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The Master and Margarita | 
 enlarge | Author: Mikhail Bulgakov
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $13.00
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Rating:  341 reviews
Sales Rank: 5340
Media: Paperback
Pages: 384
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 0679760806
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.7342
EAN: 9780679760801
ASIN: 0679760806
Publication Date: March 19, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
Surely no stranger work exists in the annals of protest literature than IThe Master and Margarita/I. 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. p Meanwhile, a few doors down in the hospital lives the true object of Woland's visit: the author of an unpublished novel about Pontius Pilate.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 Inecessary/I: "What would your good be doing if there were no evil, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it?"p 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. IThe Master and Margarita/I is a different book each time it is opened. I--Mary Park/I
Product Description
This title is translated by Michael Glenny. The devil makes a personal appearance in Moscow accompanied by various demons, including a naked girl and a huge black cat. When he leaves, the asylums are full and the forces of law and order in disarray. Only the Master, a man devoted to truth, and Margarita, the woman he loves, can resist the devil's onslaught.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 336 more reviews...
 "a liberating, exuberant social and political satire (Moscow) combined with a profound moral and political allegory (Jerusalem); November 7, 2008
Julee Rudolf (Oak Harbor, WA USA)
a vindication and a celebration of the persecuted (metaphorically executed?) Russian intelligentsia clad in the revered garb of the Holy Fool; a hymn to the strength of the weak," writes Simon Franklin in the Michael Glenny translation Introduction. Hugh Aplin, in a newer translation, contends that, (p 433) "The novel demands several readings, such are the depths of interconnected details and implications." Following his advice, I've now read the book three times in as many months (Aplin's, then Glenny's, then Aplin's again). Each time I learned something new. br / br /As the story begins, two men, Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz, an editor, and Ivan Nikolayevich Ponyrev, a poet, are sitting on a bench in Moscow, discussing an anti-religious poem the latter wrote for the former, when, speak of the devil, he arrives, (p 6 HA) "A citizen almost seven feet tall, but narrow in the shoulders, unbelievably thin, and a physiognomy, I beg you to note, that was mocking." Intrigued by their contention that Jesus never existed, he places himself literally in the middle of the conversation, plunking himself down between the two and assuring them that the man did indeed exist. As the discussion and foreigner become increasingly animated, the Muscovites agitatedly realize that something is not right. He introduces himself as Woland, claims to be a "specialist in black magic," and correctly prophecies Berlioz' imminent and gruesome death. The poet, determined to track down the mysteriously murderous man, ends up in a sanatorium while Woland takes up residence in the deceased's flat. His new roommate is, conveniently, the manager of a local theater. When they first meet he learns (without prior knowledge or rememberance) that he has contracted with the devil to do a series of shows in the theater. The first performance, attended by over two thousand persons, is a hit. Meanwhile, in the sanatorium, Ivan meets The Master, so nicknamed by his lover Margarita, a woman who has left an idealic life and marriage as a result of her obsession with an article he's written about Jesus, to be, instead, with him. The two parties meet when the Devil's henchman, (p 90 HA) a "lanky man in broken glasses" solicits Margarita's services to hostess a wicked party. Lathered with a magical cream, she temporarily becomes a young witch, complete with a broomstick that allows her to fly (her maid Natasha does same and joins her). They, along with the Devil's henchcat ("black" and "large as a boar") terrorize the residents of Moscow for one horrible night while they entertain the spirits. Margarita chooses to be kind to a new acquaintance over asking for a reunion with her lover, but Woland ends up honoring both requests. br / br /As far as the difference between the two translations, I liked them both but for different reasons. The Michael Glenny version did not have footnotes, which was less distracting. The Hugh Aplin translations gains (I'd think) the authentic feel of Russian words, but the reader has to flip back to the Notes to find out what they are. At first I thought it was pretty clever that Aplin translates (more than Glenny) talk by mortals related to the devil to some sort of phrase containing the word "devil," for example (from pages 10-81), "what the devil does he want?" "The devil, he heard it all..." "But then, the devil knows" "the devil knew who she was..." and "There was this devilish business..." But the second time through, it wasn't as appealing. I would recommend reading the Michael Glenny translation first, then the Hugh Aplin version (with its more specific details). The Master and Margarita, with it's outstandingly odd story and famous phrase "Manuscripts don't burn," is truly a masterpiece, but will probably be better appreciated by serious fans of Russian literature. Also good: Doctor Zhivago by Bernard Pasternak, The Fixer by Bernard Malamud, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
 seductive masterpiece October 22, 2008
Ted Byrd
