The Master and Margarita (Penguin Classics)
by Mikhail Bulgakov
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mikhail BulgakovTranslator: Richard Pevear
Introduction: Richard Pevear
Translator: Larissa Volokhonsky
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-12
ISBN: 0141180145
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of The Master and Margarita (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Manuscripts don't burn
Summary: 5 Stars
I can only hope that when Mikhail Bulgakov wrote this statement that he sincerely believed in it. After finishing this book (and then afterwards reading the introduction by one of the translators- Richard Pevear), I cannot help but to feel that Bulgakov really struck on something.
Before covering that, let me begin by saying that this novel is working throughout on many different levels and on many different subjects. There is the story of Pontius Pilate, told in four chapters spread across the whole book, which deals with his condemnation of the man known as Yeshua. There is the love story of the Master and Margarita, told in a classically idyllic sort of way- just make sure when you read it that you have access to yellow flowers for someone special. There is the story of the magician Woland, who comes to town and performs extraordinary feats within the first few pages of the story, just enough to get you hooked.
All those stories spread through the book in different ways, evoking different feelings in the reader, as well as different tones. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky do a terrific job (as always) of translating from the Russian, giving the text a fluidity that seems like it belongs in the English language; this fluidity helps the reader to find the meaning that Bulgakov had when writing the original- when there is a dark portion in the book, the translation captures that; when there is a tender moment, that is captured well too. Too often translators overlook these things when doing their task.
In the various incarnations of the story there are two underlying currents which stick out- one is the frightening tone of the interrogators who come to find those that they deem 'of interest'; though they often go without name, all in the novel know who they are and what they stand for...this is only an acknowledgement of what every Russian from that period knew, something that Westerners can only experience second-hand (as from this book).
The other current which is worth noting is the one that centers on the magician Woland and the 'Seventh Proof' of Gods existence. This argument says that if there is a devil then there must be a God. Many of the other stories stem from this, including the ones that deal with the Master and Margarita, the one that deals with Pontius Pilate, and the ones that center around the characters from Griboedovs (Berlioz in particular).
The point in going through these things in this review is this: this novel covers a lot of ground and is clearly intended to be an acknowledgement of Russian life during that period, a condemnation of some parts of that society (though in the light-hearted terms of two mischievous demons), and a study of faith among those in that society. It succeeds on all those levels, teaching those who know nothing of the time while also entertaining them, something that is a rarity in literature.
This brings me back to the first point- manuscripts don't burn...Mikhail Bulgakov was a brave man to have penned this novel for the world during the period that he did so. Had it been known that he had set to paper this grand novel, he certainly would have met with an unknown, yet untimely, fate (those secretive inquisitors would know). He knew this too- the introduction tells how at one point he had feared being found out, so he burned everything that he had written...an act of sheer desperation. Yet, though the physical copy was gone, the memory of those pages remained in his head. So too does this three-word phrase sublimely catch the tone of society at that time: though some may disappear, they are still remembered in the minds of those around them...
Bottom line: this is a terrific read, one that will open your eyes to the way in which a system of culture and society had gone awry. Too often it is seen as belonging solely to those with either a philosophical bent or a leaning towards Russian lit; to that I say 'pshaw!'. This book belongs to the masses and should be appreciated as such, on whatever level you, the potential reader, might wish to appreciate it. I say: get it, read it, thank Bulgakov (in your mind) for writing it...
-LP
Summary of The Master and Margarita (Penguin Classics)
Written during the darkest, most repressive period of Stalin's reign, this novel gives substance to the notion of artistic and religious freedom. Although Bulgakov completed his masterpiece in 1940, it was not published until 1966, twenty-six years after his death, when the first section appeared in the magazine Moskva, which sold out within hours. Despite its devastating satire of Soviet life and its audacious portrayals of Christ and Satan, the manuscript had somehow eluded Russian censors, and the enthusiasm of its readers assured the novel immediate and enduring success.A brilliant blend of magical and realistic elements, grotesque situations, and major ethical issues, The Master and Margarita combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem. Brimming with historical references, religious imagery, storms, witchcraft, and romance, Bulgakov's novel is impossible to categorize: Its story lies between parable and reality; its tone varies from satire to unguarded vulnerability. Its publication represents the triumph of imagination over politics. This new translation has been made from the complete and unabridged Russian text.
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