The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky: Humorous Satire Astounds

Oct 8, 2025 | book review, Book Reviews, Horror, Nat Cassidy, sci-fi, Spoiler-Free, When the Wolf Comes Home

The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky: humorous satire astounds in its lethal wit and sharp criticisms of ‘the Old Guard’, elitist aristocracy, Westernization, greed, and the Russian government in the late 1800s.

I hope Kurt Vonnegut read and reveled in Dostoevsky’s The Crocodile!

As a bonus, I read this book in a scintillating limited edition fine edition crafted by Century Press; I will examine this closely further down the book review.

The premise is simple enough for this hundred page novella: a man is swallowed whole by a crocodile in an aristocratic carnival-like setting and he continues to live on, albeit literally in the belly of the beast.

Dostoevsky’s tale is often labeled absurdly surreal, and it is that.

But the laugh out loud humor can also bring tears (not crocodile tears, yuck, yuck), because of the stark criticisms on display.

This book could just have easily been written for the west in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, as the metaphor has ferocity in The Crocodile.

Dostoevsky’s swallowed character, Ivan, represents personal struggles amidst systemic corruption in government and society, as well political and social oppression in order to retain the status quo of suffering . . . this is our fun character the silent crocodile who is slowly digesting Ivan.

It is funny how Dostoevsky pinpoints, in particular, how the old elites feel ‘progressives’ and ‘education’ were always to blame for the people suffering, even as foreign companies bought up housing and tripled prices ‘to keep the peasants’ busy in their suffering and to keep them paying into the system.

This was late 1800s Russia.

Here is a short passage on the economy and housing according to a wealthy elitist:

The metaphor is strong in this one!

The satire is thick, the humor prevalent, and I really wonder if this work influenced Mark Twain or Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Now this gorgoeous goatskin book is small but remarkable and letterpress printed for not much over a hundred Euro.

I am floored with this book – the letterpress printed linework art is incredible, the scales chapter pages superb in green and black, and the custom endpapers I was lucky to attain are tactile-wise so much fun and the visuals are one-of-a-kind amazing!

I will be keeping an eye on every book Century Press makes.

From their site centurypress.ca:

Limited to 250 copies, Century Press is proud to present a striking new edition of The Crocodile like it’s never been seen before.

A brand new translation of Dostoyevsky’s “Editorial Preface” that accompanied the original publication of The Crocodile in Dostoevsky’s journal, The Epoch. This preamble to the story will be published in English for the first time in our edition.

An annotated and revised version the English Garnett translation from Dr. Sarah J. Young, a professor of Russian literature at UCL in London, as well as comprehensive introduction of her own.

Illustrated for the first time with four pieces by UK-based illustrator Rohan Eason.

Printing and Bindery Specs

Fully bound in vegetable-tanned, cypress goatskin leather from the Hudson Valley

Two-colour letterpress printed on premium 100% cotton ‘Flurry’ paper with a 1956 Heidelberg ‘Windmill’ platen press, typeset in Academy

Italian, tight-weave, cotton ribbon bookmark

Original gold-stamped artwork on front cover, back cover, and spine by Oksana Tarasenko.

All pre-orders received a special edition of The Crocodile with handmade endsheets from master Canadian artist Susan Kristoferson.

Her stunning paste papers were exhibited by the Grolier Club earlier this year, and have been acquired by NYC’s Metropolitan Art Museum as part of their Paper Legacy Collection.

The Forgotten Fiction Grade: YEA (read it!)!

Want To Buy A Book & Support A Local Bookseller? Click Here!

“The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky: humorous satire astounds” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.

R.J. Huneke was just interviewed on the Tilting at Windmills show to discuss his newest book of fiction ANTS WAKING coming Oct. 28th!

Watch it now here!

And yes, RJ’s newest book is almost out! What is the premise? I’m glad you asked:

Coming October 28, 2025 – For readers of fantasy, Ants Waking by R.J. Huneke is a thrilling, visceral magical realism tale about an autistic college freshman in the magical city of Cambridge racing against meddlesome gods for the means to thwart their friend’s premature death before a Dark storm consumes them.

The title novella is accompanied by Huneke’s illustrations plus bonus material: previously published and unpublished short stories and select poetry, all of which were newly revised by Huneke to provide an author’s preferred text.

STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON RJHUNEKE.COM TO TIMES, LINKS & DETAILS FOR R.J. HUNEKE’S ANTS WAKING BOOK TOUR 2025, INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE TFF AUTHOR INTERVIEW IN NOVEMBER WITH SCI-FI GREAT RUSS COLCHAMIRO!

Preorder ANTS WAKING here and get in on free signed remarqued bookplates here!

When the Wolf Comes Home By Nat Cassidy: A Poignant Thriller

Aug 21, 2025 | book review, Book Reviews, Horror, Nat Cassidy, sci-fi, Spoiler-Free, When the Wolf Comes Home

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy: a poignant thriller, this book is must-read weird fiction, and a fast-paced, genre-smashing classic.

Fans of great horror, fantasy, and literary fiction will not want to miss this one.

Dare I mention Ray Bradbury?

“As if the universe chose that moment to come alive for them and tell them there was nothing to worry about. As if it knew their names.”
― Nat Cassidy, When the Wolf Comes Home

Cassidy builds on accessible page-turning genre fiction and establishes endearing characters that you would give an eye to, just to see that they are okay (see what I did there?).

The boy becomes our adopted son and our endearing friend met during the hardest of times.

The following book review of When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy will be Spoiler-free.

I cannot understate how difficult it is to write a realistic five-year-old that you fall in love with, as if they were your own child in trouble.

And make no mistake, terrible trouble is following this runaway boy and leaves behind a slew of bloody wrecks that used to be bodies.

This is not a spoiler as it is touched on in the novel’s description: the boy can turn his every fear into reality.

This power is unnerving, terrifying, and awe-inspiring.

Two favorite trailblazing books of mine – two cornerstones of contemporary fiction – reverberate in my head while reading When the Wolf Comes Home: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Stephen King’s Firestarter.

This brilliant modern fairy tale soars to innovative heights while remaining grounded in two GREAT protagonists the reader cares deeply for: Jess and the boy.

The young woman, a failing actress with a heart of gold, and big time father issues, is also a brilliant, likable character you root for wholeheartedly.

This is one of the best books I have read this year.

If you love Ray Bradbury or Richard Matheson, do as the King says: “Sink your teeth into a classic.” —Stephen King

“The wolf lets out a tremendous, world-splitting roar. The stench is appalling: rot and decay and the promise of ruined flesh.”
― Nat Cassidy, When the Wolf Comes Home

We reviewed Nat Cassidy’s Mary too and it is also phenomenal.

The Forgotten Fiction Grade: YEA (read it!)!

Want To Buy A Book & Support A Local Bookseller? Click Here!

“When the Wolf Comes Home By Nat Cassidy: A Poignant Thriller” Was Written By R.J. Huneke.