Rating:  Summary: Not your typical Russian classic. Review: If you were forced to read Russian literature in high school and felt like you just didn't get it, or worse felt like you were being tortured like I did, give this book a chance. With a few more years on my bones I now appreciate those other works, but had I been introduced to this book back then, I wouldn't have felt that all Russian literature was like eating a bowl of dust while being hit over the head repeatedly with a rubber mallet.Written with a wry and twisted sense of humor, this fantastic tale is set in the early Soviet Union. The book starts with two members of the writers guild having a conversation about Jesus when the Devil shows up. He joins the discussion, predicts the soon to be death of one of the characters, and when this actually comes to pass, it plunges his friend over the edge. You can take it from there, but it's a far cry from the "suffering is good for the soul" style from Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. By the way, the quality of these everyman's library classics are top notch and a bargain for what you get.
Rating:  Summary: The Original Magic Realist Work Review: This delightful and powerful novel was written when Stalin was subjecting Soviet society to the great purges that killed millions. Bulgakov was fortunate to escape the fate of quite a number of his fellow writers. The Master and Margarita is part fantasy, part allegory of persecution, and a wonderfully written book. The motor of the plot is the idea that the Devil is loose in post-revolutionary Russia. As with the so-called magical realist fiction from Latin America, these fantastic elements are treated in a matter of fact, realistic manner. It is very funny. Dealing with the nature of love and forgiveness, this is a very unlikely work to emerge from the grim prison of the Stalinist state. While more recent translations have been praised, I find the Ginsburg translation to be very satisfactory
Rating:  Summary: An often-overlooked Russian classic Review: This book has got it all -- decapitations, crucifixions, vodka-drinking cats, and naked women flying on broomsticks. What's more, it is a refreshing change of pace from the 19th century works that most people think of when they hear the term "Russian literature." Bulgakov is no Tolstoi or Dostoevskiy, and I mean that as a compliment. All three are top-notch writers, each in his own way. But where Bulgakov differs from the latter two is in his ability to infuse his work with a light-heartedness, even when the subject matter is serious. While Tolstoi is known for epic tales on the grandest of scales, and Dostoevskiy for his penetrating insights into the darkness of the human soul, Bulgakov breaks from his predecessors by creating fiction with flare, stories that dance off the page, with an undeniable element of humor that is extremely rare in Russian literature. This edition of Master and Margarita is a bit choppy in the translation, but it more than makes up for that minor flaw by providing an excellent set of comments on the text at the back of the book. This is one of those books that is so much easier to appreciate the more you understand the historical references and the social context of the story. Bulgakov, in addition to be a master of the pen, was also a capable historian and keen observer of society and politics. His novels, particularly this one, make this clear. In Master and Margarita, thanks to its novel-within-a-novel structure, you have not one but two socio-historical portraits, both of them exceptionally accurate. Bulgakov showed no fear of the Communist censors, depicting with remarkable honesty the Soviet Union of the 1930s. (No wonder this book didn't see the light of day for several decades.) But perhaps more impressive is his portrayal of a period which he did not witness first-hand. Through the character of the Master, Bulgakov relates a completely unorthodox, though not at all unbelievable, account of Jesus' trial and crucifixion from the perspective of Pontius Pilate, who comes across as most sympathetic and likeable. As one would expect, the two stories are flawlessly woven together. Parallel plot lines and similarities between the characters in each story make the novel that much richer, that much more of a literary achievement. It is no surprise that most Russians consider this to be their finest example of 20th century literature.
Rating:  Summary: Brilliant Review: On my top ten books list. Just brilliant! I find it very funny and clever.
Rating:  Summary: All Time Favorite Review: This book is Awesome! A MUST read!
Rating:  Summary: One of my all time favorites... Review: I gotta join the chorus and say how much I love this book. It represents a watershed in 20th Russian culture and many of its phrases have become idiomatic expressions in Russian. This edition is great: I love the translation, and the limited annotations allow you to follow on some of the inside jokes and the religious symbolism of the book. The story is engaging and entertaining, but above all I highly respect what this book represents: Bulkagov's rant on his own position as an artist in the USSR. This is a man who was so talented, that Stalin, who was a great fan, allowed his contoversial work to be published and performed (albeit not before the censors had their way). Bulgakov was a fine author who died too young...like many of his predecessors in the great Russian literary tradition. His other works: Heart of a Dog, White Guard (originally a play that even though sympathetic to the anti-Bolsheviks, was allowed by Stalin to run in Moscow), and A Country Doctor's Notebook (based on Bulgakov's personal experience as a doctor in the Russian countryside) are worth checking out. Black Snow, a novel that revolves around his obsession with the theatre, is also interesting.
Rating:  Summary: Amazing Review: A great piece of literature and not stale at all. Discourses and allegories to Goethe's Faust, many a biblical reference, a lot to provoke the mind... but he doesn't forget about the entertaining aspect of reading, you got Satan running around predicting people's deaths for them even though there's nothing they can do, a giant, evil, vodka-swilling cat, and a demon zombie girl out for blood, everyone going insane and / or selling their souls... This book might just become my favorite which depicts Satan as a main character.
Rating:  Summary: It's all in the translation Review: I wanted to add my own review, not so much that I could add more than some of the very good reviews already written, but there is one that is misleading. It refers to Volokhonsky/Pevear's translation of The Master and Margarita. Just so you understand that This paperback is translated by Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor. I'll accept the review on the other, as I haven't read it, but this version absolutely is amazing. When that reviewer said "preserve the easily flowing bubbling like champagne Bulgakov's speech", it struck me that that is precisely how this version came across. Bubbling like champagne. Hints of flavor and smell with each pop and fizz, it read easily, consumed with delight. The only way it could be better is if I spoke Russian and could read the original. ;)
Rating:  Summary: read this book. Review: I don't need to go into any detail about how amazing this book is, there are at least 200 reviews here and most of them can tell you far better than I. many people complain about the translation. translated is better than nothing, I say get a copy and read it. try to get a recent translation that is well liked by Russian readers-that would probably be best. another point... the bible was translated from Latin wasn't it? yet people memorize the English version and proclaim it the divine word. they have their own inaccuracies, people don't shy away from reading the bible. and if you don't think the bible has issues, 1. read the whole thing, some parts would be considered unfit for those under 18 to be reading. 2. realize that phrase "the word of god" was translated from "the logos of god" logos means word and it also means logic. ponder that for a while. which brings me into my next point: for the Catholics. People are entitled to different opinions than your own. the first place to look for a good book is the local library's banned books list. any book that somebody doesn't want you to read is probably very worth looking into. If you are a catholic religious freak, shy away your poor sensibilities. the rest of us are going to enjoy this excellent novel. so unless you are a staunch catholic who hates other's oposing opinions, and is vilely intolerant in this supposedly free society, go out and expose yourself to the majesty of this work. it is a masterpiece as worthy as any other, maybe more worthy.
Rating:  Summary: You won't regret buying this book Review: It has been my favorite book ever since I was 14. What captivated me then was obviously the beautiful love story. Re-reading it as I was growing up opened up many more dimensions to the book and it never stops. All my close friends have at some point received Master and Margarita as a gift from me and also fell in love with it. I can't speak for the quality of the English translation, but one of the reviews provides an excellent recommendation, so I hope you'll choose the version that best represents the magic of Bulgakov's writing.
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