The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Collins and Harvill Press 1967 London

Translation fr Russian, Michael Glenny.

With original fine dust wrapper artwork jacket design Alex Jawdokimov

1st UK Edition, First Print, full unexpurgated text published in English. 445 pp

The Master and Margarita is recognised classics of modern Russian literature. The novel's vision of Soviet life in the 1930s is accurate that it could not be published during its author's lifetime and appeared only in a censored edition in the 1960s. Its truths are so enduring that its language has become part of the common Russian speech.

Completed in 1938, in common with most of Bulgakov's prose, it was not published until long after his death in 1940. Bulgakov published a number of novels and stories through the early and mid-1920s, but by 1927 his career began to suffer from criticism that he was too anti-Soviet. By 1929, his career was ruined: government censorship prevented publication of any of his work and staging of any of his plays, and Stalin personally forbade him to emigrate. By 1967, Soviet publishing censorship had been relaxed, allowing Moskva to publish the novel, although the publication was still a censored version of the text which eliminated much of the anti-Soviet satire. Even so, it still caused an immediate sensation on publication. The full unexpurgated text was published in English later in 1967, and this present edition is the first English edition and first print.

Cloth binding gilt lettering to spine. Good condition minor shelf wear to corners, no foxing to edges. Pages are well bound tightly. Sleeve wrapped with protective coating that can be removed (see image). Some tanning present outer edge pages. Small blip tiny 3mm dent top left front cover visible image

Ex-library with attractive Westminster Library stamps (see images). Pages clean throughout. First inside page small pen top of page next to library ticket holder visible image E2 4 - 12.5

beautifully in a near-fine, dust wrapper with panel (front panel inside page absent).

Prompt and safe delivery for rare item