The Crocodile, Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Crocodile, Fyodor Dostoevsky
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The Crocodile
A Satirical Tale of Absurdity, Society, and Human Delusion - A Modern Translation - Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

Author: Fyodor Dostoevsky

Series: The Library of Alexandria #92

Narrator: Zeke Ring

Unabridged: 1 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: USC

Published: 03/08/2025

Synopsis

What happens when reason is swallowed by absurdity?In The Crocodile, Fyodor Dostoevsky blends satire and social critique in one of his most unusual and humorous works. The story follows Ivan Matveich, a government official who, while visiting an exhibition, is suddenly swallowed whole by a crocodile. Strangely, he remains alive inside the creature and refuses to be rescued—believing that his predicament offers him a unique intellectual and philosophical advantage.His colleagues, the press, and society react with indifference, treating his bizarre situation as a trivial curiosity rather than a matter of urgency. As Ivan embraces his new existence, the novella cleverly mocks bureaucratic incompetence, self-important intellectuals, and the absurdity of human nature.What You’ll Discover in This Modern Translation:A Brilliant Satirical Comedy – Experience Dostoevsky’s biting humor and wit in a tale that remains as relevant today as in the 19th century.A Thought-Provoking Exploration of Human Ego – Witness the ridiculous ways in which people justify their own misfortunes and delusions.A Masterpiece in a Fresh, Readable Style – This modern adaptation preserves the depth and humor of Dostoevsky’s prose while making it more accessible for today’s readers.A Unique Tale of Bureaucratic Madness – Dive into a world where logic is twisted, and society’s reaction to the absurd is more absurd than the event itself.More than just a comedy, The Crocodile is a sharp critique of human folly, intellectual arrogance, and the absurdities of bureaucracy and ideology.Is Ivan Matveich a tragic figure, a genius, or simply ridiculous?Get your copy today and discover one of Dostoevsky’s most entertaining and thought-provoking works.

About Fyodor Dostoevsky

Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881), born in Moscow, lived much of his childhood distanced from his frail mother and officious father. During these formative years, he formed a close bond with his elder brother Mikhail. When they were teenagers, however, Fyodor and Mikhail were enrolled in separate boarding schools, Fyodor matriculating at an engineering school in St. Petersburg. Even as he was studying the trade of government, Dostoevsky was honing his skills as a writer, inking drafts of what would become his first novel-Poor Folk. In 1846, it was published to warm critical response. Something of a literary figure at the age of twenty-five, Dostoevsky began attending the discussion group that would result in his imprisonment. His sentence was commuted to four years in prison and four years of army service. His prison experiences, as well as his life after prison among the urban poor of Russia, provided a vivid backdrop for much of his later work. Released from his imprisonment and service by 1858, he began a fourteen-year period of furious writing, in which he published many significant texts, including The House of the Dead, Notes from the Underground, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and Devils. During this period, Dostoevsky's life was in upheaval, as he lost both his first wife and his brother. On February 15, 1867, he married his stenographer Anna Grigorevna Snitkina, who managed his affairs until his death. Two months before he died, Dostoevsky completed the epilogue to The Brothers Karamazov, which was published in serial form in the Russian Messenger.

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