Capek's mock-journalistic adventure story is a hard-hitting but hilarious anatomy of what, in one of his artistically most successful films, Charlie Chaplin epitomized as the Modern Times. In your discussion of this novel you may wish to consider the following questions: 1. Does Captain van Toch exploit the Newts or does he aid them in their struggle with sharks and other underwater predators?

2. In what ways do the salamanders prove to be sapient and human-like?

3. What specific moments/periods of our history can you identify in Capek's satire?

4. Could the war with the Newts have been prevented or even avoided altogether, and if so, how?

5. Can you think of another writer who employs and parodies the conventions of journalism with equal success?

6. What is your candidate for the funniest scene in the novel and how does it figure in the overall tragi-comic plot?

7. What parallels with Oswald...