I like the Gogol-esque absurdity of the satire in this one. Very on the nose, some might say, but still very funny. I read somewhere that this was a piece he hadn't polished fully before publication, and that definitely shows in the abruptness of the ending, but nevertheless it's a fun little entry from a great writer.

His xenophobia was definitely showing though, and I really wish he hadn't chosen to tie his anti-capitalist leanings to that because it wasn't necessary and feels lazy.

A much, much better satire of his was 'A Nasty Story', which I'd recommend far before I'd recommend this.

All in all, even if the central image of a man living inside a crocodile is memorable and, with a bit of a re-write, 'The Crocodile' could have been quite good, it's largely a big 'meh' from me.

I did chuckle once or twice, for what it's worth.