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ms_sarah621's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Okay, I have been putting this one off for years because Russian classics intimidate me. But, I regret doing so! This was phenomenal. The story itself was wildly entertaining and had me just blowing through certain chapters. Then, when you take a moment to analyze the story and relate it to the point of history when it was being written, it just makes it so much better. It says so much about the secret police, dictatorship, and the ways we define good and evil. I am left with a lot to think about. Also, the way it’s written and the storytelling makes the book feel more accessible. Some fear the language and background knowledge used for classics, but I didn’t experience that with this book. Now, you’re wondering why I’m not giving this five stars since I seemed to have loved it. Well, this book has two parts, and part one is beautiful. *chefs kiss* However, part two was extremely fantastical and difficult to follow at times. The entertaining bits were stripped away, and it started to feel more and more incoherent. I was enjoying Woland going around Moscow driving everyone to madness and the secret police being at a loss of what to do. It was crazy to see how everyone was affected and their reactions. Then, in the second half, I believe it focused on good and evil much more. I lost the feeling that I had in part one. I feel that part two could have been cut down and integrated into the plot of part one more. I understand that part two is important and is the reason for the book title itself, but it just didn’t go well with me and was difficult to get through. This can just be a case of my reading preferences, but, overall, I really enjoyed this book. Would definitely recommend to classic lovers or someone interested in trying out some Russian literature.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization
jaimemt_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a very unique book. I recommend reading Gogol before attempting this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Religious bigotry
lisztaffe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
emmi_lee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gun violence and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism
applesodaperson's review against another edition
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This book was honestly such a struggle to get through, but I still really enjoyed it, and am glad I finished it. Personally, I just have a really hard time with Russian literature in general. The way it is written, and the fact that every character has life three names, means it takes me a lot of brain power to read. But I will say, this book was easier to read then some other Russian lit I have read. About this book in particular, I thought it was super fun and random and whimsical, and my favorite part was Margarita becoming a witch and just destroying some guy's apartment. Speaking of Margarita though, I am confused as to why her name is in the title, when she really wasn't in the book all that much. She was just a side character, as much as Ivan Homeless was. And "The Master" part of the title isn't really even referring to Satan, the main instigator of the book, but to her lover who wrote the book about Pontius Pilate. And that's another thing, I enjoyed the biblical narrative, but I still don't quite understand what its significance to the story was. Despite being pretty confused by this book, I still did enjoy it.
Read from the Provo library.
Read from the Provo library.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
rchatterjee188's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Gaslighting
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sas_lk's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
I honestly just did not care. At first it was fine, then i enjoyed it for like 2 chapters, and then I just wanted it to end. I was bored. I got so confused about which character was which, and did not bother trying to understand because I was bored. Just felt meh...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Mental illness
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Racial slurs
seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
marianneiriss's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
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!
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
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
clarathromycin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Alcohol
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury