A masterful translation of one of the great
novels of the 20th century Nothing in the whole of literature compares with The
Master and Margarita . Full of pungency and wit, this luminous work is
Bulgakov's crowning achievement, skilfully blending magical and realistic
elements, grotesque situations and major ethical concerns. Written during the
darkest period of Stalin's repressive reign and a devastating satire of Soviet
life, it combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary
Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, each brimming with incident and with
historical, imaginary, frightful and wonderful characters. Although completed
in 1940, The Master and Margarita was not published until 1966 when the first
section appeared in the monthly magazine Moskva . Russians everywhere responded
enthusiastically to the novel's artistic and spiritual freedom and it was an
immediate and enduring success. This new translation has been made from the
complete and unabridged Russian text.