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The Master and Margarita

by Mikhail Bulgakov, Diana Burgin (Translator), Katherine Tiernan O'Connor (Translator)

428 · rating details · 30161 ratings · 2571 reviews

One of the greatest novels ever to come out of the Soviet Union. A parable on power and its corruption, on good and evil and on human frailty and the strength of love. Equal parts fable, fantasy, political satire and slapstick.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published March 19th 1996 by Vintage (first published 1967)

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Apr 21, 2009

Logan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: The bizarrely mad

Shelves: 1001-list, classics, fiction, russia, i_am_in_love

I knew that this was going to be a book that I loved the moment I learned that Satan was the main character. This is not due to any particular affinity for devil worship on my part, but because I love Tricksters in literature and in Western civilization you don't get a better trickster than the devil. Watching him turn Stalinist Moscow on its head proved to be one of the most amusing and engrossing things I've read all year.

From the moment he first materializes as the black magicia...moreI knew that this was going to be a book that I loved the moment I learned that Satan was the main character. This is not due to any particular affinity for devil worship on my part, but because I love Tricksters in literature and in Western civilization you don't get a better trickster than the devil. Watching him turn Stalinist Moscow on its head proved to be one of the most amusing and engrossing things I've read all year.

From the moment he first materializes as the black magician Woland at a pond and predicts the impending death of the renowned writer he meets there (after listening to the writer's various proofs as to why there can not be an actual god), the devil inspires a plague of madness as increasingly odd and impossible events occur to shock the strictly rational, science-based, citizens. Whether hosting a seance that leaves the ladies of Moscow in the street wearing nothing but their undergarments, teleporting hapless theatre owners to Yalta or haunting telephone lines, Woland and his retinue of demonic cohorts know exactly how to play upon the foibles of human nature and prove rather easily that, regardless of what the Soviets may claim about their forced evolution of humanity, humans are just as greedy, gullible, and ridiculous as they ever were.

The heart of the book, however, belongs to the titular Master. An author hounded to the madhouse by the rabid criticisms leveled on his masterpiece by the Moscow literati, his book within the book about the Crucifixion from the point of view of Pontius Pilate is what I've found sticking with me in the days since finishing. It's no easy feat to make a sympathetic character of a bureaucrat who has been so forcefully demonized over the past two millennia but Bulgakov (and through him, the Master) performs an excellent bit of magic and you find yourself really feeling for Pilate as he is manipulated by forces outside of his control into killing Christ, who is sad that his apostle, Matthew, is twisting his words while recording them.

While there are definitely a handful of moments where I wish I would have known more about Stalinist Russia, the state-approved entertainer's guilds and the ever-present fear of the police in order to better understand Bulgakov's satire, I still had a rollicking good time while reading this and it stands up next to Crime & Punishment as one of my favorite works of Russian literature.(less)

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May 28, 2007

Robert rated it

It is difficult to read the Master and Margarita without an uncomfortable awareness of one’s lack of understanding and ability to viscerally relate to the 1920’s Soviet Russia Bulgakov was enthusiastically eviscerating, and therefore easy (and maybe more enjoyable) to read it from a purely acontextual, Formalistic point of view. That being said, it is precisely those times where Bulgakov allows himself to overtly attack his enemies and speechify slightly on the stultifying nature of bureaucrati...moreIt is difficult to read the Master and Margarita without an uncomfortable awareness of one’s lack of understanding and ability to viscerally relate to the 1920’s Soviet Russia Bulgakov was enthusiastically eviscerating, and therefore easy (and maybe more enjoyable) to read it from a purely acontextual, Formalistic point of view. That being said, it is precisely those times where Bulgakov allows himself to overtly attack his enemies and speechify slightly on the stultifying nature of bureaucratic involvement in literature and creation which are least involving and intoxicating. And whatever else, The Master and Margarita is intoxicating and best enjoyed through a full surrender to its experience and the multiple, intersecting, complimenting, and possibly contradictory worlds it creates and presents.

Although the realities of the Master and Margarita as, in part, an anti-Stalinist statement, are undeniable, it is truly limiting to read it primarily as such. Maybe the most fruitful thing to keep in mind as a reader about the act of the book’s creation (as, has been said time and again, it is on one level a book about itself) and its historical context is that Bulgakov surely knew that there was absolutely no way that even a word of such a nutty, anarchic, stubborn, and anti-dogmatic book would ever be published while the Stalinist system survived. But he wrote it anyway. As readers we get to chew over the question, as is also explored and played with in the narrative, "Why?"

We expect Russian authors of certain generations to be moralists, and Bulgakov certainly falls within that sphere, but he is obstinate in both his determination to shrug at and even playfully celebrate behavior that would certainly have been viewed contemporarily as immoral, as well as to unflinchingly and determinedly state that there are, if not behaviors, than certainly states or stances, which are worthy of both redemption and praise, as well as damnation and ridicule. His Satan, in the form of Woland, is not really all that evil, and is more in partnership with Bulgakov’s Jesus, in the form of Yeshua, than he is in opposition, which the linear, moralistic (and in the novel, inaccurate) Matthew of the gospels, cannot grasp, but the uncompromising and obsessed artist (the Master) and lover of authenticity over doctrinaire comfort (Margarita) can.

In the end it is probably best to recognize one’s limitations as a contemporary, post-Soviet reader, give it a nod, and move on and simply enjoy the ride as an inspired, gleeful, and sometimes sophomoric attack on cowardice, inauthenticity, mediocrity, dogma (be it of the state or the spirit) and bourgeois comfort-seeking and morality while celebrating passion, love, lack of compromise, creativity, and the unfettered seeking of truth even while knowing that it is unlikely that such a search will result in definitive answers.

