Daniel’s Reviews > The Dragon: Fifteen Stories > Status Update

'The Flood': 3 stars. This story was very engaging right up to the end where it peters out. Moral of the story. Don't leave your husband alone with a fetching young girl. Better yet, don't invite her to live in your home. Murder. guilt and a baby.

'The Lion': 2 stars. Like many of the stories in this collection, I feel like I'm missing something and it's most likely due to my lack of knowledge of Russian history.

'X': 1 star. A deacon gives up his religion, then, by force of habit, accidentally crosses himself in public only to be observed doing so by an authority figure. The rest of the story details his flight and eventual capture.

'Comrade Churygin Has the Floor': 1 star. A bunch of small town folk are mad about various topics as well as the death of Rasputin. They revolt, some are killed, turns out Raspy was a bad guy.

'A Story about the Most Important Thing': 1 star. This story was a chore and I didn't get much out of it other than how to light cigarettes using a magnifying glass and the sun. On the bright side, it did make me think about how the amazing transformation a caterpillar undergoes in its chrysalis.

'The Miracle of Ash Wednesday': 5 stars. Hilarious. Reminds me of a joke about a bus driver, a nun and a hippie.

'The Cave' : 3 stars. Hard times call for hard measures. Also, Miss Manners says 'be generous with your poison.'

'The Healing of the Novice Erasmus' : 5 stars. Perhaps it's better to let people know the entire truth than to shield them from it.

'In Old Russia' : Another case of 'keep an eye on your wife lest she stray'. Also, watch out for toadstools in your stew.

'The Dragon': I read this story twice and just don't get it. I will make it a point to come back and read this one again before I mark this book as finished. One star.

This collection starts strongly with 'A Provincial Tale'. We meet young Baryba, who, initially, is easy to empathize with. This quickly changes as his fortune takes a downturn and his decisions lead him down a darker path. Zamyatin's imagery is vivid, e.g. drowning in "sweet, hot dough" and it is easy to imagine oneself living in the small Russian village described in this tale. Palpable satire. Four stars.