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Product Description
The devil comes to Moscow wearing a fancy suit. With his disorderly band of accomplices - including a demonic, gun-toting tomcat - he immediately begins to create havoc.
Disappearances, destruction and death spread through the city like wildfire and Margarita discovers that her lover has vanished in the chaos. Making a bargain with the devil, she decides to try a little black magic of her own to save the man she loves ...
About the Author
Mikhail Bulgakov was born in Kiev in May 1891. The Master and Margarita, a fantasy novel about the devil and his henchmen set in modern Moscow, is generally considered his masterpiece. Fame, at home and abroad, was not to come until a quarter of a century after his death at Moscow in 1940.
Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have produced acclaimed translations of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gogol, and Bulgakov. Their translation of The Brothers Karamazov won the 1991 PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize. They are married and live in Paris, France.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
101 of 105 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I posted this review on the US Amazon site, but thought I would reproduce it here, hopefully it will be useful.
.............................
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I read the Michael Glenny version in the late sixties, and have loved it deeply ever since. Having lent my copy to a friend I bought a new one some years ago - and I thought I would try the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky version.
This couple evidently know the nuances of Russian culture but they simply can't write idiomatic English and their translation therefore loses the spontaneity and fun of the Glenny version.
Compare these early paragraphs: by Pevear and Volokhonsky
'What the devil does he want?' thought Homeless, frowning.
'And you were agreeing with your interlocutor?' inquired the stranger, turning to Homeless on his right.
'A hundred per cent!' confirmed the man, who was fond of whimsical and figurative
expressions.
'Amazing!' exclaimed the uninvited interlocutor and, casting a thievish glance around and
muffling his low voice for some reason, he said:
'Forgive my importunity, but, as I understand, along with everything else, you also do not
believe in God?' he made frightened eyes and added: 'I swear I won't tell anyone!'
'No, we don't believe in God,' Berlioz replied, smiling slightly at the foreign tourist's fright, but we can speak of it quite freely.'
The foreigner sat back on the bench and asked, even with a slight shriek of curiosity:
'You are - atheists?!'
Yes, we're atheists,' Berlioz smilingly replied, and Homeless thought, getting angry: 'Latched on to us, the foreign goose"
With these by Michael Glenny:
'Ah, how interesting!' exclaimed the foreigner.
'What the hell does he want?' thought Bezdomny and frowned.
'And do you agree with your friend?' enquired the unknown man, turning to Bezdomny on his right.
'A hundred per cent!' affirmed the poet, who loved to use pretentious numerical expressions.
'Astounding!' cried their unbidden companion. Glancing furtively round and lowering his voice he said : 'Forgive me for being so rude, but am I right in thinking that you do not believe in God either?' He gave a horrified look and said: 'I swear not to tell anyone!'
'Yes, neither of us believes in God,' answered Berlioz with a faint smile at this foreign tourist's apprehension. ' But we can talk about it with absolute freedom.'
The foreigner leaned against the backrest of the bench and asked, in a voice positively squeaking with curiosity :
'Are you . . . atheists? '
'Yes, we're atheists,' replied Berlioz, smiling, and Bezdomny thought angrily : ' Trying to pick an argument, damn foreigner! '
Which version do you think would be more enjoyable to read....?
I'm now looking for the Burgin/Tiernan O'Connor version so that I can read that to compare.
.............................
:
I read the Michael Glenny version in the late sixties, and have loved it deeply ever since. Having lent my copy to a friend I bought a new one some years ago - and I thought I would try the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky version.
This couple evidently know the nuances of Russian culture but they simply can't write idiomatic English and their translation therefore loses the spontaneity and fun of the Glenny version.
Compare these early paragraphs: by Pevear and Volokhonsky
'What the devil does he want?' thought Homeless, frowning.
'And you were agreeing with your interlocutor?' inquired the stranger, turning to Homeless on his right.
'A hundred per cent!' confirmed the man, who was fond of whimsical and figurative
expressions.
'Amazing!' exclaimed the uninvited interlocutor and, casting a thievish glance around and
muffling his low voice for some reason, he said:
'Forgive my importunity, but, as I understand, along with everything else, you also do not
believe in God?' he made frightened eyes and added: 'I swear I won't tell anyone!'
'No, we don't believe in God,' Berlioz replied, smiling slightly at the foreign tourist's fright, but we can speak of it quite freely.'
The foreigner sat back on the bench and asked, even with a slight shriek of curiosity:
'You are - atheists?!'
Yes, we're atheists,' Berlioz smilingly replied, and Homeless thought, getting angry: 'Latched on to us, the foreign goose"
With these by Michael Glenny:
'Ah, how interesting!' exclaimed the foreigner.
'What the hell does he want?' thought Bezdomny and frowned.
'And do you agree with your friend?' enquired the unknown man, turning to Bezdomny on his right.
'A hundred per cent!' affirmed the poet, who loved to use pretentious numerical expressions.
'Astounding!' cried their unbidden companion. Glancing furtively round and lowering his voice he said : 'Forgive me for being so rude, but am I right in thinking that you do not believe in God either?' He gave a horrified look and said: 'I swear not to tell anyone!'
'Yes, neither of us believes in God,' answered Berlioz with a faint smile at this foreign tourist's apprehension. ' But we can talk about it with absolute freedom.'
