The Master and Margarita

از ادبیات روس هیچکس به اندازه‌ی قلم چخوف برام خوشایند نبوده و حالا بولگاکف با این کتاب منو وارد دنیایی کرد که هرچی جلوتر رفتم بیشتر دلمو لرزوند.
با شیطان همراه شدم، دلم برای حاکم اورشلیم سوخت، برای مرشد و مارگاریتا غصه خوردم، از دست بهیموث و کروویف حرص خوردم و گاهی با کاراشون خندیدم، و یه جایی وسطای کتاب فهمیدم که از دست رفتم. فهمیدم که این کتاب قراره از اونایی باشه که برمیگردم سراغش و دوباره می‌خونمش.

There was something devilish and demonic in the time itself so the devil with his demons descended unto the capital city.

First of all, the man described did not limp on any leg, and was neither short nor enormous, but simply tall. As for his teeth, he had platinum crowns on the left side and gold on the right. He was wearing an expensive grey suit and imported shoes of a matching colour. His grey beret was cocked rakishly over one ear; under his arm he carried a stick with a black knob shaped like a poodle’s head. He looked to be a little over forty. Mouth somehow twisted. Clean-shaven. Dark-haired. Right eye black, left – for some reason – green. Dark eyebrows, but one higher than the other. In short, a foreigner.

But in the time of evil even the doings of Satan seem to turn into the rather good deeds. The tale is eternal and the story of Faust, Gretchen and Mephistopheles repeats over and over again, all the way through the ages. In the grotesque Soviet times the tale becomes especially grotesque and fabulous…

Follow me, reader! Who told you that there is no true, faithful, eternal love in this world! May the liar’s vile tongue be cut out!
Follow me, my reader, and me alone, and I will show you such a love!
No! The master was mistaken when with bitterness he told Ivanushka in the hospital, at that hour when the night was falling past midnight, that she had forgotten him. That could not be. She had, of course, not forgotten him.
First of all let us reveal the secret which the master did not wish to reveal to Ivanushka. His beloved’s name was Margarita Nikolaevna. Everything the master told the poor poet about her was the exact truth. He described his beloved correctly. She was beautiful and intelligent.

Love is pristine and ever since the serpent revealed it to Adam and Eve, Satan himself could do nothing against love.

Bueno, no quiero caer en sesgo por mi afecto a los autores rusos, sin embargo vuelvo a quedar encantada con uno de ellos. Esta maravillosa novela nos narra la llegada del diablo con forma humana a Moscú y las intrincadas sucesiones de eventos que ocurren a la población Moscovita y bajo su precepto y con algunas variantes del mismo (Voland en la novela) Asaselo, Hans alias Popota en su forma felina, Korokiek alias fagot "El de cuadros" y Guela en su forma femenina.
Llegan a dicha ciudad a transtornar la vida de sus habitantes pero al mismo tiempo a generar una advertencia respecto a la ambivalencia humana.

Al mismo tiempo se va desarrollando una segunda trama que es la historia del maestro y Margarita. Su historia da forma a la segunda parte del libro donde se nos cuenta la mala acogida de la novela escrita por el maestro sobre Poncio Pilatos funcionado a manera de una novela dentro de la otra, sin cambiar la dirección inicial y desarrollando la historia de amor entre los dos personajes.

Resulta que con la aparición de Satán empiezan a suceder hechos fantasiosos, que le dan a la novela
el toque de realismo mágico, el desarrollo de la histeria colectiva que ocurre después del capítulo
"La magia negra y la revelación de sus trucos"
nos sumerge en temas como la dualidad entre el bien y el mal,
el engaño y todo aquello a lo que sucumbe el ser humano cuando no es expuesto.

Entonces pues en esta novela encontraras desde heterocromía, felinos pretenciosos y cerdos voladores hasta alegorías del sistema político de la época.
Personajes muy bien creados y muy fácilmente diferenciables así estén cumpliendo papeles tan similares en teoría. Y mis favoritos Koroviev y el gato o debería llamarle Hans.. o hipopótamo... o Popota.

