The Master and Margarita

Rating:
Summary: My fave book of all time
Review: Really I'm not into highly philosophical works, but Master and Margarita can be read purely for the adventure and the humour as well as the though-provoking criticism of Communist Russia. If at all possible, read it in the original Russian, if not, this translation is definately the final authority, i found it to capture the essence of Bulgakov's language (which is extremely important to the book, almost as important as the plot). Do not despare if you don't understand the very Russian humour, push on and u'll defintely discover a book to read and reread. very high ten.

Rating:
Summary: One long summer down the tubes
Review: In my second painful year of Russian, I had my nose forcibly pushed into the first chapter of the original M&M by a stony Muscovite teacher with all the humor of a gaggle of gulags. Despite the brutality of the initial introduction, I loved what I read. After combing through all the translations I could find, I finally decided that I would rather spend an entire summer cross-referencing my Russian copy with a battery of dictionaries then read a horrifically stilted English version that had none of the song or joy or humor of the original. It was then horrible and wonderful to happen upon the Burgin/O'Connor translation, where the words dance across the page. While they may not exactly be doing the original tarantella, it's closer than the box step other translations present. To describe the story is to do disservice to Bulgakov's brilliance - this book is about the entire human race.

Rating:
Summary: An admirable third attempt at a translation ends in failure
Review: "The Master and Margarita," possesses a remarkable quality -- everyone loves it. I refer of course to Russians, who read, read, and re-read this book on a regular basis. I shall not dwell on the book itself -- it has been done by others, but refer specifically to this translation. The translation fails. It is more accurate than the mediocre Ginsburg and the abominable Glenny translations, but it lacks in exactitude, and the English is dry and boring. People do glimpse the wonder of the original through this attempt at re-telling, but it is merely a glimpse. My hope is that the upcoming (fourth!!!) translation, done by the same team that did the wonderful work on the "Brothers Karamazov" will be worthy of the original.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect translation gives a real taste of the perfect book
Review: Even if you already have read "Master and Margarita" read it again in this new translation! It is worth it because it's superior. The flawless work by D.Burgin and K.O'Connor gives to American readers a rare opportunity to taste one of the greatest entrees of Russian literary cuisine genuine and fresh.The three-day adventures of The Prince of Evil in the capital of the world's atheism prove that human nature remains human nature - communism or not. The delicate interplay of three breath-taking simultaneous plots, the romance, the thrill and a lot of fun!

Rating:
Summary: one of the best books ever written
Review: this my favourite book of all time -- i must have read it 30 times or more, each time extracting something new i hadn't noticed before. on all levels this is a staggering work. i used it as a great courting test. everytime i became involved with someone new i'd give them the book. anyone who didn't rave on about it was soon shown the door. if i were ever stranded on a desert island with just one book, this would be it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellant literature!!!!!!
Review: If you enjoy value challenging books such as "Brave New World" or "1984", you MUST read this book! The praise for this book is well deserved

Rating:
Summary: Surreal, twisted, beautiful.
Review: This novel defies easy discription. Satan is a major character, Stalin's Moscow is the setting, and Pontius Pilate makes frequent cameos. The tone is spiritual, not religeous; and human frailty is the target for bitter, witty, satire. A beautiful book

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful edition of a remarkable book
Review: As you can see from the other reviews
this book is simply fabulous. I am writing
to recommend the Ginsburg translation as
my favorite edition of the book.
I hope new readers will enjoy this work
as much as I have.

Rating:
Summary: Forget all other books! My alltime favorit.
Review: This book is somethig special. I've been reading a lot of books in my life, and this is my alone- on-an-island-book. I read it over 20 times and more to come... For all who like to dream, who like fairy tales, who like a good story.

Rating:
Summary: SURREALISTIC SATIRE.
Review: A smart, twisted satire by Bulgakov, this book provides sheer entertainment along with thought provoking philosophy. Set against the background of the communist era, the Russian author makes Satan come to Moscow and turn the regular-paced city upside down. Spiced with bits of political satire, Master and Margarita revolves around an almost fairy-like story of two lovers, torn apart by life and brought back together by the devil himself. This is a surrealistic book filled with surprises. Any open-minded reader with a sense of humor will surely add it to their favorite list.