- Author : Mikhail Bulgakov
- Binding : Hardcover
- Creator : Michael Glenny
- Creator : Simon Franklin
- Dewey Decimal Number : 813
- EAN : 9781857150667
- Format : Import
- ISBN : 185715066X
- Is Eligible For Trade In? : Yes
- Label : Everyman's Library
- List Price : $22.70 (USD)
- Manufacturer : Everyman's Library
- Number Of Pages : 446
- Package Dimensions : 1.26 inches (Height) x 8.11 inches (Length) x 1.28 pounds (Weight) x 5.20 inches (Width)
- Publication Date : 1992-03-19
- Publisher : Everyman's Library
- Studio : Everyman's Library
Surely no stranger work exists in the annals of protest literature than The Master and Margarita. Written during the Soviet crackdown of the 1930s, when Mikhail Bulgakov's works were effectively banned, it wraps its anti-Stalinist message in a complex allegory of good and evil. Or would that be the other way around? The book's chief character is Satan, who appears in the guise of a foreigner and self-proclaimed black magician named Woland. Accompanied by a talking black tomcat and a "translator" wearing a jockey's cap and cracked pince-nez, Woland wreaks havoc throughout literary Moscow. First he predicts that the head of noted editor Berlioz will be cut off; when it is, he appropriates Berlioz's apartment. (A puzzled relative receives the following telegram: "Have just been run over by streetcar at Patriarch's Ponds funeral Friday three afternoon come Berlioz.") Woland and his minions transport one bureaucrat to Yalta, make another one disappear entirely except for his suit, and frighten several others so badly that they end up in a psychiatric hospital. In fact, it seems half of Moscow shows up in the bin, demanding to be placed in a locked cell for protection. Meanwhile, a few doors down in the hospital lives the true object of Woland's visit: the author of an unpublished novel about Pontius Pilate. This Master--as he calls himself--has been driven mad by rejection, broken not only by editors' harsh criticism of his novel but, Bulgakov suggests, by political persecution as well. Yet Pilate's story becomes a kind of parallel narrative, appearing in different forms throughout Bulgakov's novel: as a manuscript read by the Master's indefatigable love, Margarita, as a scene dreamed by the poet--and fellow lunatic--Ivan Homeless, and even as a story told by Woland himself. Since we see this narrative from so many different points of view, who is truly its author? Given that the Master's novel and this one end the same way, are they in fact the same book? These are only a few of the many questions Bulgakov provokes, in a novel that reads like a set of infinitely nested Russian dolls: inside one narrative there is another, and then another, and yet another. His devil is not only entertaining, he is necessary: "What would your good be doing if there were no evil, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it?" Unsurprisingly--in view of its frequent, scarcely disguised references to interrogation and terror--Bulgakov's masterwork was not published until 1967, almost three decades after his death. Yet one wonders if the world was really ready for this book in the late 1930s, if, indeed, we are ready for it now. Shocking, touching, and scathingly funny, it is a novel like no other. Woland may reattach heads or produce 10-ruble notes from the air, but Bulgakov proves the true magician here. The Master and Margarita is a different book each time it is opened. --Mary Park
- Amazon.com Review
The devil with his retinue, a poet incarcerated in a mental institution for speaking the truth, and a recreation of the story of Pontius Pilate, constitute the elements out of which Mikhail Bulgakov wove "The Master and Margarita".
- Product Description
Customer Reviews:
Customers rated The Master and Margarita (Everyman's Library classics) 4.5 stars out of 5.0 based on 377 reviews:seeing is not believing and believing is not seeing
by Michael Ashley Schulman, Cfa (Newport Beach, CA, USA) - 2010-09-01
I found the story to be geographically interesting (because it is Moscow), imaginative like Dante's Inferno, politically relevant (from a historical perspective), and just plain weird. It is so strange and twisted that I would rarely recommend it to someone. On the other hand, if someone has already read it, it would be enchanting to speak with them about it. In addition, if Russian literature and history thrills you, then this is a must read and an enjoyable read. Buried inside all the wonderful illusions and hideous acts, woven amongst demented and scandalous characters, and set against biblical allegories I only partially understand, is a beautiful and haunting romance, a couple of true soles and some diabolical mysteries that captivate. Sometimes, seeing is not believing and believing is not seeing.wonderful--but check the translator
by SeldomSelden - 2010-08-21
The Master and Margarita is hilarious and engaging. I took a class called Russian Literature in English, and this book was by far my favorite (though the other texts we read were amazing, like Envy, The Petty Demon, We, and of course numerous Chekhov plays). However, with this and all translated works, be sure to source a good translation. I accidentally bought two copies of this, by two different translators. One was far superior--much funnier, and (according to the Prof) more like the Russian original. I cannot remember who the translator was, but do a quick google search before you purchase to see which translations are better reviewed.A great work.
by Dan De Vries (San Francisco, CA USA) - 2010-08-07
I first read M+M when it came out in English translation. I'm not sure I quite got it that time (was, say 20 years of age). Recently read the Penguin translation offered here, which is flat out brilliant, and the intro and notes are helpful. Found the earlier Signet edition (the one with the wonderful picture of the cat, Behemoth, on the cover) in a used book store and am now reading that. I'm not certain that translation deserves to be denigrated in light of this more recent one. Fabulous read in any event. Other reviews here go into what it's "about" so no need for that from me. All I can say is get hands on a copy and read it!the reviews for this book are a mess
by Jason A. Trent (olympia wa) - 2010-06-18
Amazon's listings for this book do not always seem to match the descriptions, and regardless of translation or wheather the book is text or audio, it gives you the same reviews...For example there seems to be a graphic novel version, but it is listed as having two different authors and the 'look inside' feature is not the same book as the one displayed. Frustrating.bootleg edition
by Jurvis LaSalle - 2010-04-12
Do not purchase this book published under ISBN 1442133171. It is a scanned and poorly OCR'd copy of another translation. The bootleggers didn't even proofread this before "publishing" the scanned edition via CreateSpace. So many typos, the letter z is often swapped with the number 2, etc. Don't get me started on punctuation, esp. pertaining to dialogue. DO NOT BUY!
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