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The Master and Margarita

Series: Picador Classic
4.28 goodreads logo

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( 447,731 ratings, 31,596 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Master and Margarita is a literary classic by Mikhail Bulgakov, set in 1930s Moscow where the Devil, disguised as a magician, descends with a riotous entourage including a talking cat and an assassin. They bewilder a sceptical population while intertwining with the fate of the Master, a writer imprisoned in a mental hospital after creating a novel about Pontius Pilate. The narrative shifts compellingly between satirical Moscow and first-century Jerusalem, blending the fantastic with philosophical insight.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers who enjoy classic Russian literature, satire, and philosophical narratives with a surreal and imaginative twist.

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A fully annotated translation of the most complete text of Bulgakov's exuberant comic masterpiece.

A fully annotated translation of the most complete text of Bulgakov's exuberant comic masterpiece.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A literary sensation from its first publication, The Master and Margarita has become an astonishing phenomenon in Russia and has been translated into more than twenty languages, and made into plays and films. Mikhail Bulgakov's novel is now considered one of the seminal works of twentieth-century Russian literature.

In this imaginative extravaganza, the Devil, disguised as a magician, descends upon Moscow in the 1930s with his riotous band, which includes a talking cat and an expert assassin. Together, they succeed in comically befuddling a population which denies the Devil's existence, even as it is confronted with the diabolic results of a magic act gone wrong. This visit to the world capital of atheism has several aims, one of which concerns the fate of the Master, a writer who has written a novel about Pontius Pilate, and is now in a mental hospital.

By turns acidly satiric, fantastic and ironically philosophical, this work constantly surprises and entertains, as the action switches back and forth between the Moscow of the 1930s and first-century Jerusalem. The commentary and afterword provide new insight into the mysterious subtexts of the novel, and here The Master and Margarita is revealed in all its complexity.

Series: Picador Classic

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  • The Master and Margarita
    A literary sensation from its first publication, The Master and Margarita has become an astonishing phenomenon in Russia and has been translated into more than twenty languages, and made into plays and films. Mikhail Bulgakov's novel is now considered one of the seminal works of twentieth-century Russian literature. In this imaginative extravaganza, the Devil, disguised as a magician, descends upon...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Celebrated for its brilliance, The Master and Margarita has been described as "incandescent" and unforgettable, with a profound faith in love and art amidst cruelty and humiliation (New York Times). It is both funny and frightening, lauded for its impeccable translation and enduring achievements (London Review of Books).

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509823291

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 March 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Picador

Contributors:

  • Translated by Katherine Tiernan O’Connor
  • Translated by Diana Burgin
  • Introduction by Orlando Figes

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 290g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Mikhail Bulgakov was a novelist and playwright. His best known work, The Master and Margarita, has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.

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