November book selection: The Crocodile by Fyodor Dostoevsky

What a book club would this be without paying our respects to Russian literature? Let's go to nineteenth-century St. Petersburg and encounter a story where absurdity, ambition, bureaucracy, and social satire collide in ways that are both hilarious and surprisingly thought-provoking. Despite being so short, The Crocodile is strange, witty, delightfully unpredictable... Beneath its ridiculous premise lies a sharp critique of society, politics, economics, and the human tendency to rationalise even the most absurd situations. The story invites us to laugh at its characters while also asking uncomfortable questions about progress, self-interest, and what happens when ideas become more important than people. About the Book Set in nineteenth-century St. Petersburg, The Crocodile follows Ivan Matveich, a civil servant who is swallowed alive by a crocodile while visiting an exotic animal exhibition. Rather than treating his bizarre predicament as a catastrophe, Ivan sees it as an opportunity to reinvent himself as an important thinker. As those around him debate what should be done, Dostoevsky turns this absurd situation into a witty satire of bureaucracy, ambition, politics, and society's fascination with fashionable ideas. About the Author Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881) was one of Russia's greatest novelists and one of the most influential writers in world literature. His major works — including Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons, and The Brothers Karamazov — are renowned for their psychological depth and their exploration of morality, faith, freedom, guilt, suffering, and the complexities of human nature. Yet The Crocodile reveals a lighter and more mischievous side of Dostoevsky. His ability to treat the completely absurd as though it were perfectly reasonable is central to the story's charm. The crocodile may be fantastical, but the human behaviour surrounding it — greed, vanity, bureaucracy, ambition, and the desire to appear clever — is unmistakably real. About the event: Commitment fee To help ensure accurate attendance and make event planning sustainable, a commitment fee of €2 is required to confirm your participation. Unfortunately, at a recent event, several participants registered but did not attend or provide any notice. As organizing these meetings requires time, preparation, and resources, this small fee helps encourage reliable RSVPs and attendance. The fee is non-refundable if you choose not to attend or do not show up. However, if the event is cancelled by the organizer or rescheduled to a date that prevents you from attending, your fee will be refunded promptly after the change is announced. For special circumstances, like waking up sick and having to cancel last minute, you can write me a private message and we'll transfer the fee to a next event you indicate. You can send the fee here: https://revolut.me/angelicacorsi Please include your MeetUp name in the payment note so I can identify your registration. If you can no longer attend, or if you prefer not to pay the commitment fee, please update your RSVP as soon as possible so your spot can be made available to others. Thank you for your understanding and support. About the Location We will meet in Merienda Haus, a wonderful cosy coffee shop offering Argentinean and Uruguayan specialities. I invite you to order something and enjoy their drinks and food menu :=)