Regarding the translation: I originally read the Mirra Ginsburg translation, but at the strong recommendation of an Ukranian friend just read the Michael Glenny translation, which she said was better and more definitive. Although, as I am unable to read Russian, I can’t speak to the comparatively definitive nature of the two, after having compared several passages I can certainly say that the Glenny translation is more poetic and elicitous of Bulgakov’s gleefully whacked out vision.
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Jun 13, 2010

Jimmy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Mikhail Bulgakov passed away shortly after Stalin's Great Purge; it occurred from about 1937 to 1938 and was intended to rid the Soviet Union of traitors, subversive elements, and most importantly, enemies of Stalin. The NKVD (the secret police organization of the Soviet Union) had executed over over 600,000 people, the most notable one being Bolshevik revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Bulgakov's relationship with Stalin, however, was more or less safe. Stalin enjoyed Bulgakov's early plays, even t...moreMikhail Bulgakov passed away shortly after Stalin's Great Purge; it occurred from about 1937 to 1938 and was intended to rid the Soviet Union of traitors, subversive elements, and most importantly, enemies of Stalin. The NKVD (the secret police organization of the Soviet Union) had executed over over 600,000 people, the most notable one being Bolshevik revolutionary Leon Trotsky. Bulgakov's relationship with Stalin, however, was more or less safe. Stalin enjoyed Bulgakov's early plays, even though most of them were censored, and he found Bulgakov a job at the Moscow Art Theater. This position proved to be unpleasant and unfulfilling. In 1930 he asked Stalin for permission to emigrate, but was denied because Stalin felt that a Soviet writer should never leave his homeland. Of course, Stalin probably had sadistic reasons as well. Much like Joseph Goebbels, Stalin wanted to control Soviet art, ensuring that it all represented loyalty and favor to the State. Much of Bulgakov's unhappiness stemmed from his contempt for Stalin's regime, but if he tried to emigrate he would be murdered. With this in mind he lived his life as many did at that time, as a sort of free political prisoner, living a life of quiet desperation, hoping that in the end, literature or art would prove to be the final salvation in life.

Bulgakov's background invariably ties into the political satire to be found in The Master and Margarita. And sources indicate that he had been working on the book from 1928 up until his death, the entire time spent as a witness to the horrific political oppression of the Soviet Union. His novel imagines several fantastic characters working under Satan's command to terrorize Stalinist Moscow, the eponymous couple and their reunion, and it's also a frame narrative, including a fictionalized account of Pontius Pilate's role in the persecution of Jesus.

Two members of a writer's organization by the name MASSOLIT sit on a bench in Patriarch's Ponds, a mysterious professor by the name of Woland comes along, and they all discuss the existence of God. Both Berlioz (the organization's director) and Bezdomny (a local poet) refute his existence, while Woland argues that he does exist, by predicting Berlioz's absurdly tragic fate, he proves that he must exist because the two men have just had a conversation with the devil, or some sort of evil soul possessing a crafty knack for witchcraft or some strange variety of malevolent prestidigitation Woland's identity is subtle at the beginning of the novel, but as it unfolds, the reader is left with the task of wondering why he is there. Surely to torment characters such as Berlioz and Bezdomny. And these characters are followed by a laundry list of caricatures of Soviet greed, petty bureaucracy, and naive opportunism. The Pontius Pilate narrative infrequently trails alongside the one concerning Satan's gang, and eventually a failed novelist turned mad (the Master, a character that is clearly modeled after Bulgakov himself), and his lamentable wife Margarita, who, after the Master's departure from sanity, is now living a dissatisfied existence with a husband that she does not love.

Once these narrative threads blend together, which truly begins around the beginning of Book Two, a larger one reveals itself, albeit lacking a little tact. If it were not for the fantastic elements of The Master and Margarita, the novel would be virtually incapable of making these loose ends meet. In a sense, it is one of the first great science-fiction novels, one that is wholly reliant on impossible scenarios. What doesn't really seem to connect so effortlessly is the bond between Woland and Margarita. Basically, Satan needs a hostess for his ball who must be named Margarita and must be a native of the place where the ball is being held. Out of a hundred and twenty-one potential hostesses, Margarita is chosen. It just so happens that she, in turn, requires a favor that not only justifies the other part of this frame narrative, but brings the Master out of the psychiatric ward, so he can find peace in his complete masterpiece.

Throughout the book there are other vignettes, included as entertaining asides. Satan's gang is particularly interesting, especially Behemoth, the famous talking cat. These scenes provide comic relief from the otherwise dramatic narrative concerning the Master and his novel about Pontius Pilate. And satire prevails throughout the entire story, as ridiculous bureaucrats are confounded time and again by the mischievous, yet inconceivable activities of Satan's gang.

Once again, this is Bulgakov getting back at the Russia of his time. It's a sort of subtle revenge story, combined with a dreamer's knack for imaginative characterizations and descriptive historical fiction. This novel was his act of rebellion. It's well written, particularly Book Two, which includes much sharper dialogue (not realistic, but more effective in context), especially between Margarita and Woland, as well as some really poetic descriptions of Moscow. Unfortunately, The Master and Margarita is not a structurally sound novel. It seems to cut off certain disparate chapters abruptly, connect narratives that do not fit quite well, and it ultimate relies upon fantasy to get itself out of creative ruts.

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Aug 22, 2011

Nate rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: cowardice is the worst of sins

Recommended to Nate by: manuscripts don't burn

Shelves: russia, doomed-heretics-of-the-revolution, interwar-maladies, post-modernism, favorites

Re-reading can be a terribly useful practice. I enjoyed the book enough before I suppose, but not nearly so much as this time. Part of it is that I'm reading a better translation, funnier and more poetic, by Mirra Ginsberg, whose impeccable Zamyatin translations greatly impressed me back in June. Unfortunately, her 1967 translation was of the censored original Russian publication from which editors omitted some 60 typescript pages (!) from the final version prepared by Bulgakov's wife Elena Serg...more

