In a display of his signature absurdist wit, Vladimir Nabokov crafts a chilling allegory about power and perception. The story follows a minor bureaucrat in a dreary, unnamed totalitarian state who mysteriously begins to exhibit frog-like characteristics. Instead of being ostracized, his transformation is spun by the state's propaganda machine as a sign of a new, superior form of leadership. He is elevated to the status of a silent, unblinking dictator, his croaks interpreted as profound edicts. This novel masterfully explores themes of mass delusion, the emptiness of political symbols, and the terrifying ease with which humanity can embrace the grotesque as its savior.