The foreigner leaned against the backrest of the bench and asked, in a voice positively squeaking with curiosity :
'Are you . . . atheists? '
'Yes, we're atheists,' replied Berlioz, smiling, and Bezdomny thought angrily : ' Trying to pick an argument, damn foreigner! '
Which version do you think would be more enjoyable to read....?
I'm now looking for the Burgin/Tiernan O'Connor version so that I can read that to compare.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Every so often you may come across a book that defies many of your previous expectations; this is one of those books. It begins at a brisk pace as you are left in wonder at Bulgakov's ability to describe the world he wants you to believe in, to become part of. Human emotions, reactions and beliefs all surge to the fore as his understanding of human thought and language turns you into a spectator of his events in The Master and Margerita, no more are you a reader but an innocent bystander in Moscow, watching as his imagination unfolds before you. Description and dialogue flow with ease throughout, never overcomplicating the book or pulling you out of the immersive trance it puts you under. As you're wheeled away from one spectacular event to another, your mind wonders at the intricacies of the authors imagination.
The book follows the exploits of The Devil, and a number of his companions and servants as he wreaks havoc throughout Moscow, his sometimes dark and disturbing actions softened by the wonderfully satirical way in which Bulgakov writes. As well as punishing those who have sinned, the book and The Devils short existence in Moscow is directed towards the Master and Margerita, but to explain this without you having read it would be unfair.
The story is punctuated throughout with the story of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem immediately before and after the execution of Jesus, their conversations, thoughts and the physical actions, that leaves you begging for more after each and every chapter. Never before have I become so involved in a book as this, wishing and willing the story to go on for ever as the characters lives are up heaved in front of your very eyes, paying for the sins they have committed in The Devils own unique way.
Yes this is a difficult book, in terms of the number of characters and the different plotlines and it will not be for everyone, no one thing ever is, but if you believe yourself to be appreciative of fine literature then please please please get this book, it is enjoyable, importantly, and contains a brilliant story.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is just a fantastic book, more people should know about it! I won't go into detail about the plot as it's been covered here and to be honest there really is no substitute for reading the book itself: I think it just about has everything and its originality, intricacy, and subtext is breathtaking.
What I will pass comment on however is the translation. Firstly, I have not read the much lauded Glenny translations as discussed on these pages. I read the Penguin Classics Pevear & Volokhonsky translation. My intention is not to get embroiled in a battle over which translation is the superior but rather to provide an assurance to those looking to purchase the book that this is an eminently readable version. Not having read Glenny I can draw no direct comparisons, but the P&V version is far from "unreadable"; people are always going to be biased to how they first encountered the book. There are times when the text appears a little, for want of a better word, `clunky', but I am lead to understand that the translation is far more faithful to the original text than Glenny's version; personally this means something to me as I want to read it (short of learning Russian) as close to the way Bulgakov wrote it as possible.
What I will pass comment on however is the translation. Firstly, I have not read the much lauded Glenny translations as discussed on these pages. I read the Penguin Classics Pevear & Volokhonsky translation. My intention is not to get embroiled in a battle over which translation is the superior but rather to provide an assurance to those looking to purchase the book that this is an eminently readable version. Not having read Glenny I can draw no direct comparisons, but the P&V version is far from "unreadable"; people are always going to be biased to how they first encountered the book. There are times when the text appears a little, for want of a better word, `clunky', but I am lead to understand that the translation is far more faithful to the original text than Glenny's version; personally this means something to me as I want to read it (short of learning Russian) as close to the way Bulgakov wrote it as possible.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thoroughly enjoyable though I'm not sure I understood it all
I was absolutely fascinated by this book. I can't say I understood it all. I am sure there are elements of Russian society that if you are conversant with, would make this book... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
A breath of fresh air
This book was exactly what I needed right now, after wondering for some time whether I was becoming too critical to be able to enjoy anything thoroughly. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Blackbeard
Brilliant, brilliant... and a little more brilliant!
Every now and again we all come across a book which is fantastic in every way. Often it is something that has been around for decades nut somehow eluded us. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Book Republik
Excellent
This is an excellent book; a must read! Though if you're not a fan of the absurd perhaps look elsewhere!
Published 7 months ago by Scrabble-fiend
Surreal but inspired
At turns an indictment of Stalinist Russia, a satire of society and literati, and often sheer comedy, this is certainly an original book. Read more
Published 8 months ago by jacr100
A fantastic classic novel!
I'd been wanting to read The Master and Margarita for a long time but had always felt too intimidated to pick it up. Read more
Published 11 months ago by H. Skinner
A good satire, but needs to be read in historical context
Bulgakov's satire on Russian life under Stalin underwent some significant changes between its first draft and the "final" version we have in print here. Read more
Published 12 months ago by S. Meadows
It goes on a bit
This book is well-hyped, revered almost. I wish I could have liked it more. There are certainly some good elements. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Doctor Wylkynson
Sympathy for the Devil
At the same time that the Surrealists were at the height of their fame in Western Europe, Bulgakov was writing, re-writing and burning this tremendous novel. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Secret Spi
A revenge on mediocrity...
Bulgakov's chaotic masterpiece may have nothing to offer in terms of structure, but as a testament to the vitality of imagination combined with a treatise about the abuse of power,... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Dr. G. SPORTON
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