'Bulgakov is one of the greatest Russian writers, perhaps the
greatest' Independent
Written in secret during the darkest days of Stalin's reign, The Master
and Margarita became an overnight literary phenomenon when it was
finally published it, signalling artistic freedom for Russians
everywhere. Bulgakov's carnivalesque satire of Soviet life describes how
the Devil, trailing fire and chaos in his wake, weaves himself out of
the shadows and into Moscow one Spring afternoon. Brimming with magic
and incident, it is full of imaginary, historical, terrifying and
wonderful characters, from witches, poets and Biblical tyrants to the
beautiful, courageous Margarita, who will do anything to save the
imprisoned writer she loves.
Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky with an
Introduction by Richard Pevear