Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Le Maître et Marguerite

Did I understand what was happening for most of this book? No, not really. But did I enjoy being confused by it? Oh yes.

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!

Content Warnings

alexandra_skl's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

4.25

While the allegory can sometimes be a bit confusing, the book still serves as a poignant critique of Soviet absurdism and nonsense

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franzischi's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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miamcmillan's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i loved this! it was so surreal and weird and utterly incomprehensible at times, and all the better for it. the satire is so witty and sharp and the weaving of the tone of the pontius pilate sections with those of contemporary moscow were fascinating. i also loved how the chapters were set out and particularly loved margarita and natasha’s sections - they were fascinating. also a very notable and interesting portrayal of jesus as an unintentionally influential madman; definitely provoked a lot of questions about bulgakov’s actual aims with the novels. also a very accessible classic!

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