Scan barcode
chrisstibbs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Blood
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Misogyny
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: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Slavery, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Violence
sas_lk's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death and Mental illness
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Racial slurs
readingsponsoredbybts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Slavery
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, Religious bigotry, Death, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
verinvaldez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, and Sexism
mateoj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Forced institutionalization
maithaalfalasi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Cursing, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness
coramorton02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, Mental illness, and Violence
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: Car accident, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Sexism