I was aware that The Master and Margarita was a seminal piece of work for Mikhail Bulgakov, but not much else. Several people, unbeknownst to the each other, recommended I read it. Fate sealed it as I perused a book store in Hyde Park and found it waiting there for me. I was barely looking for it and it manifested itself to me, which sounds quite spooky, I know. I read the Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor translation for Picador. It became apparent to me that the further I delved into this story, the more useful reading it in Russian would be. Bulgakov does employ word play and the meaning of Russian names makes identifying the book as a satire much easier. Sadly, I discovered all the annotations––written by Ellendrea Proffer––for the novel about halfway through and didn't get the full effect until past the climax. If you read a translated version, I highly suggested checking for annotations/footnotes/end notes to accompany it. I would not have appreciated the depth of work without it.
Contemporary Discussion of Eastern Europe In All Its Glory
