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#5 Platform - The Master and Margarita
Feb. 15th, 2007 12:35 amAt long last, I am done.
Book #6 - The Master and Margarita
Author: Mikhail Bulgakov
Provenance: Initially, at Barnes & Noble in Rockville a couple of weeks before Yamagata; then, used from Regent.
This book has a long history with me already. It was initially bought for reading in Japan, but then that didn't happen (it's not just for Wild Cards anymore!). When I left, I lent it to my friend Chris, with no real expectation of getting it back, but when I visited in May, he returned it. Then, when I finally decided to read it, it turned out I had an incomplete translation, as it originated from a censored text. So I went and got another copy, with the best translation around.
This came very highly recommended; most Russians I've met who I've brought it up with have told me that this is either their favorite book or among their favorites. I can see why, although I think without the personal experiences living in the USSR, I missed out on something.
Anyway, the book bounces between a revenge novel, where Bulgakov has various people who treated him badly get their just rewards at the hands of the Devil, Woland, and a wide variety of other genres. There's some history, some religious allegory, some romance, some social criticism, and some farce. But he handles each of them nicely in turn, and even when the book drags, it's not for lack of trying to get across something bigger.
The ending, in particular, I thought was very good, and it tied stuff together well, even if it left the main revenge line of the book. Imagining the different characters, particularly the really big cat Behemoth, doing different things, was a treat; it's very well described. On the whole, I don't think this is the best book ever, nor do I think I'd throw it on a list of 30 books you need to read before you die, but it's definitely worth a shot if you feel like some not-too-mean-spirited, fun revenge, along with a lot of other well-crafted words.
Next up: Coraline. Much shorter, much easier.
Book #6 - The Master and Margarita
Author: Mikhail Bulgakov
Provenance: Initially, at Barnes & Noble in Rockville a couple of weeks before Yamagata; then, used from Regent.
This book has a long history with me already. It was initially bought for reading in Japan, but then that didn't happen (it's not just for Wild Cards anymore!). When I left, I lent it to my friend Chris, with no real expectation of getting it back, but when I visited in May, he returned it. Then, when I finally decided to read it, it turned out I had an incomplete translation, as it originated from a censored text. So I went and got another copy, with the best translation around.
This came very highly recommended; most Russians I've met who I've brought it up with have told me that this is either their favorite book or among their favorites. I can see why, although I think without the personal experiences living in the USSR, I missed out on something.
Anyway, the book bounces between a revenge novel, where Bulgakov has various people who treated him badly get their just rewards at the hands of the Devil, Woland, and a wide variety of other genres. There's some history, some religious allegory, some romance, some social criticism, and some farce. But he handles each of them nicely in turn, and even when the book drags, it's not for lack of trying to get across something bigger.
The ending, in particular, I thought was very good, and it tied stuff together well, even if it left the main revenge line of the book. Imagining the different characters, particularly the really big cat Behemoth, doing different things, was a treat; it's very well described. On the whole, I don't think this is the best book ever, nor do I think I'd throw it on a list of 30 books you need to read before you die, but it's definitely worth a shot if you feel like some not-too-mean-spirited, fun revenge, along with a lot of other well-crafted words.
Next up: Coraline. Much shorter, much easier.