"Primero me trató con hostilidad, incluso me insultó, mejor dicho, pensó que me insultaba llamándome perro-el detenido sonrió-. No veo nada malo en ese animal como para sentirse ofendido con su nombre"

"El hombre es mortal, pero eso es solo la mitad del problema. Lo grave es que es mortal de repente. ¡Ésta es la gran jugada! Y no puede decir con seguridad qué hará esta tarde".

کتاب سه روایت به ظاهر مجزا را دنبال می کند، پا گذاشتن شیطان و دستیارانش به مسکو، تصلیب حضرت مسیح و دیگری عشق مرشد و مارگاریتا، که با جلو رفتن در داستان به زیبایی در هم تنیده شده و به سرانجام می رسند."بولگاکف" که سالهای زیادی را صرف نوشتن این رمان کرده است خود را چون شخصیت مرشد در این کتاب میبیند که به دلیل تن ندادن به نوشتن متون سفارشی در روسیه آن زمان تا مرز دیوانگی پیش رفته حتی اقدام به سوزاندن پیش نویس کتاب خود می کند.اما آنچه مرا مجذوب این کتاب کرد شخصیت متفاوت و خارج از انتظاری است که از شیطان که او را در اینجا با نام "ولند" می شناسیم ارایه شده.او که پا به مسکو می گذارد تا بساط انسان های روشنفکر نما را به هم بزند، افراد سودجو و فرصت طلب را به سخره بگیرد و به انسان ها نشان دهد که در زیر پوسته به ظاهر مدرن در باطن تغییری نکرده و هنوز درگیر مسائل سطحی و پیش پا افتاده ای هستند که قرن هاست گریبانگیرشان است اما در عوض آمده تا به عاشقان قدر و منزلت ببخشد، رویاهایشان را محقق سازد و در نهایت آنها را به سوی آرامش رهنمون است

سرانجام بازگو کیستی
ای قدرتی که به خدمتش کمر بسته ام
قدرتی که همواره خواهان شر است
اما همیشه عمل خیر می کند
گوته، فاوست

n  
The one who loves must share the fate of the one he loves.n

In 1930, a man named Mikhail Bulgakov burnt his manuscript for a novel he had started writing 2 years previously since he could not see a future as a writer due to the political repression in Russia at the time. By 1936, he completed his second draft with the major plot lines. He wrote another four versions. When Bulgakov stopped writing four weeks before his death in 1940, the novel had some unfinished sentences and loose ends.

The novel was first published in Russia in 1966/1967 - with a whopping 12% of the story missing. In 1967, someone smuggled a manuscript of the novel to Paris, where the YMCA Press (known for publishing banned books) published the first edition. In 1969, a German publisher printed another version, but the book remained banned throughout Russia until 1973.

So yeah, this book has had a turbulent history. Why? Because it is a critical look at Russian society. At politics, bureaucrats, corruption, the upper society (writers, poets and the likes). It is a novel about the human spirit, written at a time when Lenin's Russia crushed / punished exactly that.

So what is it about?
Well, the Devil is coming to Moscow and he brings a few friends, most notably a huge black cat called Behemoth that very much likes guns. There are also zombies, vampires, demons, witches, assassins and perhaps even a messenger of God (the latter is not a member of Woland's / Satan's "gang", naturally).
Soon, the Devil and his entourage infiltrate the upper circles of the city and prompt the members of said "elite" to show their true faces and expose their vanity, greed, and gullibility.
Simultaneously, the Devil tells the story of Pontius Pilate - as does the titular Master (a writer) in the novel he wrote but could never publish. It's the story of how Pontius Pilate had Jesus of Nazareth arrested, sentenced and executed and what he thought / how he felt about that.
The equally titular Margarita is not only a nod to the biblical figure but also lover to the Master; a woman sacrificing everything for the man she loves and never losing faith (she flat out refuses to despair) though both MCs have to go through almost unspeakable dark times.

My favourite scene here was the Devil's Ball. For many reasons.

In a sense, M&M are the only good people in the book / city. Not without flaws, but good. Full of the human spirit the book praises unflinchingly and unapologetically. And the Devil, not being evil as is often said, will make sure that all characters are tested and justly rewarded or punished, depending on their true nature.

Funnily enough, in a way, this reminded me of the scene in the movie Bedazzled where Satan and one of God's angels play chess and the entire thing is just a game to make the tiny human realize what the right path is (meaning that the Devil and God are actually working together).

Definitely a classic among Russian literature and, indeed, world literature. A satire and cautionary tale full of (black) magic, arson, pistol fights, shenanigans, rememberable deaths and social criticism.

n  Everything will turn out right, the world is built on that.n

"Dunque è così che si diventa pazzi..."

Negromanti, gatti neri, un manoscritto su Ponzio Pilato, una testa perduta, un osso di pollo, un ballo e scope volanti.

E' opportuno informare i futuri lettori che si tratta di un romanzo che presenta numerosi elementi di allegoria, satira sociale e politica sulla Russia Stalinista del primo novecento, quindi si richiede un minimo di conoscenza storica per contestualizzare tutte le sfaccettature ironiche che l'autore abilmente intesse, si rischia altrimenti di catalogarlo semplicemente come un romanzo bizzarro e nulla più, perdendo tutto il resto.

"Per la prima volta mi ritrovai nel mondo della letteratura...lo ricordo con orrore."

Il romanzo si divide in due parti unite da uno straordinario intreccio narrativo che coinvolge e stravolge le vite ipocrite, sciatte e peccaminose di una moltitudine di persone in quel di Mosca. Tutte queste rientrano nell'obiettivo della critica di Bulgakov: atei e critici letterari, direttori di teatro ed editori, poeti e corrotti di ogni risma, il problema degli alloggi e della chiusura verso gli stranieri, con i loro modi strani e denari proibiti. Critiche non troppo velate che hanno decretato per anni la sua censura e mancata pubblicazione fino al 1967.

"..bisogna riconoscere che tra gli intellettuali di tanto in tanto capitano pure delle persone intelligenti..."

Il grottesco permea ogni scena ed è lo stesso narratore/autore che si prende gioco del suo operato. Ma è solo un mantello, un inganno.

"..erano avvenute un sacco di altre cose stupidissime e incomprensibili"

Un esempio, tra gli innumerevoli presenti, la scena nel teatro, che ricorda la stessa calca disumana presente oggi per accaparrarsi i saldi di fine stagione nei grandi magazzini, o senza dimenticare gli importuni cercatori di biglietti omaggio. Attualissimo esempio senza tempo.

La seconda parte ci presenta gli eventi relativi a quella Margherita indicata nel titolo, lasciandosi trasportare ancora di più sull'elemento fantastico. Ho notato molte similitudini con l'"Harry Potter" della Rowling (scope e macchine volanti invisibili, stanze più grandi all'interno e viaggi nei camini), e del "Jonathan Strange & il signor Norrell" della Clarke (il ballo stregato), sicura fonte di ispirazione per le loro opere. Elementi fantastici che sempre nascondono tra le righe l'odio che Bulgakov ripone verso la censura effettuata dalla categoria intellettuale stalinista, causa del suo fallimento letterario. Bulgakov è il Maestro.

Da tener presente che non avrete personaggi approfonditi, qui è narrato un racconto dove tutti sono vittime degli eventi e del caos che li sommerge.
E' come assistere ad una rappresentazione teatrale (cosa che in effetti Bulgakov era solito fare) dove sono gli eventi intrecciati a creare la storia da seguire, non le scelte compiute dai personaggi.
Non tutti i romanzi devono avere le stesse caratteristiche, specie quando focalizzano la loro natura su altri aspetti allo stesso modo interessanti e piacevoli.

Leggere la "Lettera al governo dell'URSS" mi ha commosso.

--------------------------------
"So this is how you go crazy..."

