Book Review: The Master and Margarita is the masterpiece by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940), but is much less intimidating than I thought and much richer as well -- both easier and more entertaining than I expected. I can only give you a series of my impressions: (1) the book is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz, if Wonderland and Oz were Moscow in the 1930s; (2) there are four different threads: Pontius Pilate, life in Soviet Russia, Satan's visit, and the love story of the Master and Margarita (which is both the most and least important bit); (3) I'm sure my appreciation of the book would be enhanced if I had greater familiarity with the sociopolitical aspects of Moscow at the time, but I also felt that I didn't miss anything; (4) the translation by Mirra Ginsburg (who has translated at least six of Bulgakov's books) is fluid and easily readable, although it may be based on the censored version -- again, I felt I didn't miss a thing; (5) the book is intended to be both humorous and yet is eerily reflective of the times -- what is the persecution of black cats in Russia but a metaphor of suffering?; (6) since it was not published in his lifetime, Bulgakov could write without fear of censorship, ignoring both Communist, Christian, and any other dogma; (7) Russian names are as always mildly challenging for those unfamiliar with their structure (given name/patronymic/surname or family name), keep a cheat sheet if you want (Bulgakov's playfulness doesn't help, two intertwined characters are Nikolay Ivanovich and Ivan Nikolayevich -- why?); (8) don't think too much, don't fret, don't try to understand every little thing, just hang on for the ride and go with the flow. If you want to analyze it, do it on a reread, as I plan to do; (9) this deserves to be more than a cult classic; (10) is this Magical Realism? Read it and decide for yourself; (11) despite the brutality of the times and the book's jarring moments, the final message is that of love, which I found unexpectedly reassuring. I put off reading The Master and Margarita because I expected it to be a monumental challenge. Nope. Delightfully entertaining. Don't wait to read it. [4½★]
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