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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Surreal as Bulgakov always is. Not my favorite thing by him ever, but an amusing look at some facets of the Russian Revolution.
I went to my Russian Literature teacher so often to gush about my love of Master and Margarita that he gifted me a copy of another Bulgakov work. This book is not as important nor as enjoyably frivolous as M&M, but let's be honest, not everything Steinbeck wrote was Grapes of Wrath, either.
Il racconto narra un esperimento medico fantascientifico ma allo stesso tempo descrive in maniera accurata la società sovietica dell'epoca, composta da vecchi borghesi decaduti e nuova classe popolare che rivendica i suoi diritti. Sia dei primi che dei secondi Bulgakov descrive soprattutto gli aspetti caricaturali, cosicché il libro è leggero, divertente ma amaro al tempo stesso per la vicenda che narra: il randagio Pallino, mezzo morto di fame e di stenti viene nutrito, curato e accudito da un benefattore. Ma poichè nulla è veramente gratis Pallino finirà sul tavolo operatorio e cambierà vita. L'esperimento non può dirsi riuscito ma c'è il lieto fine.
Wow! Such book! Very satire! Much original! Many social commentary! Very translation! Much modern!
3 stars out of 5. The concept alone is amazing. The prose is not all that enjoyable to a contemporary American reader, but it seems important. I feel that way about just about all Russian lit I've read, honestly. The Kindle version I read, a 2013 translation, is very flippant and kind of immature. I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con, honestly, as I haven't read any other translations. But it does make this more accessible for a contemporary audience.
3 stars out of 5. The concept alone is amazing. The prose is not all that enjoyable to a contemporary American reader, but it seems important. I feel that way about just about all Russian lit I've read, honestly. The Kindle version I read, a 2013 translation, is very flippant and kind of immature. I'm not sure if that's a pro or a con, honestly, as I haven't read any other translations. But it does make this more accessible for a contemporary audience.
i don't think i'm totally smart enough to understand russian literature. especially not the stuff that was sly commentary on communism. which is what this book is. a doctor makes a man out of a dog but the dog becomes everything he hates about man. hmmm. i mean, i get it. but cleverer folk who are more political might have more fun with it.
how bulgakov avoided persecution is truly beyond me but let’s all be grateful he did. a star deducted for the translation which didn’t quiiite capture the vibe as well it could’ve done
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Rating for the collection of short stories / humorous articles. The Novellas in the collections are rated independently.