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Jun 18, 2008

Libby rated it

Recommends it for: Folklore fans, Lit buffs

Recommended to Libby by: My lovely sister

Shelves: summerreading08, year-of-only-good-books

Very little can prepare you for the wild ride that is Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita," especially if you've read other literature or folklore that have the devil as a character. What will be helpful, I suspect, is knowing a bit about the time and setting of the novel. Bulgakov wrote this book between 1930 and 1940 while living in Moscow under Stalin. The book is set in 1920, when everything was being taken under government control, from the distribution of food and bever...moreVery little can prepare you for the wild ride that is Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita," especially if you've read other literature or folklore that have the devil as a character. What will be helpful, I suspect, is knowing a bit about the time and setting of the novel. Bulgakov wrote this book between 1930 and 1940 while living in Moscow under Stalin. The book is set in 1920, when everything was being taken under government control, from the distribution of food and beverages to city living quarters. Foreign nationals, literature, currency, and influence were tightly controlled, if not banned, and the secret police had eyes everywhere, locking up citizens on the barest of evidence and shipping them off to labor camps in Siberia. If this weren't bad enough, opportunists played the system for their own selfish benefit, such as reporting one's neighbor to the secret police in order to move into the neighbor's apartment. Religion went from being state-sanctioned to all but banned, and churches were vandalized and looted. All published literature was so scrutinized that only the most coded dissent could get through the censors. Bulgakov went from being an acclaimed playwright to an artist dependent on the unpredictable whims of the regime, having plays produced at theatres, but then shut down shortly after opening.

"The Master and Margarita," is in part a frustrated artist's reaction to all of this, as the devil appears in Moscow and wreaks merry havoc on those people whose mediocrity allowed them to thrive under Stalin, but it is also a great deal more. There are two other narratives entwined with the devil's mischief: a retelling of the Christian crucifixion with Pontius Pilate as the main character, whose story is told by several different narrators, and the story of a writer known simply as The Master and his married lover Margarita. Bulgakov has a great deal of structural fun with these three stories, leaping from one to the other with ease and weaving threads from each story into the others. But ultimately, this book is much more than the stories that comprise it. It's at turns winsome and grotesque, horrifying and hilarious, but at its core a book about hope and intellectual honesty. Though Bulgakov's masterpiece wasn't published until after his death (and Stalin's), the devil's reassurance that no truth can ever be truly lost feels simultaneously prophetic and poignant.

I highly recommend this book for anybody seeking freedom from genre and cliche.(less)

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Dec 29, 2010

oriana rated it

Shelves: read-2010, too-smart-for-their-own-good

My birthday is always right next to Thanksgiving. Growing up, this pissed the shit out of me, because a) my birthday always got overshadowed by turkey and I had to sleep on the floor in the basement in a sleeping bag because a visiting grandma or aunt or someone got my bed, and b) all my friends were always either out of town or busy with family and couldn't come hang out and party with me.

Anyway, my parents always "consoled" me by saying that someday I'd be old enough to ap...more

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Sep 11, 2007

Meri rated it

Shelves: magic-realism, russia

Satan goes to Moscow during Stalin's purges. Muscovites are relatively unimpressed, as Satan has nothing on Stalin. Brilliantly written, intricately designed, I could read this book ten times and still find subtle implications I had missed.

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Feb 12, 2008

Martine rated it

Shelves: modern-fiction, russian, fantasy, continental-european, magic-realism, modernism

What would happen if Satan were to alight on a modern metropolis like Moscow and wreak havoc in it? That's just one of the questions asked and answered in this twentieth-century Russian classic, which is said to have been the inspiration for the Rolling Stones song 'Sympathy for the Devil'.

You can see why Mick Jagger and his cronies would be intrigued by the devil as portrayed in The Master and Margarita. Bulgakov's Satan is not necessarily purely evil; he just punishes sceptics and...moreWhat would happen if Satan were to alight on a modern metropolis like Moscow and wreak havoc in it? That's just one of the questions asked and answered in this twentieth-century Russian classic, which is said to have been the inspiration for the Rolling Stones song 'Sympathy for the Devil'.

You can see why Mick Jagger and his cronies would be intrigued by the devil as portrayed in The Master and Margarita. Bulgakov's Satan is not necessarily purely evil; he just punishes sceptics and greedy people, and does so in extremely creative ways. He has a lot of personality, and if that weren't enough, he also has a fascinating retinue of demons and zombies who gleefully go about creating their own brand of creative mischief. The result, as you might expect, is an orgy of chaos in which people get killed, scared out of their wits, humiliated and spirited away, usually in fairly inventive ways. It's hard not to admire Bulgakov's imagination in these scenes; he really does come up with some outrageous stuff, and except for the one chapter in which one of the main characters flies over Moscow on a broomstick, you'll buy it -- even the gun-toting cat who cannot be killed. That's how good his writing is.

It's not all wicked mayhem, though. Interwoven with the main story are descriptions of the last days of Pilate and Christ, which seem a bit disjointed at first but have a strangely beautiful quality. These, it turns out, are chapters from a book written by 'the master', an author (surely an autobiographical representation of Bulgakov himself) whose career has been ruined by the authorities. Soviet Russia is never mentioned in the book (its Moscow has a distinctly timeless flavour), but The Master and Margarita is in fact a surreal parody on what was happening during Bulgakov's lifetime, with Satan carrying out the purges Stalin was carrying out in real life. Among other things, Bulgakov satirises literary life in the Soviet Union, which for him wasn't a tremendous lot of fun. He also defends Christianity (albeit in a way the Church did not really appreciate), which in the atheistic Soviet Union was enough of a no-no that he never even tried getting the book published during his lifetime.

While I greatly enjoyed the panache with which Bulgakov describes the demons' exploits and the various layers he seems to weave into the story, I do have a few quibbles with the book. One is that the author comes up with a tremendous cast of characters, many of whom he leaves just a tad too soon for the reader to care about them. As a result, many parts of the book feel rather episodic, especially in the middle. Furthermore, Bulgakov occasionally lets his imagination get the better of him. Margarita's flight over Moscow was one step too far for me, although I have a feeling it will make more sense to me when I reread the book, which I certainly will at some point.

