I don't read much horror; I tried Stephen King's 'The Shining' and found it more horrible than horrific; I simply can't imagine a tale turning my stomach, or causing me anything approaching a nightmare.

That was the case until I read 'A Dog's Heart,' a horror-comedy-satire by the Russian Bulgakov. The story is something of a reworking of Frankenstein, with the action shifted to 1920s Moscow in the grip of Communist fervour. A dog finds himself being operated on, transformed into a man... and it is in that chapter that my stomach performed somersaults, and I thought - wow, so this is horror.

The story then follows this new man, Sharikov, as he wreaks havoc on those around him. The satire is heavy but never heavy-handed, and is an absolute delight. Is this the best way to do horror-comedy, to give each its own space in the story? I rather imagine it is. ( )