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urfavpunk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, and Sexism
pythonesque's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Religious bigotry
lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.5
I finally did it! I finished The Master and Magarita! And I don't know what to say.
I 100% understand why people love this book. It has just been extremely tedious to read and I had to motivate myself a lot to get through it all.
The first 200 pages are basically just world building/ giving the readers all the knowledge they need in order to understand and enjoy the second half. It got really boring for me to the point where I would literally fall asleep after reading 3 pages (multiple times!!). I did not enjoy the first half. There were some very funny bits but most of it was exhausting.
Minor spoilers ahead
When I got to the second half though my opinion changed completely. I still think it's funny that the main protagonist (after whom the book is named!) Only appear halfway into the book. But as soon as we got to meet Magarita I started liking the book. I really enjoyed her character and story. Also the whole Satans Ball was super fun. I also finally felt like I understood Woland and the others.
The whole becoming a witch thing was entertaining and I finally understood why you need the first half because I wouldn't have understood anything in the second part if I hadn't read the first part.
Still I think it's ridiculous that you need to get through 200 pages(!!) to get to the really good part.
I want to give this book 4 stars but I really can't so 3.5 will have to do.
I 100% understand why people love this book. It has just been extremely tedious to read and I had to motivate myself a lot to get through it all.
The first 200 pages are basically just world building/ giving the readers all the knowledge they need in order to understand and enjoy the second half. It got really boring for me to the point where I would literally fall asleep after reading 3 pages (multiple times!!). I did not enjoy the first half. There were some very funny bits but most of it was exhausting.
Minor spoilers ahead
When I got to the second half though my opinion changed completely. I still think it's funny that the main protagonist (after whom the book is named!) Only appear halfway into the book. But as soon as we got to meet Magarita I started liking the book. I really enjoyed her character and story. Also the whole Satans Ball was super fun. I also finally felt like I understood Woland and the others.
The whole becoming a witch thing was entertaining and I finally understood why you need the first half because I wouldn't have understood anything in the second part if I hadn't read the first part.
Still I think it's ridiculous that you need to get through 200 pages(!!) to get to the really good part.
I want to give this book 4 stars but I really can't so 3.5 will have to do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Classism
franzischi's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
liaandersson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
This book surprised me in the best of ways. although I hadn't read much about it beforehand, I presumed it would be a piece of dry Russian classical literature, and boy was I fucking wrong. This book was so goddamn funny, sarcastic, ironic, I don't even know, but it had me laughing more than I usually do when I read. Bulgakov was very clever in his way of changing the narrative, giving us the backstory from which we could see, but fellow characters could not. It felt like we always knew more than they did. The only one knowing more than us being Woland, he is almighty. I strongly recommend reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder
miamcmillan's review against another edition
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!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
jackmchristensen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Murder
bryonyporter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis