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drunkl0tus 's review for:
The Master and Margarita
by Mikhail Bulgakov
I think I'm going to review this book before I even finish it to be honest. I absolutely loved this book; it's descriptive, in a way that keeps me interested, and funny. Each scene in its setting is described perfectly, with a bit of humour that really does make you laugh, but it also retells stories, such as those in the Bible, with different interpretations.
The way the devil goes around Moscow and creates mischief is creative and funny, whilst also showing the way society in Russia behaved and what they believed in back when the book was written. For example, how holding foreign currency was perceived as, ultimately, a betrayal to Russia, yet it also showed the reality behind the corruption of government officials back then (because the very people that preached this idealistic socialism, they hid foreign currency and kept pocketed money that should've been handed to the government), even though supposedly it was a fair country.
I suppose Bulkagov used the Devil as a way to show how communist Russia would punish people back then for being greedy (not handing in money when they're meant to, tax evading, holding foreign currency, interacting with foreigners etc) as well as believing anything other than what the socialist party believed in (religiously, economically, socially etc).
Maybe the Bulkagov was also trying to show everyone the truth and failings of socialism through the devil's mischiefs.
Bear in mind my interpretation might differ from other peoples, this is just my opinion and I don't take Literature so I'm not super knowledgeable about annotations and stuff.
Edit: So I'm pretty much at the end of the book and I must say it's definitely not what I expected. So past halfway the devil meets the Margherita and her story begins, taking her from her home to basically another dimension of the same world, where multiple planes exist so that space isn't confined. She eventually goes and experiences devilish things in the flat where Berlioz died, and asks him after everything, to grant her a life with the Master, her beloved, forever. Its cute to be fair. But for me, the most interesting part was again... the retelling of pontious pilot and the aftermath of Jesus' death. The story was just so interesting and descriptive.
Guys! If you love a descriptive book (warning! there is a lot of description which can get heavy at times) then you will like this book. :)
The way the devil goes around Moscow and creates mischief is creative and funny, whilst also showing the way society in Russia behaved and what they believed in back when the book was written. For example, how holding foreign currency was perceived as, ultimately, a betrayal to Russia, yet it also showed the reality behind the corruption of government officials back then (because the very people that preached this idealistic socialism, they hid foreign currency and kept pocketed money that should've been handed to the government), even though supposedly it was a fair country.
I suppose Bulkagov used the Devil as a way to show how communist Russia would punish people back then for being greedy (not handing in money when they're meant to, tax evading, holding foreign currency, interacting with foreigners etc) as well as believing anything other than what the socialist party believed in (religiously, economically, socially etc).
Maybe the Bulkagov was also trying to show everyone the truth and failings of socialism through the devil's mischiefs.
Bear in mind my interpretation might differ from other peoples, this is just my opinion and I don't take Literature so I'm not super knowledgeable about annotations and stuff.
Edit: So I'm pretty much at the end of the book and I must say it's definitely not what I expected. So past halfway the devil meets the Margherita and her story begins, taking her from her home to basically another dimension of the same world, where multiple planes exist so that space isn't confined. She eventually goes and experiences devilish things in the flat where Berlioz died, and asks him after everything, to grant her a life with the Master, her beloved, forever. Its cute to be fair. But for me, the most interesting part was again... the retelling of pontious pilot and the aftermath of Jesus' death. The story was just so interesting and descriptive.
Guys! If you love a descriptive book (warning! there is a lot of description which can get heavy at times) then you will like this book. :)