Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Saturday, August 29. 2020

Novel du Jour: The Master and Margarita

Michail Bulgakov's masterpiece. Amazon says:



Full of pungency and wit, this luminous work is Bulgakov's crowning achievement, skilfully blending magical and realistic elements, grotesque situations and major ethical concerns. Written during the darkest period of Stalin's repressive reign and a devastating satire of Soviet life, it combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, each brimming with incident and with historical, imaginary, frightful and wonderful characters. Although completed in 1940, The Master and Margarita was not published until 1966 when the first section appeared in the monthly magazine Moskva. Russians everywhere responded enthusiastically to the novel's artistic and spiritual freedom and it was an immediate and enduring success. This new translation has been made from the complete and unabridged Russian text.


Posted by The Barrister in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 13:53 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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One of my favorite novels of all time. Brutal critique of Stalin's Russia, in so many ways, from riffing on Faust in a determinedly atheist culture, to the weakness of intellectuals of the era, to the parallel story of Pilate and Christ, and so much more. In addition, Bulgakov was a playwright with a great ear for dialog, amazing characters (in particular, Koroviev and Behemoth are two of the best practical jokers in all of literature), and a talent for building odd situations into perfect farce. The Master and Margarita rewards multiple readings; it really is a masterwork.
#1 Diane Wilson on 2020-08-29 15:48 (Reply)
I cannot comment on this novel, not having read it, but, just as a point of interest, the readers might like to know that Mick Jagger's reading of this inspired the song "Sympathy For the Devil".
#2 William L Dewhurst on 2020-08-29 17:30 (Reply)
i found it unsettling, or maybe it was unsettled. maybe too ambitious. dunno, i'm not qualified to judge, but my response was uneven. worth reading tho.
#3 mharko on 2020-08-30 00:23 (Reply)
Thanks for this! Ever since I read “A Gentleman in Moscow” I’ve been on a Russia kick. It’s led me to some great books and history. Adding this one...and since I just got diagnosed with Covid I’m home-bound for a few days!
#4 Cheryl on 2020-08-30 07:18 (Reply)
Another good Bulgakov read is The White Guard - a loosely autobiographical novel about the Ukrainian revolution in 1917-20. Much chaos and confusion - no one knows what to believe as rumors fly; some characters are deeply idealistic; others deeply cynical. Most just want to get on with their lives. Having re-read it recently, I couldn't help seeing parallels with today. Sadly.
#5 Elizabeth Rau on 2020-08-30 09:31 (Reply)
I read it last year on the recommendation from several Russian literature enthusiasts. The crazy, twisty plot was a wild ride.
#6 Portlandmermaid on 2020-08-30 10:58 (Reply)
I presume Stalin had him shot.
#7 Sam L. on 2020-08-30 12:46 (Reply)
I second this book recommendation. 'The Master and Margarita' is a wonderful novel. Just keep in mind that the author was primarily a playwright and that he keeps things moving at an almost Chaplinesque slapstick level; however there is a novel withing the novel that grows at a meditative pace, almost acts as a coolant to the main novel ... the book is a masterpiece of 20th century writing ... it illustrates one of its main theses: "Manuscripts don't burn" ... that is, art will outlive tyrants ....
#8 Dex Quire (Link) on 2020-08-31 16:10 (Reply)
The Amazon Kindle price of $2.99 is very good.
#9 Gringo on 2020-09-01 09:02 (Reply)

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