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Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'
Margarita e o Mestre by Mikhail Bulgakov, António Pescada
8 reviews
syliu's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
But Bulgakov is (to quote Théoden) a lesser son of greater sires. Nowhere does he delve into questions of morality and social responsibility with particularly startling depth, breadth or clarity. Instead there are far too many same-ish middle-aged male characters that muddle the narrative. And his treatment of women is extremely disappointing if not somewhat abhorrent.
I can appreciate the book for what it is -- an intriguing and quaintly absurd time capsule from the Soviet Union. But my appreciation for it as a piece of literature does not stretch quite so far.
Moderate: Sexism and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Gore, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Murder
tamara_joy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
jaimemt_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Religious bigotry
rchatterjee188's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
marianneiriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Satan comes to Moscow to throw his annual ball, and in the process of organising this his entourage makes mischief across the city. Woven between chapters describing the effects of this devilry, there are chapters set in Biblical Yershalaim -Jerusalem- capturing the internal turmoil of Pontius Pilate as he pronounces judgement on criminals brought before him. In addition to these two strands of the novel, Bulgakov incorporates a third theme- the romance between a woman called Margarita and the man who she calls the Master, a struggling writer. As the book progresses, these three stories intertwine in a surreal, and often humorous, but still at times extremely poignant, tale.
I can understand that this book is not for everyone: the satirical portrayal of the literary and bureaucratic circles in Bulgakov's Moscow does not make for easy reading. I would recommend taking the time to check the footnotes if your edition includes them, as without the context they provide (unless you are an expert in '30s Soviet intellectuals) some of the humour may go over your head!
In contrast, the tomfoolery between Satan's cat Behemoth, who has a penchant for vodka and primus stoves, and Koroviev, the man who organises most of the mischief in the devil's name, is amusing even without flipping back and forth to the footnotes - I thought the chapters focussing on them were some of the best in the book (alongside the story of Pontius Pilate, which whilst entirely different in tone, is also extremely well portrayed)
Overall, an extremely strange book, but well worth the effort it requires to understand it. If you enjoy Russian literature, surrealism, satire, talking cats and naked witches, and even a bit of Biblical retelling, you will enjoy this!
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
pythonesque's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Religious bigotry
liaandersson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
also idk if my strong dislike for the writing was bc it's a 'classic' written almost a century ago, but ive never had the same gripe w/ other classics ive read?? such a wasted opportunity bc this had such an amazing premise, w/ brief brilliant moments here and there, the titular master and margarita were actually delightful, and the end tied things quite well tgt. off to read 5-star reviews to see what others saw in this book.
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Religious bigotry