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The Master and Margarita

Mikhail Bulgakov

Start date: December 1, 2021

Finish date: December 31, 2021

Discussion: Current Group Reads

Discussion leader: Lynn

Why we're reading this: December 2021 Revisit the Shelf Read

June 2016 New School Group Read
[close] December 2021 Revisit the Shelf Read

June 2016 New School Group Read

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Current Group Reads

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What Members Thought

Mar 26, 2008 Brad rated it liked it

Shelves: russian-lit, unfinished, mieville50, speculative

My three star rating is a tentative one because I hope to finish this book someday. There were portions of The Master and Margarita that I was quite enjoying, but the book never fully captured my attention. I think some of the blame must fall on the book, but I accept the fat-older-brother's portion of the cake. Maybe it was the distraction of class prep, maybe it was that I was too busy reading O'Brian, maybe it was just my mood, but it was probably a little bit of all these things. Suffice to ...more

11 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Laura rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, russian-fiction, bookmooch, read-2012, bookcrossing, fiction-20th-century, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, buddy-read, banned-books, magic-realism

Just arrived from USA through BM.

What to say about this book?

Bulgakov started to write this book in 1929. However, since he didn't believe in his future as a russian novelist, he simply burned the manuscript in 1930. A second draft was written in 1936 and the final version was completed only in 1940 just before his death.

The plot comprises two stories: in the first one, Voland who is visited by the Devil; the second one is the re-creation tale of Christ facing his tormentor Pontius Pilate in a t ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2008 Suvi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, _book-shelf, _europe-eastern, 1940-1969, _to-reread, _david-bowies-favorites

Well. I didn't like it as much as I would have wanted but nevertheless enjoyed it. Luckily only half of it is only understandable to people who know more about Stalin's Moscow and therefore can actually enjoy the allegories. I laughed when I read (mostly because of the cat, he was such a hilarious character) and also the story was quite fascinating with Golgata and the Devil's ball. I may have to come back to this a little later on. ...more

1 like · Like · see review