Necromancers, black cats, a manuscript on Pontius Pilate, a lost head, a chicken bone, a dance and flying brooms.

It is advisable to inform future readers that this is a novel that presents numerous elements of allegory, social and political satire on Stalinist Russia of the early twentieth century, therefore a minimum of historical knowledge is required to contextualize all the ironic facets that the author skilfully weaves, otherwise we risk cataloging it simply as a bizarre novel and nothing more, losing everything else.

"For the first time I found myself in the world of literature...I remember it with horror."

The novel is divided into two parts joined by an extraordinary narrative weave that involves and distorts the hypocritical, slovenly and sinful lives of a multitude of people in Moscow. All of these fall within the scope of Bulgakov's criticism: atheists and literary critics, theater directors and publishers, poets and corrupts of every stripe, the problem of housing and closure to foreigners, with their strange ways and forbidden money. Not too veiled criticisms that for years decreed its censorship and non-publication until 1967.

"..it must be recognized that from time to time there are even intelligent people among intellectuals..."

The grotesque permeates every scene and it is the narrator / author himself who makes fun of his work. But it's just a cloak, a deception.

"..a lot of other very stupid and incomprehensible things had happened"

An example, among the countless present, is the scene in the theatre, which recalls the same inhuman crowd present today to grab the end-of-season sales in department stores, or without forgetting the importunate seekers of free tickets. Very current timeless example.

The second part presents us with the events relating to that Margherita indicated in the title, getting carried away even more on the fantastic element. I noticed many similarities to Rowling's "Harry Potter" (brooms and invisible flying machines, larger rooms inside and chimney trips), and Clarke's "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" (the haunted ball), sure source of inspiration for their works. Fantastic elements that always hide between the lines the hatred that Bulgakov places towards the censorship carried out by the Stalinist intellectual category, the cause of his literary failure. Bulgakov is the Master.

Keep in mind that you will not have in-depth characters, a story is told here where everyone is a victim of the events and the chaos that engulfs them.
It's like attending a theatrical performance (which Bulgakov actually used to do) where it is the intertwined events that create the story to follow, not the choices made by the characters.
Not all novels have to have the same characteristics, especially when they focus their nature on other equally interesting and pleasant aspects.

Reading the "Letter to the Government of the USSR" moved me.

Incredibly Imaginative! Deftly written!
Wild! Dark! Sinister! Fun!
Five Stars!

The devil enabling a love story, loosely based on the life of the author, while simultaneously causing quite a ruckus in the better off circles of Moscow.
Bold, eclectic, fun and uncomparable.
No documents, no person

Favorite classic read in 2021!

Loved the humor and absurdity, it reminds me of Jonathan Safran Foer his writing in Everything Is Illuminated.
The Master and Margarita is maybe not a perfect book, being partly unedited due to the death of the author, but the daring, the imagination required, and above all the fun while reading this classic make this a definite 4,5 stars rounded up.

The first two chapters are bewildering, moving from contemporary Moscow and a discussion with a stranger to Pilates and Jesus. Through a kaleidoscopic view of the upperclass of the city, we learn that the visitor Woland is the devil, surrounded by an entourage of vampires, a talking cat, an ogre and some other smooth talkers. The response of civil society towards something supernatural is brilliantly captured, full of humour, by Mikhail Bulgakov, oscillating between a wish to profiteer, mortal panic, bewilderment and ridiculing of others. The imaginative power contained in the book is immense, with rooms having Tardis like qualities, transfiguration of materials without value to cash (or troublesome foreign currency), historical sinners visiting a ball, people being transported instantly to 1.200 km far Jalta, a man being decapitated and who keeps on living, a cat firing bullets from a chandelier. All the while the authorities of Moscow try to explain away the unthinkable, a clear commentary of the mental flexibility required to live under a regime that disappears citizens

The main characters show up quite late in the story, but as a reader you have way too much fun with all the often hypocritical side characters who try to deal with, or profit from, the appearance of the devil in town, to really be bothered. A sparkling work that amazed and dazzled me.