The Master and Margarita

The most entertaining novel in the Russian canon. The Devil arrives in 1930s Moscow with a retinue that includes a giant talking cat, and proceeds to wreak havoc on the city’s literary establishment. Meanwhile, a parallel story unfolds about Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion of Jesus.

Why This One

If your image of Russian literature is grim and heavy, “The Master and Margarita” will change your mind. Bulgakov wrote it in secret over twelve years, knowing it could never be published in Stalin’s Soviet Union, and that freedom from censorship gave him license to be as wild, funny, and subversive as he wanted. The result is unlike anything else in the tradition.

The novel works on multiple levels. On the surface, it is a darkly comic fantasy about Satan exposing the greed and hypocrisy of Soviet bureaucrats. Underneath, it is a love story between the Master, a broken writer, and Margarita, who makes a deal with the Devil to save him. And woven through both is the story of Pontius Pilate, which the Master has written and which may or may not be the truth.

Bulgakov died in 1940 without seeing it published. The novel finally appeared in a censored magazine version in 1966, and the full text was not published until 1973. It has been a beloved cult classic ever since.

What to Expect

A novel that shifts between satire, fantasy, romance, and philosophical drama, sometimes within a single chapter. The tone is unpredictable and exhilarating. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation captures Bulgakov’s playful energy. At 448 pages, it is a medium-length read that moves quickly because you never know what will happen next.