These are minor quibbles, though. For the most part, The Master and Margarita is a very successful, terrifically original and occasionally funny venture into surrealism with many layers which will undoubtedly make for rewarding rereading. I definitely look forward to rereading it.
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Aug 13, 2010

Paquita Maria Sanchez rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: literature

This novel is:

1. Sinister yet slapstick
2. Dark yet light-hearted
3. Destructive yet redemptive
4. Straightforward yet intricate
5. Lengthy yet speedy
6. Critical yet sympathetic

Though Bulgakov masterfully crafts a feeling of creeping dread, his whimsical story-telling and satirical voice leave you feeling like you are riding the teacups at the state fair or bouncing around as a toddler on your papa's knee. The demons and devil he creates a...more

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Feb 04, 2009

Nate rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Nate by: everyone

Shelves: russia, interwar-maladies, doomed-heretics-of-the-revolution

Dislcaimer: I wrote this after my first reading of the book, three years ago, before developing a special interest in this era. I've grown to appreciate it more, especially in re-reading in August 2011. But my initial reaction will stay here, anyway:

An enjoyable foray through the dark days of Stalinist Russia, but one that may be somewhat undercut by its increasing reliance on the magical to move the plot. Political references abound, but usually not in any manner central to the stor...more

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Jul 11, 2007

Adam rated it

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: surreal, read-2007

It's the story of the devil coming to Moscow in the thirties, accompanied by a team of attendant demons who manifest themselves as a fat, petulant talking black cat, a naked enigmatic woman (with an eyepatch?), a red-headed befanged man and one other guy I can't quite remember.

Basically the devil comes to town and messes with everyone's shit by appealing to their vanity, their greed, their social aspirations and their insistence in the state-sponsored atheism of Soviet Russia. Since ...more

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Apr 03, 2011

Regine rated it

Shelves: bucket-list-books, favourites, classics, fantasy, owned

I've always had a fascination with the Devil.

No, no. By no means do I worship the devil-- I don't sacrifice chickens on my spare time, nor do I run around naked in pastures to howl at the moonlight. However, I was raised with a strict Catholic upbringing by a very superstitious Grandmother. So at a young age, I had a very black and white concept of good vs evil, and heaven and hell. Movies like The Omen (Gregory Peck version, if you please), and The Exorcist use to scare the living d...moreI've always had a fascination with the Devil.

No, no. By no means do I worship the devil-- I don't sacrifice chickens on my spare time, nor do I run around naked in pastures to howl at the moonlight. However, I was raised with a strict Catholic upbringing by a very superstitious Grandmother. So at a young age, I had a very black and white concept of good vs evil, and heaven and hell. Movies like The Omen (Gregory Peck version, if you please), and The Exorcist use to scare the living daylights out of me.

As I grew up, my Grandmother's version of the Devil started to melt away, and I developed a fond appreciation for different interpretations of "Lucifer", "Satan", "Beelzebub", whatever you'd like to call him. I've come across some interesting portrayals of the Devil, but Bulgakov really takes the cake.

In "The Master and Margarita", the black magician Woland is Satan incarnate. He comes to pay a vist in Stalanist Moscow with a very intriguing posse which includes a talking, gun-slinging, vodka-loving cat, Bohemoth. If there ever was the perfect time and place for Satan to vist the world, it would be Stalanist Moscow; citizens are petrified of the Police, the art world is censored and controlled by the government, and, as portrayed in the novel, people are willing to oust each other to the police if it meant some sort of personal gain. The Devil uses this to his advantage and wreaks havoc in Moscow by exposing the follies of mankind.Yet, I can't really see the Devil as "the bad guy" in this book. He's merely just doing his job-- punishing the wicked, and rewarding the good.

"The Good" in this book are of course the title characters-- The Master (a nameless writer in an asylum, whose book about Pontious Pilate is interwoven with the plot) and Margarita, his beautiful, devoted lover. Over the course of the book, I've really come to love both of these characters. Bulgakov is great at manipulating feelings. Even though there aren't any erotic scenes in the book, you feel the sexual passion between the couple. You feel the despair they when they're separated from each other. You feel pathos for the Master when he suffers a mental breakdown, and you squeal in delight as Margarita races naked through the sky. I couldn't help but feel a sense of elation when the two are rewarded in the end.

The Master and Margarita is one of the most profound, and entertaining books I have ever read. It celebrates sensuality, yet it's critical against instant gratification. It deals with good vs. evil, and the gray area in between. there's so much allusion to so many great works of art, that I can only look forward to rereading this book only after I can fully understand all of these allusions. And in the midst of this depth, Bulgakov still manages to throw in the most imaginative twists to his story: Satan's ball for sinners, a talking cat, a flying pig, and naked women flying through the air.

It's a lengthy, but quick read, and I recommend it to everybody!(less)

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Feb 03, 2012

Ian Graye rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

Place Holder

This novel inspired Mick Jagger to write "Sympathy for the Devil" from the album "Beggars Banquet".

Jagger's lyrics adopt the character of the Satanic Professor Woland.

My recollection of the novel is that its tone is much more diverse, almost magic realist in parts.

October 24, 2011

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Apr 23, 2011

Bettie rated it

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Jan 31, 2011

Rommel rated it

· review of another edition

Of all places, I learned about this book,in a Hip Hop bar in the entertainment district in Seoul. After bar hoppin with an associate we finally ended up at a place where there where some Russian girls he knew by the bar. Naturally, I started a conversation with one of them on Russian literature. It was nice to have a pleasent and intelligent conversation in the least of expected places with this stranger. In the end, she recommended "Morphine" and "The Master and Margarit...more
Of all places, I learned about this book,in a Hip Hop bar in the entertainment district in Seoul. After bar hoppin with an associate we finally ended up at a place where there where some Russian girls he knew by the bar. Naturally, I started a conversation with one of them on Russian literature. It was nice to have a pleasent and intelligent conversation in the least of expected places with this stranger. In the end, she recommended "Morphine" and "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov, I recommended "The Savage Detectives" by Roberto Bolano and we went our separate ways. I couldn't find Morphine so I went with the latter and I'm glad I did![I have to be honest, as I wasn't used to reading Russian literature other than at the time I was reading "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the reading was very difficult to follow at the beginning. However, as I read more and more it began to flow for me and i got used to the author's style of writing. So if you are not used to reading Russian literature I recommend you stick to this one because you are likely not going to regret it.]

