jenrinaldi 's review for:

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

3.5

challenging dark funny informative inspiring reflective

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What a fever dream. I was less interested in the devil and his troupe terrorizing Moscow, all its horror and dry humour and moralizing about Russian vices. The story within a story, penned by the Master, of Pontius Pilate weathering guilt over his choice, was moving. But I was most invested in Margarita's trial to find her lover, who did not want to be saved. I think it helped drum up pathos finding Bulgakov in the character of the Master, seeing the historical context for this novel in the famous line "manuscripts don't burn."