“The Master and Margarita” is a masterpiece that leaves no one indifferent. Someone falls in love with a book during the first reading; someone needs years to understand this novel; and others are indignant, "Master and Margarita." Reviews about the book of readers are very different. However, they are all unanimous that Bulgakov’s novel is an imperishable masterpiece.
A little about Master Mikhail Bulgakov
The legendary creator of “The Master and Margarita” is undoubtedly known as a genius, which did not prevent him from being a man with his own shortcomings. Mikhail Afanasevich Bulgakov happened to live in an amazing era. On the one hand - civil war, a change in the worldview of the whole country, repression, devastation and poverty. And on the other - the rapid development of literature, the triumph of new forms, bold experiments and unexpected interpretations of eternal themes.
Being a descendant of a family of successful doctors, Mikhail Afanasevich was accustomed to live from childhood without limiting himself. For this reason, he became a doctor - he dreamed of making good money. However, the 1917 revolution prevented his ambitious plans. For a long time he could not find a well-paid job. Desperate, Bulgakov became a morphist. With great difficulty, he got rid of this addiction. To overcome the temptation to inject himself with morphine again, Mikhail Afanasevich began to write about which he had long dreamed.
The talent of the young doctor was soon noticed. And Bulgakov moved to Moscow to beat closer to the center of the country's literary life. However, in order to become famous, at that time something more than brilliant works was needed - it was necessary to have connections. And to get them, it was important to constantly communicate with editors and publishers. That's just it cost a lot of money. And in order to ensure rotation in the right circles, the writer spent all his family's money on this, often laying the spouse’s jewelry. In addition, he hid from everyone the presence of his wife - Tatyana Lappa, cheated on her, and divorced her at the first opportunity, leaving him to the mercy of fate without a profession and money.
Soon, the novice writer married Lyuba Belozerskaya, who turned into his secretary and muse. Based on her recollections of life in exile, the play “Running” was written. She also came up with the image of Margarita in the novel. It was this woman who contributed to the creation of the Turbin Days, the White Guard, and the Heart of the Dog.
But having met the wife of the famous military leader Elena Shilovskaya, Mikhail Bulgakov lost his head and, after a long romance, recaptured her from her husband. It was this woman who supported the writer in the last years of her life. And after his death, she managed to publish the last, a novel written by Bulgakov - "The Master and Margarita." Reviews about the book after its publication were the most enthusiastic. Not the last role in this was played by the multi-year prohibition of the work, which made the novel very popular.
The origins of the novel
Some literary scholars call this work “Faust of the 20th century.” And not in vain, because Bulgakov introduced many features of Goethe's masterpiece into it. The first reference is the epigraph of the novel “... So who are you, finally?” I am part of the power that always wants evil and always does good. ” At the first appearance of Woland, he holds a cane with the head of a poodle, in the form of a knob (Mephistopheles made his way into the house of Faust in the guise of a black dog). Also taken from Goethe's work is the name of the main character - Margarita. A reference to Faust is the story of Frida, who strangled her illegitimate child. So did Margarita, having given birth to a child from Faust.
The episode with Berlioz’s head at Woland’s ball is an allusion to Belyaev’s popular science fiction novel, “The Head of Professor Duel.” The conversation between Berlioz and Homeless with Satan in many theses and style reminds one of Ehrenburg's book “The Extraordinary Adventures of Julio Jurenito” (1922). The caustic description of everyday life and customs of ordinary citizens is close to Zoshchenko’s feuilleton and the novel “The Golden Calf” by Ilf and Petrov (episodes with “The Crow’s Sloboda”). Among other things, the love line of “Masters and Margarita” has a direct reference to the personal life of Bulgakov himself. While writing the book, he secretly met with Elena Shilovskaya, who for a long time did not dare to leave her husband because of her children.
Key storylines
“The Master and Margarita” is called a novel in the novel, since the events of our time serve as a frame for a work about Pontius Pilate. The book clearly distinguishes several storylines. First of all, this is the love story of the Master and Margarita. In parallel to her, the story of Pontius Pilate and the wandering prophet Yeshua Ga-Nozri passes. An important role is played by the history of the evolution of Ivan Bezdomny, who from the creator of base agitation poems turns into a serious scientist.
As you know, Bulgakov had a very difficult relationship with other writers, publishers and editors. Due to nepotism, greed, non-intelligence and limited worldview of many of them, Mikhail Afanasevich often had to humiliate himself in order to achieve the publication of his works. Meanwhile, most of his works were not only brilliant, but also relevant for their time. But preferences were often given to mediocre careerists. For this reason, ridicule of MASSOLITH in "The Master and Margarita" is given a special place.
Framing and at the same time the main connecting link for all storylines are Woland and his minions. It is they who bring the heroes out of their stupor and make them act. The epigraph hints at their role in the novel, gradually leading readers to the conclusion that in a society that has forgotten God, the role of goodness and justice must be assumed by Satan and his demons.
The issue of “Masters and Margarita”
This novel raises a lot of "eternal" questions. First of all, it is a person’s faith in higher powers. So, at the beginning of the novel, Berlioz and his companion vigorously boast that they do not believe in God and control their own fate. Further events prove the falsity of their judgments. Also in the work enough space is given to the relationship of talent and society. So, to create fully, according to the author, a genius needs financial security, as well as freedom in choosing topics.
