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Summary: A Madcap Tour de Force Through Stalinist Russia
Review: THE MASTER AND MARGARITA is one of my favorite books and I read it at least twice each year. I think it's the best book of "protest literature" ever written and it is surely unique.
THE MASTER AND MARGARITA opens near Patriarch Ponds. Two writers (Berlioz and Bezdomny) are sitting on a bench discussing their view of Jesus, in whom they do not believe (this is Stalinist Russia, remember), when they are approached by a stranger named Woland, who tells them that Jesus is indeed real and that he (the stranger) was even present at Jesus' death. Of course Berlioz and Bezdomny don't believe him so, to prove he is telling the truth, Woland (who is really someone else entirely, but I won't say who), goes so far as to predict the manner in which Berlioz will die.
THE MASTER AND MARGARITA is actually made up of three intertwining narratives (the story of Woland, the story of Pilate and the story of a writer called The Master). The first chapter introduces the first narrative, while the second chapter introduces the second narrative and we travel back in time to Yershalaim, or Jerusalem, where Yeshua Ha-Nozri, or Jesus, is standing trial before Pontius Pilate. This narrative isn't Jesus', but Pilate's. Pilate likes Jesus and so he's upset when Jesus admits to all he's been charged with and he (Pilate) becomes even more distraught after Jesus' death.
The third chapter of THE MASTER AND MARGARITA introduces the third narrative, that of the writer called The Master. Ivan the Homeless, another writer (who had the misfortune of crossing paths with Woland), has just been taken to a mental asylum run by a man called Dr. Stravinsky. In the asylum, Ivan meets the man known as The Master who has been writing a story in which Pontius Pilate is the central figure, the story of the second narrative. The Master loves more than writing, however. He also loves a beautiful, young Muscovite named Margarita, who, though married, loves him in return but can't, at the moment, locate him.
Margarita becomes involved with Woland and the narratives begin to intertwine even more. Woland, who, with his accomplices Azazello and Behemoth, has come to Moscow to host a grand ball, and he chooses the beautiful Margarita as his hostess. The chapters detailing the ball, to which only the most sinful and corrupt have been invited, are hilarious. I can't possibly give away the ending, but I will tell you the narrative begin to merge and the ending involves the granting of a wish.
THE MASTER AND MARGARITA is, in my opinion, one of the most flawless books ever created. I think the way in which Bulgakov intertwined the three narratives is absolute genius. As far as creativity and originality go, I think the only book that can possibly equal this one is Nabokov's LOLITA.
THE MASTER AND MARGARITA is, of course, a satire of Stalinist Russia and, because it is, I am sure there are many points in it that I've missed even though I've read it several times and will surely read it many more. I think, the more the reader knows about Stalinist Russia, the more he or she will gain in reading this book. But don't let a lack of knowledge stop you from picking this book up. It's simply too good to pass up no matter what. If you feel you need it, I think a study guide would help greatly. I haven't used one as yet, but I think I'm going to, the next time I read the book.
There simply aren't enough superlatives when describing this wonderful book. It's a masterpiece of the highest order, a tour de force, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At times, the book is madcap hilarious, but ultimately, it is quite sad. It is like nothing I have ever read before and I would certainly recommend it to all readers who are serious about expanding their literary horizons.
Rating:
Summary: Truely a master...
Review: Despite a horrid pun, Master and Margarita is a masterful work and my favorite of Bulgakov's works. In addition to sardonic humor of the literary circles in russia, a vodka-drinking tom-cat, and naturally a devil's ball--one has to admire the political and opinionated nature of the author. I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading Russian literature and who enjoys heavy, thought-provoking humor. Note that this is not an easy book to read, but rather a book for an intellectual to take to the beach.
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Summary: :o)
Review: The first few reviewers said it all... this is a wonderful book, one of my faves, and if you havn't read it yet then pick it up- trust us, you'll love it. I liked Behemoth the cat, and Pilate's dog. And Woland's style, and the fact that The Master was called The Master, and the road Pilate walks down, ...and I could go on all day about this great book. Probably the most lovable thing ever written, this book can garner praise from all kinds of people.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: Bulgakov has written a bizarre and very enjoyable book where he takes digs at the contemporary to him (1930s) Soviet (Russian) literary establishment (including the poet Mayakovsky), the atheism of Communist Russia.
Although he doesn't seem to be an atheist he isn't a normal Christian either. Woland (the devil character) actually helps the two lovers of the title get together so presumably he isn't that bad, and he apparently runs errands for God.
It has been noted in other reviews that the writing gets more lyrical towards the end. This is true, and one of my favourite passages is near the end - where the demons turn into fairie nights and princes and fly back to wherever they came from.
I have also seen this book referred to as an inspiration for the Rolling Stones song 'Sympathy for the Devil'.
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Summary: One of the Best Russian Novels Ever
Review: This is my favorite Russian novel. I don't understand why it isn't a part of every senior high school's reading requirements. It is great because it has a very interpretive story. Basically the devil comes to Russia and frees people from the oppression of their lives. This is symbolic of the destruction of totalitarian government. This book is very funny very horrifying, and also, at many times very touching. The heart of the book lies though with the devil. It is just amazing the way he changes everyone's life that is in the story in a profound way. Definitely a good read if you are looking to get into good Russian literature.
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Summary: Awesome Book All Around
Review: I don't really want to go into detail with this book because there's no easy way to explain it except that it was excellent. I picked it up because I thought the cover looked cool (shows you CAN sometimes judge a book by it's cover) and because I've loved all other Russian literature I've read and I have no regrets about buying it. Even if you're not a deep reader looking for the social commentary (which is pretty obvious anyway), the plot is still magical and funny and fantastic. It's like a Russian fairytale almost, the characters were awesome and the way things happened and were resolved is amazing, I really can't think of enough great adjectives to write here. Everyone should read it.
