5 ms·
Which edition/translation are you reading? EDIT: For me, the appeal is in the interplay of the ultra paranoid and cynical life in the Stalinist USSR and the s
by geoka9 9y ago
Which edition/translation are you reading?
EDIT:
For me, the appeal is in the interplay of the ultra paranoid and cynical life in the Stalinist USSR and the supernatural and goofy exploits of the Devil and his entourage who happen to visit Moscow.
The love story between the two main human characters is just the icing on the cake, but in my opinion not that important.
Not to mention that the "book within the book" about Pontius Pilate provided an entertaining intro to one of the fundamental Biblical stories for the atheist me, although now I tend to skip it when I re-read the book every once in a while.
EDIT2:
Forgot to mention that the style it is written in (in Russian) is unique; it's very tongue-in-cheek: respectful to the established order and authorities on the surface but derisively satirical underneath. Nobody else wrote like that.
- StavrosK 9y agoAh, I'm not quite sure, it's an Audiobook from Audible.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- StavrosK 9y ago(After your edits:) Hmm, yes, I do agree that it is interesting to see how everyone reacts to accusations of "holding foreign currency", but I think I'm missing most of the humour because I just don't know what it was like to live in a Stalinist sociopolitical climate. I did enjoy the sub-book about Pontius Pilate indeed, and I also agree that the style feels very unique. I think the story with the Devil is just an excuse to orchestrate these unique situations and write the satirical/subversive reactions. I think that's what I don't like, the disjointed narrative without much of an arc, because I'm missing most of the subtext that is the payoff for the scenes.
- geoka9 9y agoThis happens to be my favorite book, so I'm sorry to hear that. I was recently recommending it to a Romanian friend (who doesn't read Russian) and I was hoping he would be able to relate to it since he's from an ex-Soviet bloc country.
- StavrosK 9y agoAh, yes, if he grew up during (or shortly after) that era, he would probably relate to it much more than I did.
- narrator 9y agoThe closest modern day equivalent to living in Stalinist Russia in the 30s is North Korea. At the slightest suspicion that one was somehow demonstrating disloyalty to the Soviet state one could be hauled away to be tortured and executed or sent to the Siberian Gulag to be slowly worked to death. Bulgakov's writings, if discovered, would have lead to him being executed. To people who lived in the system, their was an unacknowledged understanding that something bad was happening as people would mysteriously disappear on a regular basis. The movie "The Inner Circle" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103838/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103838/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_p... ) and "Burnt By The Sun" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111579/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111579/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ) are good depictions of what life was like during those times. It makes the high anxiety and paranoia of most characters in M & M much more understandable.
- pvg 9y agoBulgakov's writings, if discovered, would have lead to him being executed. Bulgakov and his writings were well known to the authorities.
- smsm42 9y agoThere are deeper things in play there. Bulgakov had very peculiar relationship with Stalin. He hoped, against all odds and reason, that Stalin would read the book and like it and would protect him. That is what the scene when Woland talks to the Master about his novel is about. Stalin actually kind of did help Bulgakov somewhat, and enabled his works to be produced in theaters (without which Bulgakov would not have any means to support himself). It was kind of cat and mouse game which Stalin, having a sadistic streak, loved to play - one day he helped Bulgakov, another day reverted everything back. But Bulgakov sincerely hoped that Stalin would personally read the book and like it. That, of course, never happened and probably couldn't happen.
- pvg 9y agobut I think I'm missing most of the humour because I just don't know what it was like to live in a Stalinist sociopolitical climate. I think this is a bit of a red herring - the book is funny throughout and the humour is not dependent on a deep knowledge of the sociopolitical climate (which, incidentally, was not yet quite 'Stalinist'). I first read it in my mid-teens (in Russian) and didn't catch a bunch of that stuff either - but it was funny. Just like you don't need to know an awful lot about 19th century Britain to grasp the wry tone and irony in Austen or Dickens. Try reading the Burgin/O'Connor translation and see how it goes. It's possible it might still not work for you but an audiobook of some unknown translation is an unfortunately pessimal way to approach this particular work - you're now dealing with not one but two layers of interpretation of a difficult-to-translate book.
- StavrosK 9y agoIt turns out that it was, indeed, the Burgin/O'Connor translation, and the reader was also very good. Maybe I just spent too much time looking for an overarching plot instead of enjoying the ludicrous situations.
- tptacek 9y agoFWIW, it looks like Audible's version is Karpelson.
- Tomte 9y agoFor German speakers: Bayerischer Rundfunk has it as a radio drama, free for download. The text is slightly compressed, I think. But the speakers are first-rate, especially Koroviev in a gorgeous Austrian dialect.
- pvg 9y agoDo you have a link to that?
- Tomte 9y agoIt's this one: http://www.br.de/radio/bayern2/inhalt/hoerspiel-und-medienkunst/hoerspielbulgakow-meister-margarita-100.html http://www.br.de/radio/bayern2/inhalt/hoerspiel-und-medienku... But I cannot find the download link. br.de is simply impossible to use. I've downloaded it a few months ago, and I remember it was difficult to find then, as well.
- pvg 9y agoYeah, I googled my way there as well (and to 17 other similar pages on br.de) with no luck.