This book is an absolute epic of a novel. It is a fantasy story about the devil showing up in Moscow with his band of accomplices and creating havoc. This book is so multifaceted, on the one hand, it covers black magic and how it was used by the devil and it's bandits to manipulate the citizens of Moscow which parallels the author's views and retaliation against the abuse of Stalin's soviet union. Another important storyline in this novel, is Margarita's love for a writer who ends up in a mental hospital after his dream to have his novel notably published is destroyed. Finally, the third storyline that brings all of them together is the story which the novel written by the Master is based on, that of the crucifixion of Yeshua Ha-Notsri, or Jesus Christ, by Pontius Pilate. I enjoyed the interconnectness between the stories and characters, however, at times I found it difficult to remember some of the characters as there are so many that come and go through out the story. The important thing I think is to stick to the storyline and the adventures of these lunatic devils as they harass and manipulate the many victims along their journey.

In a way, I think Mikhail Bulgakov tried to make fun of the victims of Stalin's rule by imposing ridiculous and sadanistic acts on them through the trio of Wolland, Behemoth, and Fagot (Korokyev), the main characters of this novel. Even though Margarita and the Master are also victims of the trio, in a way they become the enlightened or awaken ones as they too reject and rebel against some of the ways of their world. As the reader, I found it rather easy to side with the trio as it became apparent that one aspect of Bulgakov's story is one of backlash against the conformity of people to the bondage of government and societal powers. I found the methods of the trio to be extremely funny and hilarous at times, and in a way the author is saying; take that you fools! What can I say, by the end of the story, I was rooting for the bad guys but it is hard not to because it's almost set up this way by the author. Bulgakov has a way of portraying the victims as everyday people who have jobs, wives, and that play important parts in society but that are also very much human in that they lie, cheat, steal, are greedy and are confused, so he sets out to expose them. Having said that, there is a certain playfullness and creativity behind the acts performed by the trio that one forgets about the realness of the situations. Instead, as the reader, you submerge yourself into the scenes as if one was reading a comic full of fantasy.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an ironic, unexpected and twisted story told in the way that only Russian authors can!

[With most of the adventures in this book, I found myself in aww and fear at the same time, but always saying to myself, "I wonder what's next?, what's next!" and anticipating the next surprise just around the corner.] RP

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Oct 20, 2008

Sofia rated it

"مرشد و مارگاریتا" اثر میخائیل بولگاکف، نویسنده شهیر روسی، را می توان به جرات یکی از آثار کلاسیک ادبیات روسیه به شمار آورد. کتابی که سالها پس از اینکه بولگاکف آن را نوشت با اندکی حذف اجازه انتشار یافت و یک شبه با استقبال بی نظیر مردم مواجه شد. "مرشد و مارگاریتا" داستان سفر ابلیس به شهر مسکو و نتایج این سفر می باشد. ابلیس که برخلاف آنچه معمولا انتظار می رود نه تنها شخصیت منفی این داستان نیست بلکه علیرغم تمام کارهای هولناکی که انجام می دهد جز شخصیت های خوب داستان تصویر شده است؛...more"مرشد و مارگاریتا" اثر میخائیل بولگاکف، نویسنده شهیر روسی، را می توان به جرات یکی از آثار کلاسیک ادبیات روسیه به شمار آورد. کتابی که سالها پس از اینکه بولگاکف آن را نوشت با اندکی حذف اجازه انتشار یافت و یک شبه با استقبال بی نظیر مردم مواجه شد. "مرشد و مارگاریتا" داستان سفر ابلیس به شهر مسکو و نتایج این سفر می باشد. ابلیس که برخلاف آنچه معمولا انتظار می رود نه تنها شخصیت منفی این داستان نیست بلکه علیرغم تمام کارهای هولناکی که انجام می دهد جز شخصیت های خوب داستان تصویر شده است؛ شخصیتی در برابر سیستم دولتی مخوف روسیه و فردی که زندگی را به کام هنرمندان، کارکنان دولت و هر فردی که با رژیم ارتباطی دارد تلخ کرده است. همچنین، ابلیس نقطه وحدت بین سه داستان موجود از زمان و مکان مختلف می باشد. اگرچه رمان سه داستان مختلف را در دل خود جای داده، چنان به هم گره خورده اند که گویی بخش لاینفکی از یکدیگر هستند.

ساختار داستان – سه داستان مختلف که بهم متصل هستند و شخصیت های اصلی در نهایت همدیگر را ملاقات می کنند – و سبک آن – هجو به زبان محاوره ای – خواننده را چنان مسحور می نماید که تنها در آخر داستان از این خواب بیدار می شود، گوییکه ابلیس علاوه بر هیپنوتیزم شخصیت های داستان، خواننده را نیز هیپنوتیزم کرده باشد. این از تبحر بولگاکف نشات می گیرد که موفق شده داستان پیچیده ای را به گونی روایت کند که خواننده نه تنها در میان داستان گم نمی شود، حتی پیغام داستان را درک می نماید. از دیگر ویژگی های داستان اشاره هایی به موضوعاتی از این قبیل می باشد: فاوست، شعر و شاعری، و موسیقی. و مهم تر از همه تلفیق داستانی تخیلی با شخصیت ها و اتفاقات واقعی از زندگی خود نویسنده می باشد، طوریکه خواننده نه می تواند بر تخیلی بودن صرف آن رای دهد حتی با وجود اتفاقاتی غیرقابل باور و نه بر واقعی بودن آن. با وجود تمام این تناقضات خواننده حتی با آگاهی از اینکه این اتفاقات تنها زاییده تخیل نویسنده می باشند تمام داستان را می پذیرد، حتی حضور گربه ای را که حرف می زند، بر روی دو پا راه می رود و هنگام سوار شدن به قطار اصرار دارد بلیط خود را بدهد.(less)

