Literature

The Master and Margarita

Mikhail Bulgakov · 1966

Lindy Score

14,225·Ancient

60 yrs

Age

7

Endorsers

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Why it endured

The Devil visits Soviet Moscow with his retinue, causing chaos and exposing human weakness. Written in secret during Stalin's terror, Bulgakov's masterpiece weaves satire, philosophy, and magic into the greatest Russian novel of the 20th century. Unpublishable in the author's lifetime.

What they're saying

7 people recommend this book

Neil GaimanAuthor & storyteller

Bulgakov's masterpiece is one of the great novels of the 20th century — funny, terrifying, and beautiful.

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David LynchDirector & artist

The Master and Margarita combines the surreal and the political in ways that inspire me as a filmmaker.

Interview

Russell BrandComedian & author

Bulgakov's vision of the Devil visiting Soviet Moscow is the most subversive and brilliant political satire ever written.

Under the Skin Podcast

Jordan B. PetersonPsychologist & author

The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. A book from my great books list:

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Ryan HolidayAuthor & Stoic philosopher

Master and Margarita, great!

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PewDiePieContent creator & book reviewer

The first one is the "The Master and Margarita" written by Mikhail Bulgakov [...] It's a black-satire comedy around Christianity. It's very weird, but I really loved it. [...] 5 out of 5

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Peter ThielCo-founder of PayPal & Palantir

If you want something a little more intellectual, it’s probably the Bulgakov novel The Master and Margarita where the devil shows up in Stalinist Russia, and succeeds, and gives everybody what they want, and everything goes haywire. It’s hard, because no one believes he’s real.

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