Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov ISBN: 0-679-76080-6 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 19 March, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.66 (225 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: I'm not being pretentious, this review is for a class
Comment: Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita has everything: magic, mayhem and a vodka-drinking cat. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece of modernist literature. Bulgakov addresses a slew of themes throughout the novel including life in communist Russia, atheism, Christianity and love. These concepts are constantly running through the plot whether it is evident or not. What is most impressive about the novel is Bulgakov's ability to present the story with a certain surreal and mysterious quality, which at times is Kafkaesque. This is most apparent in book 1 when Woland (Satan) reeks havoc on the citizens of Moscow: neither the reader nor the characters in the novel are exactly sure what is happening, but for the characters the effects are very real. The fantastic elements in the novel, particularly the presence magic are primarily responsible for creating this effect. The rational, atheist citizens of Moscow are vulnerable to Woland's sometimes deadly, sometimes mischievous powers because they refuse to believe their senses. At the same time however, the citizens are willing to accept the impossible when it benefits them (as in the black magic show) and Woland exposes this weakness as well. There is also a strong absurd quality to the novel that helps the reader to understand the flaws in both mankind and society. This is evident in his depiction of Satan, Hell and his demon sidekicks. A talking cat that swills vodka and fights over a chess game is funny anyway you look at it. Satan holds a grand ball in Hell, which is presented as a grand mansion. The reader is not upset when bad things happen to the characters because the devil and his intentions are presented very lightheartedly. The devil even seems have more human qualities than most of the characters in the novel, especially when examining his relationship with Margarita in the second book. Overall this book was top notch. The story was entertaining and funny as well as profound, it drags in a few spots but not many and not for long. Buy the book on Amazon.com and read it. Even if you do not understand it on its most intellectual level (which I admittedly did not) you can still appreciate the work and take something away from it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Funny!
Comment: Bulgakov's book is one of the most treasured Russian words of the Soviet Union, and with good reason! With a little knowledge or Soviet history, you can easily see why this book was banned by Stalinist authorities and kept Bulgakov under high tension.
"Master and Margarita" is about purges in the Soviet system, but its not done by Stalinist authorities; instead its done by Satan himself, and a slew of absolutely bizarre cohorts that includes a huge talking cat. If you aren't familiar with the purges, you will miss out on the greater meaning of the book, but the story is so bizarre, compelling, and humorous that you'll find yourself eager to find out what is going to happen.
Lots of my Russian friends absolutely love this book, and kept pestering me to read it. Bulgakov is almost the Soviet version of Dostoevsky in the sense that he treats real problems with an amusing story with the serious subject matter lurking behind the storyline. It would definatly help if this book was read in a class, or at least with a guide, because it will reveal Bulgakov's mastery in the literature of oppression.
Rating: 4
Summary: Fascinating layered text
Comment: Writing during the Stalinist purges and not published until decades later, this tragy-comedy is an allegory of Satan visiting Moscow. The first half of the book, about Satan's reign of terror, is impressive in it's detail and fantasy. I didn't enjoy the second half quite as much, about the saving of the Master and Margarita. While there were some wonderfully rich scenes in the second half as well, I didn't feel close enough to the characters. Overall though, a fascinating book with layers.
 |
Title: Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov, Mirra Ginsburg ISBN: 0802150594 Publisher: Grove Press Pub. Date: August, 1987 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
 |
Title: The Twelve Chairs (European Classics (Northwestern Univ Pr)) by Ilia Arnoldovich Ilf, John H. C. Richardson, Maurice Friedberg, Evgeni I. Petrov, Arnold Dovich ISBN: 0810114844 Publisher: Northwestern University Press Pub. Date: June, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.05 |
 |
Title: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, Mirra Ginsburg ISBN: 0380633132 Publisher: Eos Pub. Date: 03 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Dead Souls : A Novel by Nikolai Gogol ISBN: 0679776443 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 25 March, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
 |
Title: The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov, Michael Glenny, Michael Gleeny ISBN: 0897332466 Publisher: Academy Chicago Pub Pub. Date: January, 1995 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
