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challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Did you know that the classic Rolling Stones song “Sympathy for the Devil” was inspired by a book? Neither did I until I started The Master and Margarita.
Originally written in the 1920s and 30s, but not published until 1967, more than twenty years after the author’s death, The Master and Margarita opens with two men, both members of Moscow’s literary elite, spending a warm spring morning in the park chatting. When one of them boldly asserts that Jesus of Nazareth never existed, they are approached by a man calling himself Woland, who debates with them and then predicts the man’s imminent death, which comes to pass only hours later. What follows is days of insanity and dark hijinks as Woland (soon revealed to be the devil himself) and his entourage wreck havoc among the Soviet upper crust in the lead up to Walpurgisnacht. Interspersed are chapters of a novel written by a disgraced former writer identified only as The Master, which offer a dramatization of the lead-up to the crucifixion of Jesus and hint towards the Master’s eventual role in latter parts of the narrative.
Like To the Lighthouse, this book made me feel like I wasn’t quite smart enough to understand it. I understood the basic story (with a bit of note-taking to help keep track of the Russian names, many of which sound very similar to my Anglophone brain) and the major themes – of the consequences of Soviet atheism and of the empty and self-centered nature of the Moscow writing scene – but it’s clear from reading that there’s a lot of layers and nuance that I’m still missing. Those planning to check the book out will want to spend a bit of time digging into the history and context to get a fuller experience.
Because of this complexity, however, it’s a bit hard for me to give The Master and Margarita an accurate rating. But I can still talk about my experience reading.
The Moscow segments are darkly comedic, with the devil’s minions playing all kinds of cruel pranks on selfish and short-sighted people and although it is a bit too drawn-out, I enjoyed reading the zany exploits. The latter portion of the story, which moves its focus primarily to a few single characters, is even better done, with the tone and style remaining the same but the plot gaining a bit of direction and some more consistent characters. The biggest issue here was that a love story is a major focus of this back half of the book, but I really struggled to root for an extramarital affair to succeed and it made me less sympathetic to the characters than I think Bulgakov wanted me to be.
The Jerusalem segments are… odd. Still well-written and vivid, but it was such an odd shift from the rest of the book that it took me a while to figure out what purpose it served and even once I did, I still wasn’t entirely a fan. They play with some of the themes brought up in the main story and lead into the Master’s character, but in my opinion, they didn’t add enough to justify their length.
So yeah, this is a weird one. I enjoyed it on a chapter-to-chapter level. The prose was easy to read and had a pleasant cadence and the shenanigans were fun. But as the story kept going, I just found myself wanting more and the book ultimately left me unsatisfied. I do recommend people check it out if they're curious, though, as I think that other people might enjoy it way more than I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'll admit there's something darkly tantalising in The Master and Margrita's style, rhythm, and strange twists. Satan's banter with Behemoth is fun, and the subject matter is unique.
But Bulgakov is (to quote Théoden) a lesser son of greater sires. Nowhere does he answer questions he raises on morality/social responsibility with particular depth, breadth or clarity. Instead there are far too many same-ish middle-aged male characters that muddle the narrative. And his treatment of women is extremely disappointing if not somewhat abhorrent.
I can appreciate the book for what it is -- an intriguing and quaintly absurd time capsule from the Soviet Union. But my appreciation for it as a piece of literature does not stretch quite so far.
But Bulgakov is (to quote Théoden) a lesser son of greater sires. Nowhere does he answer questions he raises on morality/social responsibility with particular depth, breadth or clarity. Instead there are far too many same-ish middle-aged male characters that muddle the narrative. And his treatment of women is extremely disappointing if not somewhat abhorrent.
I can appreciate the book for what it is -- an intriguing and quaintly absurd time capsule from the Soviet Union. But my appreciation for it as a piece of literature does not stretch quite so far.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Gore, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Truly bizarre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Alcohol
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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, Religious bigotry
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, 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, Classism
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:
Complicated
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, Injury/Injury detail
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Religious bigotry
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, Murder
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
ive never wanted to dnf a book so much in my life...and i think i have a permanent line between my brows now from the perpetual frown i had the whole time i was reading this book. the master and margarita was a warbling, droning slog that was 250 pgs too long. filled w/ needless description and endless tell-not-show, im so perplexed at how hundreds of pgs could be full of nothing.
also idk if my strong dislike for the writing was bc it's a 'classic' written almost a century ago, but ive never had the same gripe w/ other classics ive read?? such a wasted opportunity bc this had such an amazing premise, w/ brief brilliant moments here and there, the titular master and margarita were actually delightful, and the end tied things quite well tgt. off to read 5-star reviews to see what others saw in this book.
also idk if my strong dislike for the writing was bc it's a 'classic' written almost a century ago, but ive never had the same gripe w/ other classics ive read?? such a wasted opportunity bc this had such an amazing premise, w/ brief brilliant moments here and there, the titular master and margarita were actually delightful, and the end tied things quite well tgt. off to read 5-star reviews to see what others saw in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Religious bigotry