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Aug 17, 2008

Lori rated it

A wild ride of a book! The devil comes to Stalin Moscow and wreaks utter havoc, most of which is extremely amusing. Yet this is not the evil Satan we normally encounter. He's actually a necessary aspect of what is necessary in our universe. What is Light if there is no Shadow? In more Christian terms (which you definitely don't need to be in order to get the point here) if you don't believe in the devil, then Christ also does not exist. So, in a roundabout way, the devil does good. And this Sata...more

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Oct 14, 2009

Amanda rated it

Shelves: knock-your-socks-off, book-club, reread-and-to-reread, all-time-favorites

10/09, 2nd reading: This book is hilarious, and fantastic, and wickedly sharp, and I stand by the convoluted review from two years ago. I do agree with some of the things brought up at book club -- that it seems unfinished (because it is, the author died before he finished editing the manuscript) and very rooted in 1930s Soviet Union, but I liked that about it. I think even if you don't have a good understanding of Russian society at that exact time that you can still get feel for it from Bulgak...more10/09, 2nd reading: This book is hilarious, and fantastic, and wickedly sharp, and I stand by the convoluted review from two years ago. I do agree with some of the things brought up at book club -- that it seems unfinished (because it is, the author died before he finished editing the manuscript) and very rooted in 1930s Soviet Union, but I liked that about it. I think even if you don't have a good understanding of Russian society at that exact time that you can still get feel for it from Bulgakov's novel. Highly recommended.

11/07, 1st reading: It's the late 1920s in Moscow when the devil comes to town with his entourage, which includes a large vodka-swilling black cat named Behemoth. What happens with the devil visits a population that doesn't believe in anything? It's brilliant and quite funny. Bulgarov satirizes the Russian literary/intellectual scene, politics, society, religion, obviously, censorship. The second half has more fantastic elements, as women become witches and Satan's ball takes place in a small apartment (which reminded me of some of the elements of Faerie in Strange and Norrell... also, there's a flying car at one point a la H. Potter). There are definite Gogolesque elements throughout the book, and allusions to Faust and related works (which I wouldn't have picked up without the endnotes and led me to think maybe I should read Faust).

This review isn't very clear, but take this from it: The book is good. And it's good in way that it can be read just for the words on the page and it's enjoyable and enriching, and it can be dealt with on a deeper basis as far as historical and literary context and enjoyed on that level as well. I was somewhere in the middle, I'd say.

I didn't really know what to expect from The Master and Margarita, having picked it up based on the fact that it's two of my friend's favorite book. Luckily, it's fantastic, hilarious, and so perfectly post-Gogol Russian. Interestingly, Bulgarov wrote the novel never expecting to see it published within his last time. The actual story of the story is quite illuminating.
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Mar 27, 2007

evan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: homosexual anarchists

a devil takes over Moscow, and it's not stalin! though this book couldn't have been written without stalin. he should be listed as coauthor, tho bulgakov went though much heartache to get this book finished. thus bulgakov must be credited as well.

this is one of the finest novels for humankind, a novel that would have been impossible for a sleazy american to write. there's madness and the joy from it. there's a beheading by tram. there are scenes of such extravagant guilty pleasures t...more

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Sep 18, 2008

Lisa (OhThatLisa) rated it

Shelves: 1001-books, reviewed, russia

I can understand why this book comes so highly recommended, and I can logically see how and why it appeals to people so much, but for me it fell completely flat.
I'm a huge fan of Russian lit so I was fully expecting to love it. Unfortunately, in my mind, it suffers from the fatal flaw of being exactly the wrong length. Just long enough to get tedious (several scenes drag interminably) and too short to give the multitude of characters (too many) any background or depth. I just couldn't...more

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Jul 09, 2010

Julia Boechat Machado rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, russian-literature, 1960s, favorites, tingle-of-the-spine

Em O Mestre e Margarida, o diabo faz uma visita a Moscou dos anos 20, em meios aos expurgos stalinistas, em que a religião oficial tenta convencê-lo que ele não existe. Lá, ele dará um show de magica e transformará uma mulher em bruxa, para que seja a anfitriã da Noite de Valpúrgis. Enquanto isso, o Mestre se torna cada vez mais obcecado com seu romance sobre Pôncio Pilatos, que é entremeado na história principal. O mestre tentará colocar fogo no romance, mas isso não é um problema: é o diabo em...moreEm O Mestre e Margarida, o diabo faz uma visita a Moscou dos anos 20, em meios aos expurgos stalinistas, em que a religião oficial tenta convencê-lo que ele não existe. Lá, ele dará um show de magica e transformará uma mulher em bruxa, para que seja a anfitriã da Noite de Valpúrgis. Enquanto isso, o Mestre se torna cada vez mais obcecado com seu romance sobre Pôncio Pilatos, que é entremeado na história principal. O mestre tentará colocar fogo no romance, mas isso não é um problema: é o diabo em pessoa que lhe assegura que manuscritos não queimam (a frase mais famosa do romance: рукописи не горят).
O Mestre e Margarida é uma sátira política brilhante, além de um romance magnífico. Sua visão de Woland, o diabo, é fantástica. O livro circulou em Samizdat na União Soviética, e foi adorado ao ponto de que o apartamento em que Woland se hospeda se tornou um lugar de culto (hoje é um museu Bulgákov – e o lugar em que o diabo dá o baile é, por uma coincidência espetacular, a embaixada americana).
"- Os seus cartões de sócio? - ela olhava com um ar de surpresa o pincenê de Koroviev, o fogareiro de Bieguemot e o cotovelo roto de seu paletó.
- Mil desculpas, de que cartão se trata? - perguntou Koroviev, pasmo.
- Os senhores são escritores? - perguntou por sua vez a cidadão.
- Certamente - respondeu Koroviev com dignidade.
- Os seus cartões? - repetiu a cidadã.
- Meu bem... - começou Koroviev com um ar de ternura.
- Não sou nenhum bem - interrompeu a cidadã.
- Oh, que pena! - disse Koroviev, com decepção, e prosseguiu: - Mas, se a senhora não quer ser um bem, o que seria muito agradável, pode não sê-lo. Ora, será que para assegurar-se de que Dostoiévski é escritor seria preciso pedir-lhe um certificado? Tome cinco páginas de quaisquer de seus romances, e a senhora se certificará, sem qualquer cartão, que ele é um escritor. Aliás, creio eu, ele jamais teve qualquer certificado! O que você acha? - perguntou Koroviev a Bieguemot.
- Aposto que não teve - respondeu este, colocando o fogareiro na mesa, junto ao livro, e limpando com a mão o suor na fronte enegrecida pela fumaça.
- O senhor não é Dostoiévski - disse a mulher, já se sentindo desnorteada pelas considerações de Koroviev.
- e como é que a senhora sabe? - disse-lhe Koroviev.
- Dostoiévski morreu - disse a cidadã, porém com um ar um tanto insosso.
Protesto! - exclamou calorosamente Bieguemot - Dostoiévski é imortal!"
(less)

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Oct 28, 2008

Olivia A. rated it

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov was an excellent book. Bulgakov is a Russian author who lived in Soviet Russia. Upon finishing the book, the Russian government would not allow the book to published because it revealed the corruption and laziness within the government. In The Master and Margarita, Satan comes down to visit an atheist Moscow, Russia. When he arrives, he wreaks havoc with the help of his three assistants: a giant black cat that walks oh his hind legs named Behemoth, a ...moreThe Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov was an excellent book. Bulgakov is a Russian author who lived in Soviet Russia. Upon finishing the book, the Russian government would not allow the book to published because it revealed the corruption and laziness within the government. In The Master and Margarita, Satan comes down to visit an atheist Moscow, Russia. When he arrives, he wreaks havoc with the help of his three assistants: a giant black cat that walks oh his hind legs named Behemoth, a naked red-headed witch, and a retired choirmaster named Faggot. (meaning bassoon)
The book had many strong points. One of them is how Bulgakov illustrates the devil. Satan comes down as a German professor of Black Magic named Professor Woland. This is rather ironic because later in the story, the Professor actually performs his so-called “black magic” in front of a sold out crowd at the variety theatre. Satan gets to perform his evil magic and people will watch in amazement instead of running away in fear. Another interesting point is how The Master and Margarita alternates among 3 settings/time frames. The one is the “present”, which in this case is Moscow, Soviet Russia. In this setting, we follow the path of destruction the devil leaves and befriend on of his victims, a man by the name of Ivan. The second setting is ancient Jerusalem. In this time frame, we see Pontius Pilate, who condemns Jesus Christ to death. The third setting is lived through the eyes of Margarita, so named in the title. She is seen flying over Russia, and later on even hosts the Spring Ball in which Satan attends.
The Master and Margarita was a book with very few flaws. One of the major ones was that the translation was rather tedious. The novel was originally written in Russian, which could account to the problem because translating some things into other languages can be a hassle and lose some of their literary qualities. There is not much the author could do to fix this problem because if Bulgakov wanted the book to be tedious, than that’s the way he wanted it.
Despite the lone flaw, The Master and Margarita was a marvelous book. Anyone who enjoys dark, satanic, the-devil-controls-your-body-and-you-need-an-exorcist books, should stay away. Though this book is centered around the Devil, his appearance is less evil and more comical. The Master and Margarita is more about the Soviet Russian society and if you hear a knock on the door, you hope it wasn’t yours. Anyone who enjoys muck racking books with a hint of Satan would thoroughly enjoy this book.

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Apr 14, 2008

Sheffy rated it

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Shelves: bookclub

I haven't read "Faust" which strongly influenced this tale, but it reminds me of a Russian version of a Charles Dickens' novel-- it is long and detailed, but the characters are rich (if hideous) and the descriptive perspective of living in Soviet Russia illuminating. One one level, it is an amusing (if confusing and erudite) tale of mischief that befell Moscow when the devil comes to town. But Bulgakov strikes at many more levels, criticizing the totalitarian Soviet state, the coward...moreI haven't read "Faust" which strongly influenced this tale, but it reminds me of a Russian version of a Charles Dickens' novel-- it is long and detailed, but the characters are rich (if hideous) and the descriptive perspective of living in Soviet Russia illuminating. One one level, it is an amusing (if confusing and erudite) tale of mischief that befell Moscow when the devil comes to town. But Bulgakov strikes at many more levels, criticizing the totalitarian Soviet state, the cowardice populace that fails to stand up to it, as well as the literary elite that control the arts. Interwoven into his Soviet plot line is a backstory of Pontious Pilate. Many of the symbols (that weren't described in the numerous footnotes) went over my head, so I leave the interpretations to literary scholars (this book was long to get through and felt like an assignment for a lit class).
However, one of the more unique aspects of this book is its history--Bulgakov started writing in the 20s, but in fear of being discovered by the authorities, he burns his manuscript (as did one of the books characters). He then recreates the book from memory, completing it ca. 1938, shortly before his death. However, apparently he never planned to publish it, for he would certainly be arrested. His wife did published a slighted edited version in 1966 as a serial in a magazine (but people marveled how such a controversial book ever escaped outright censorship). In our book club, there were 4 translations floating around (some edited, my version CLEARLY NOT edited, but with interesting footnotes--I read the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation from 1997).
My outstanding question: if he didn't intend to publish, who was his audience? Was he writing for posterity, assuming Russia's political situation would change? Was he writing for himself or his friends (he shows off his learning with many obscure historical/literary references)? Or, just as in his parallel story of the Gospel Matthew, was he writing for a religous/higher power?(less)

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Nov 19, 2007

Ken Bazley rated it

Recommends it for: anyone who can read

Having never read any of the 'great' Russian authors I approached the book with some trepidation, but that was tempered by the fact that this particular edition apparently once belonged to Beck!
The English translation (by Mirra Ginsberg) of this Bulgakov novel is so brilliant that I'm seriously considering learning Russian just to see how good the original text must have been..
The prose flows kineticly, bouncing the reader from the time of Pontius Pilate to 20th century Moscow to ...more

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Apr 03, 2007

Matt rated it

Recommends it for: Fantasy fans with a mean streak

This book is like a martini made with good vodka. Very dry, a little offsetting at first taste, but very complex and rewarding to those who can really savor it. (Aren't I clever?)

