A while ago I read Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, which is great. A wild caper in which the devil and his friends come to Moscow and wreak havoc. The protagonist, the Master, is thought by most to be largely autobiographical.Bulgakov worked on the book from 1928 until his death in 1940. In 1930, after a campaign denouncing him as anti-Soviet, Bulgakov burnt the first manuscript. He later returned to the novel, although he did not live to see it published. The uncensored version of the novel was not published in the Soviet Union until 1973.
It is a fantastic work, and many quotes are famous in Russia even today (according to my Russian lit prof, Zhenya Bershtein). I highly recommend it!!
I read this about a zillion years ago. As I think about it, it was probably recommended by an old friend who went to Reed - maybe the only people who really talk up this book are Reed professors of Russian literature! Anyway, I thought the book was uproarious, although I'm certain I had no idea what the book was parodying or mocking. I'm tempted to re-read it, but I don't really know much more about Russia than I did then. I think I'll read Moby Dick instead.
ReplyDeleteYou should re-read it definitely! You will get some great laughs. I bet Will would like it too
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