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Summary: An infernal holiday in Moscow
Review: Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita" is a Goethean fantasy, but like other twentieth century masterpieces of magical realism such as "The Tin Drum" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude," it presents a considerable challenge to the reviewer obligated to describe the oddness of its content. There is so much madness that a plot summary seems pointless, and so much richness that only a firsthand reading experience can do the text justice. As a novel that channels the phantasmagorical into a critique of the society from which it springs and the government under which it was suppressed, it balances humor with creepiness in a way that renders it closer to "The Man Who was Thursday" than to "Alice in Wonderland." The stars of the novel are a devilish syndicate intent upon wreaking havoc among Moscow society. The ringleader is a magician who subtly calls himself Woland and has a retinue of strange but useful henchmen, including most curiously a huge talking black cat that walks upright and plays chess. The beginning of the novel, in which Woland approaches two literary men who deny the existence of Christ and refutes them by claiming to have been a witness at the Crucifixion, introduces the novel's subtext, a secondary story about Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea, who happens to be the subject of a novel composed by a writer known only as the Master. The role of literature under Stalin's regime is a major theme. A young poet named Ivan the Homeless, who writes antireligious propaganda for an intellectual magazine, is suspected of insanity and institutionalized after his encounter with Woland ends in a shockingly violent scene. In the sanatarium he meets the Master, whose life has been reduced to ruins after having his novel rejected for publication and his character defamed by the Soviet press. The Master's conflict with the literary authorities is echoed in the domestic situation of his unhappily married lover Margarita, who liberates herself after a fateful meeting with one of Woland's associates. My favorite character is easily the cat, who goes by the appropriate name of Behemoth. Like a cartoonist, Bulgakov recognizes that animals are more convincing as agents of human thoughts and actions when they're bipedal and prehensile, and so creates a cat that's too cool for his company, a laconic sort of fellow who, commanded by Woland to leave the room because of his insolence, nonchalantly replies that he hasn't had his coffee yet. Of course, logic suggests that he is not really a cat, but in a work of fantasy, logic must yield its primacy to the caprices of imagination. The scenes are a smooth synergy of the natural and the supernatural: a bombastic magic show at a theater, gratuitous decapitations, a skin cream whose application conjures a witch's ride, a roaring fireplace that serves as a gateway to hell, a Satanic ball, a police shootout with a pistol-packing Behemoth swinging on a chandelier, characters inexplicably named after composers. Probably the most venomous diatribe against the repressive Soviet literary politics of the day, "The Master and Margarita" glows like a neon sign in the night in brazen defiance of censorship.
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Summary: Mystery at Mount Golgotha
Review: Are the dachas allocated to those with the most talent or those at the top? Ivan Nikolayich is taken in his underwear to the lunatic asylum. The poet Ryukhin takes him there. After sleeping Ivan feels better. He remembers that Berlioz is dead. He finds the building he is in to be wonderfully equipped. It seems that Ivan is in the hospital because he went to a restaurant in his undershorts and because he wanted to tell everyone about Pontius Pilate. Ivan draws Pontius Pilate and a cat walking on its hind legs. Rimsky, manager of a Variety Show, is driven nearly mad by the telegrams of a magician supposedly from Yalta. A mysterious person, Varenkha, disappears and then suddenly reappears in the story. Nikanor Ivanovich is supposed to turn over his foreign currency. Until his dream Nikanor Ivanovich knew nothing of the works of Pushkin. Nikanor Ivanovich claims that he has no foreign currency. At the Variety Theater there is concern because Rimsky is nowhere to be found. The aliens bureau has never heard of anyone called Woland, the black magician. Berlioz's nephew tries to claim his inheritance. Ivan's beloved mistress is called Margarita. Margarita flies silently at second story heighth. Woland, Margarita, and the cat attempt to play chess. Margarita calls the author of a novel about Pontius Pilate, Master to Woland's surprise. The cat jumps off of a pile of manuscripts. No one can say whether the figures are real or imagined. Woland says the Master's novel is unfinished. I had trouble following the allegory. I will take responsibility for being a poor reader in this instance. The book is splendid.
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Summary: Mikhail and Mick: An Inspiration for the Devil
Review: I attended a private school in New England, I spent a month in an Advanced European Literature class studying this marvel of literature. I was fortunate to have a professor with a doctorate in literature from the University of Moscow. Simply said; the treasures buried in this study of good and evil in concurrent complex plot lines with outlandish political themes and historic biblical characters are excellent. I will not provide a full review, but share this tidbit. I have always loved the Rolling Stones song 'Sympathy for the Devil'; a masterpiece in depicting the paradoxes and faces of good and evil. I recently learned that Marianne Faithful, a 'groupie-confidante' of Mick Jagger gave him this novel which was the inspiration for this incredible song. I was pleased to learn of this literary-music connection. Mikhail Bulgakov would be pleased and Jagger should be proud.
Rating: 
Summary: If "hyper fiction" is your cup of tea....
Review: This is a very strange book which is a rather cryptic satire of different aspects of Soviet society. One of the things that I didn't like was the translation. Often times, I have read books in similar Russian and translated them literally: this edition is just that, a literal translation. And some phrases sound quite strange in English, which could have been more loosely translated for better literary effect. I would say that this book is sort of like "The Nose" by Gogol, but more bizarre. So if "hyper fiction" is your thing(I prefer more realistic accounts of fiction myself) then you will enjoy this book. Personally, I don't think he is a better writer than Gorky, but that is just my opinion.
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