC). He writes from the perspective of a doctor in Migraine, but he has also written as a patient in A leg to stand on(617.584092 SAC). He has even written a memoir of his youth called Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a chemical boyhood(617.584092 SAC). He writes about the truly fascinating human brain in an engaging and easy to understand way.

The Girl with the Broken Wing

This book by Heather Dyer is such a delightful read. Spend some time reading this book to your children, it will be time well spent! It is the story of Hilary, an angel, who 'breaks' her wing trying to land on James and Amanda's roof. She has so much fun with the twins that she decides to stay. She eats chocolate, goes on a picnic and even goes to school while James and Amanda try to keep her wings hidden.

The girl with the broken wing by Heather Dyer. Available in junior fiction.

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

This book won the Book Trust Teenage Fiction Award but, like all good books for young people, it is a great read for adults as well.It is the story of fifteen year old Christopher who has Asperger's Syndrome which is a form of autism. He finds a neighbour's dog lying dead on the lawn and sets about solving the mystery of who killed it but ends up finding out a lot more. It is a fascinating glimpse inside the head of someone who is brilliant at maths and science but who just doesn't understand humans. A moving and fabulously quirky book! Available from the youth fiction section under the stairs.

Small Island

This book has won a number of awards and is a fascinating read. During World War II soldiers from British colonies fought for Britain but when they came to live there were given a very cold welcome. Set mainly in 1948 we see a slice of life in England during a very difficult time of transition.

The story is told alternately by a Jamaican man who fought in the war and has now come to live in England, his proud and haughty wife, an English woman who married to escape her dull farm life and her awkward, cold husband. Their lives collide in a tale of relationships, racism, hope and dashed expectations.

Small Island can be found in the Wagga adult fiction section under Levy.

Michael Palin on Python

People can be quite nutty about Monty Python. I can understand why even if I am not the greatest fan myself. Luckily you don't need to be a huge Monty Python fan to enjoy Michael Palin's diaries.
He begins when Python begins and we are able to experience with him the madness, tantrums and tensions. There are volatile personalities and hilarious adventures as we follow through the filming of the television series' and movies such as 'The Life of Brian'.
At the same time it is a lovely picture of a family man coping with parenthood, his father's growing disability, celebrity and difficult times.
The book can be found at Wagga Library on the shelves at
791.4572 MON .
Let us know what you think!