The society contemporary to Mikhail Afanasevich dictated themes to writers, and also subjected their writings to strict censorship. It is worth noting that, according to many critics, Bulgakov in this matter contradicts himself. For most of his masterpieces he wrote in a communal apartment, in between main work. Another problem of the novel is the ineradicability of betrayal in human nature. So, scammers and envious people are present both in Moscow and in ancient Yershalaim. They are dressed differently, they have different ideals and ways of life, but psychology has not changed over the centuries.
Reviews on the book "Master and Margarita": the main characters through the eyes of readers
If critics are mostly enthusiastic, then readers have different perceptions of the heroes of the novel. The most controversial is the character of the Master. Some admire him as a genius who soared over the life and pettiness of the modern world. Others call it brilliant, but selfish. Having become rich, he does not seek to help his neighbors, but spends everything on himself. The hero perceives his Margarita as a muse, and not as a real person. He loves her, but he is not particularly worried about her fate. Staying in the hospital, the Master is in no hurry to give news about himself, while she is crazy about the unknown.
Some reviews of the book “The Master and Margarita” are contrasted by the Master and the poet Homeless. So, the first, of course, is a genius, but treats his fellow writer with arrogance: without reading a single line of their poems by the Homeless, the Master makes the poet feel ashamed to be ashamed of his works. At the same time, readers have no chance to compare the creations of two writers and decide whether the Master is right.
Since the publication of the novel, Margarita has always received the best characteristics from readers. As a prototype of the main character took Elena Shilovskaya, Mikhail Bulgakov ("Master and Margarita"). Reviews of the book by some literary scholars indicate that this heroine also has traits of the first two wives of the writer. The main character is a woman in love who, for the sake of her narrowedness, became a witch and participated in a satanic coven.
Readers rightly note the imperfection of this image. So, Shilovskaya did not leave her husband for a long time because of her children. However, Bulgakov made his heroine childless. Therefore, it is not clear why, with so much love, she stayed with her husband for a long time. Part of the audience is sure that Margarita is a prudent narcissistic containment woman who, because of boredom, has started an affair on the side. Some researchers writing reviews about the book “The Master and Margarita” believe that the main character is a peculiar Faust Bulgakova. After all, she actually sold her soul for the sake of finding the meaning of life - the Master.
Reviews on the book “The Master and Margarita”: “The Gospel of Woland” and the Image of the Savior
One of the most striking heroes of the novel is Woland. By the way, the name is taken from the same “Faust”. He came to Moscow to look at a society that risked living without God. At the same time, the devil himself and his demons-assistants turn out to be more noble and honest than the majority of the capital's inhabitants. Many readers who have written reviews of the book The Master and Margarita call this work the Gospel of Satan. So, Woland tells two atheist writers his version of the story of Christ. In his presentation, Jesus from a powerful but gracious God turns into a wandering philosopher, not fully aware of his strength.
Throughout the book, Mephistopheles Bulgakova often utters phrases that distort the covenants of Christ. For example, remember Satan’s saying: “Never ask for anything!” Never anything, and especially those who are stronger than you. They will offer it themselves and give everything! ” This famous phrase is the exact opposite of what Jesus said: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and find; knock, and they will open it to you ... ”
Love in the work
Most of those who read Bulgakov ’s work call him the anthem of infinite love, leaving reviews of the book. “The Master and Margarita” is a novel about feelings, bright, strong, passionate, but unusual. Each of the main characters experiences affection, but in a different way. The master loves art, Margarita has a muse in his heart, according to some critics.
At the same time, for the woman herself, her lover is the meaning of existence. The master awakens her dormant maternal instinct. She likes to take care of him, to patronize and fight for him. For the poet Homeless, who got to the hospital, Margarita also becomes a muse. It was she who dreamed about him for many years.
The image of Soviet life in the novel
Housing problems have always been relevant. However, at the time of writing the novel, they acquired simply awesome proportions. The fact is that after the revolution, landless peasants, workers and people of intellectual professions poured into Moscow in search of work. However, the capital of the USSR was simply physically unable to accommodate everyone. Therefore, the living space was worth its weight in gold. And as soon as the law came into force, according to which housing was confiscated from the convicted citizen, denunciations by neighbors in order to acquire their rooms became quite commonplace.
Bulgakov did not fail to mention this in his work. So the “friend” of the Master - Aloysius Magarych, in order to take possession of his housing, wrote a denunciation. Woland also, having seen enough of the Muscovites in the theater, noted that problems with the apartments influenced them quite strongly. Other pitfalls of Soviet life described by Bulgakov included rudeness of officials, widespread rudeness, bribery, food shortages, normal clothes, and much more.
Entertaining facts
There are many interesting facts about Bulgakov’s novel:
- Woland and all his companions had some flaws in appearance. It was a reference to the belief that all angels are physically perfect, and the demons were injured as a symbol of exile.
- The main character was partially written off by Bulgakov, and partially he wore the features of N.V. Gogol. Because of the reference to the latter, the phrase sounds about the imperishability of manuscripts in the novel.
- In the original version, the hero was not called a Master, but a Poet.
- Although Margarita got the most devil from the third wife of Bulgakov, each of his wives subsequently claimed that it was her who was portrayed in his novel by Mikhail Afanasevich.
- A distant relative of the main character, whom she hinted at at the ball, is either Margarita of Navarre (Queen Margot) or Margarita de Valois.
Bulgakov’s last novel left behind more questions than answers. However, today, thanks to the Internet, every reader can try to answer them on their own. In numerous forums devoted to the novel, anyone can leave their own review about the book “The Master and Margarita”, write an essay, review or even poetry.