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A review by thexwalrus
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
funny
slow-paced
3.75
this was my first foray into classic russian literature, and i fully believe that this is the best introduction to the genre. this is nothing like what i expected russian literature to be like - it's funny and chaotic and witty in a way that i can only describe as vibrant and colorful, and none of those words are words i'd ever pick to describe russian lit in my head before this.
i'm only rating it at 3.75 because i know that i missed out on a lot of the satirical elements simply because i don't know much about soviet russia under stalin, in the time that bulgakov was alive and writing this. however, once i learn more, i'm absolutely coming back to this to appreciate it fully - and i anticipate rating it higher then.
despite not meeting one of the titular characters until book two of the story, it never feels like it drags! the dialogue is very fast-paced, even though the action isn't, and the prose matches it beat for beat. bulgakov writes in a very conversational tone, which i really appreciate, because it made long chunks of prose and action flow at the same pace as the dialogue.
i loved reading the parts about pontius pilate as a lapsed catholic - i had fun recognizing the differences and the little nods to prayers that were tucked away, and also appreciating the character development bulgakov explored within those chapters. when reading the synopsis, i didn't think they'd fit, but they did. the novel would feel incomplete without them.
overall, this was a very fun time! behemoth will live in my head as a tall, all-black, very vulgar meowth for a while, i'm sure.
i'm only rating it at 3.75 because i know that i missed out on a lot of the satirical elements simply because i don't know much about soviet russia under stalin, in the time that bulgakov was alive and writing this. however, once i learn more, i'm absolutely coming back to this to appreciate it fully - and i anticipate rating it higher then.
despite not meeting one of the titular characters until book two of the story, it never feels like it drags! the dialogue is very fast-paced, even though the action isn't, and the prose matches it beat for beat. bulgakov writes in a very conversational tone, which i really appreciate, because it made long chunks of prose and action flow at the same pace as the dialogue.
i loved reading the parts about pontius pilate as a lapsed catholic - i had fun recognizing the differences and the little nods to prayers that were tucked away, and also appreciating the character development bulgakov explored within those chapters. when reading the synopsis, i didn't think they'd fit, but they did. the novel would feel incomplete without them.
overall, this was a very fun time! behemoth will live in my head as a tall, all-black, very vulgar meowth for a while, i'm sure.