The Master and Margarita is permeated with so many characteristics of greatness-depth, humor, irony, tragedy, mystery- that it is hard to adequately convey my respect and admiration for this novel. Basically it reworks the time-honored theme of the individual of artistic or intellectual temperament trying to discover and attain to the fullest the possibilities of his own particular consciousness. Almost always, it seems, whatever regime is ascendant in the world is dedicated to dragging that consciousness down to the level of the lowest common denominator where it can be understood and controlled by the ruling power. Thus, we see the Master incarcerated in an asylum; his "aberration" being the writing of a novel about Jesus and Pilate; a parallel drama which reinforces the idea of confrontation between the spirit and earthly authority. The story oscillates between Soviet Russia of the 1930's and the events of Jesus' crucifixion. These two worlds overlap in strange and intimate ways in the consciousness of the characters and both worlds exemplify this tension and opposition between the individual and the system of the world. In a Neo-Platonic way God is represented as being the First Cause who initiates, but then stands isolated from It's creation. Therefore, it is left to the Devil to take a hand in earthly affairs on the side of the individual. Some truly phantasmagorical supernatural episodes provide an exquisite setting for the metaphysical drama being played out. Inevitably, Bulgakov's tale invites comparison with Faust, who also accepted aid from the Devil in his quest for transcendence. This brings me to the only qualm I have about the book. I don't believe that Bulgakov was advocating Satanism in any form or fashion or I would not touch it under any circumstances. My view is that his use of the Devil as a character was a literary device to show that there are cosmic forces at work, that are neither good nor bad in an absolute sense, but are processes of becoming. At any rate, it appears that the book has acquired a cult-following that is focused on this one aspect of the story. This is regrettable, but there is always that danger with such a powerful and appealing work that it might resonate strongly with some readers, but be interpreted too narrowly. I would certainly not claim that my own interpretations are impeccable. There are many scholars who have devoted a great deal of effort into trying to unravel the levels of meaning contained therein. Though my understanding of it is, admittedly, likely very superficial, I feel confident in my belief that it is a modern masterpiece.
The Devil Went Down to Moscow September 4, 2008
Z. E. Lowell
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Over the years I've heard numerous people call "The Master and Margarita" their favorite book, so finally I decided to read it for myself and was not disappointed at all. Yet, despite my enjoyment of this book, I am at a loose for how best to describe or critique it. I could perhaps say (and I mean this as a compliment) this is the literary equivalent of an old and unsafe ride at a traveling carnival - that is, you're never sure what's going to happen next, so all you can do is hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Bulgakov's work is a terrific, mind-bending mixture of dark humor, satire, surrealism, romance, horror, fantasy and social commentary. Of course, while this work skewers many of the problems which faced the early Soviet Union, you don't need to be enrolled in a seminar course on Stalinist Russia to appreciate this unique and absorbing tale of good and evil (although the introduction and notes by Richard Pevear are very useful for the non-academic reader). Approach this novel with an open mind and you will love it!
READ THIS! August 24, 2008
V. LAUTENBACH (vanediva)
My boyfriend and read it toghether and i got addicted to it since page 1! what a book! br /Its very funny, cause the characters are one of a kind, it is interesting because it reflects the Russian society, it is deep because you also get both of these features related to yes...Pontius Pilates and Christ! and it is easy to read, has many many helpful comments at the end so you dont get lost in history! br /This is a must for everyone
A GIFT FROM THE GRAVE August 20, 2008
J. K. Hinton (TX USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I found Mikhail Bulgakov's life terribly sad, as I progressed through this novel, realizing how much of it is autobiographical. Here was a brilliant man---the grandson of Priests, who was obviously quite theologically challenged in atheist Russia. His motif surrounding the existence of Jesus and the Devil, told through stories of Faust and Pontius Pilate, was obviously his personal desire to master the concept of good versus evil, in a culture of oppression, brutality, and subjugation, not to mention censorship---the slow death of a creative, freedom-seeking, artist. br / br /A good deal of the read may appear to just be magical folly but on careful inspection, it is filled with deep, political satire and symbolism attacking Stalin's Communist Russia and the justifiable paranoia it bred. The ridicule, denouncement and exposure was nothing short of genius, as were the characters that carried out his themes, my favorite being the personification of the big as a pig, Vodka craving, Black Cat. br / br /Bulgakov, was clearly before his time and it is sad he died at 48. His history shows a man who was broken by his inability of free expression. His determination to complete his works, in spite of censorship, is a testament to his spirit and perseverance---one of the strongest reasons that this book deserves to be read by all. I consider it a literary gift from the grave, carrying messages we must never forget. br / br /Be warned that this is not a quick and easy read---at least it was not for me. I suspect that I've missed, or misinterpreted many scenarios that will read differently with a repeat read. Simply put, it's like trying to watch a ten ring circus---in more ways than one. But, you won't want to miss a single ring of action. br / br / br / br /
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