I don't have much Russian in my bookshelves, but the little I do share common traits of dense prose in which everything even remotely related to the main story is given attention. It can feel sterile until you realize it's speaking to you with tongue firmly in cheek.

That's why a novel about Satan...more

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Oct 02, 2007

Jason rated it

Shelves: meh

"David" said this book reads more like short stories, and I would have to agree. Perhaps it was reading in translation, but it just didn't have the flow I expected. Or perhaps I heard too much hype before I got around to it. I had trouble getting to the end because the focus seemed to be on chaos rather than cohesion. Perhaps if I new more about Russian history and culture of the time period I would enjoy it more--from what I've read and heard, this seems to be its forte.

...more

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Jun 20, 2009

Colin rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone. Everyone.

Certainly one of my favorites. The juxtaposition of slapstick hilarity and political/theological satire is...like nothing I've ever read. Vampires, teleportation, multiple beheadings, witchcraft, arson, an assault with a roast chicken, and a shootout between the Russian Police and a talking cat named Behemoth.

Highest Recommendation. Required reading.

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Feb 10, 2009

Michael rated it

Shelves: slipstream

I would be hard-pressed to explain exactly what happened in the book, but it was certainly the most entertaining "classic" I've read in forever. Giant talking cats! Flying witches! Beheadings! Gunplay! Russian satire! It's all here.

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Feb 13, 2008

Molly rated it

Shelves: regular-novels

I understand this book is a classic.

I guess any leaden, murky, plotless book can be a classic, and this is a great example of that.

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Sep 09, 2011

Jim rated it

Recommended to Jim by: Nicole, Umberto

Shelves: favorites, fiction, russian-masters, classics

Absolutely mesmerizing. I took a long time to read it, partly because of other things that were going on, but mostly because I insisted on savoring every sentence. I never would have found this book if not for GR friends. Come to think of it, almost every book that I read now came from a favorites list of a friend or someone I follow.

This book is a lights-out masterpiece, one of the greatest novels I have ever read. Without getting into the plot details, I will just say that the story ...more

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About Mikhail Bulgakov

Михаил Булгаков

Bulgakov was the first of six children in the family of a theology professor. His family belonged to the intellectual elite of Kiev. Bulgakov and his brothers took part in the demonstration commemorating the death of Leo Tolstoy. Bulgakov later graduated with honors from the Medical School of Kiev University in 1915. He married his classmate Tatiana Lappa, who became his...moreМихаил Булгаков

Bulgakov was the first of six children in the family of a theology professor. His family belonged to the intellectual elite of Kiev. Bulgakov and his brothers took part in the demonstration commemorating the death of Leo Tolstoy. Bulgakov later graduated with honors from the Medical School of Kiev University in 1915. He married his classmate Tatiana Lappa, who became his assistant at surgeries and in his doctor's office. He practiced medicine, specializing in venereal and other infectious diseases, from 1915 to 1919 (he later wrote about the experience in "Notes of a Young Doctor.")

He joined the anti-communist White Army during the Russian Civil War. After the Civil War, he tried (unsuccesfully) to emigrate from Russia to reunite with his brother in Paris. Several times he was almost killed by opposing forces on both sides of the Russian Civil War, but soldiers needed doctors, so Bulgakov was left alive. He provided medical help to the Chehchens, Caucasians, Cossacs, Russians, the Whites, and the Reds.

In 1921, Bulgakov moved to Moscow. There he became a writer and became friends with Valentin Katayev, Yuri Olesha, Ilya Ilf, Yevgeni Petrov, and Konstantin Paustovsky. Later, he met Mikhail Zoschenko, Anna Akhmatova, Viktor Ardov, Sergei Mikhalkov, and Kornei Chukovsky. Bulgakov's plays at the Moscow Art Theatre were directed by Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.

Bugakov's own way of life and his witty criticism of the ugly realities of life in the Soviet Union caused him much trouble. His story "Heart of a Dog" (1925) is a bitter satire about the loss of civilized values in Russia under the Soviet system. Soon after, Bulgakov was interrogated by the Soviet secret service, OGPU. After interrogations, his personal diary and several unfinished works were confiscated by the secret service. His plays were banned in all theaters, which terminated his income. Destitute, he wrote to his brother in Paris about his terrible life and poverty in Moscow. Bulgakov distanced himself from the Proletariat Writer's Union because he refused to write about the peasants and proletariat. He adapted "Dead Souls" by Nikolai Gogol for the stage; it became a success but was soon banned.

He took a risk and wrote a letter to Joseph Stalin with an ultimatum: "Let me out of the Soviet Union, or restore my work at the theaters." On the 18th of April of 1930, Bulgakov received a telephone call from Joseph Stalin. The dictator told the writer to fill an employment application at the Moscow Art Theater. Gradually, Bulgakov's plays were back in the repertoire of the Moscow Art Theatre. But most other theatres were in fear and did not stage any of the Bulgakov's plays for many years. At that time, the repressions, known as the "Great Terror" were started by an increasingly paranoid Joseph Stalin. Many of Bulgakov's friends and colleagues, like Vladimir Mayakovsky, Osip Mandelstam, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Anna Akhmatova, Mikhail Zoschenko and many others were censored, banned, prosecuted, exiled, imprisoned, executed, found dead, or just disappeared without a trace.

Mikhail Bulgakov died as a result of kidney failure.(less)

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Quotes from The Master and Margarita

“But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if
evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows
disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the
shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings.
Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because
of your fantasy of enjoying naked light? You're stupid.” — 89 people liked it

“Everything will turn out right, the world is built on that.” — 84 people liked it

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