Yoooo, yesterday I search engined "Benjamin McEvoy how to read Master and Margarita" and nothing came up, now this appears. Not to sound conceited but I think I made this happen.
My favourite book ever! I was so lucky to visit Moscow a few years ago and see where Bulgakov used to live. It was heart-stopping to see the park and the bench that start the story.
Bulgakov is my favorite writer of Soviet time. He exposed ruthlessness of Stalinist ideology and encouraged readers to approach critically to Christianity too.
The dedication these writers had to make their art despite the consequences is a real testament to creativity and the human spirit. This context heightens the reading experience for me a great deal.
I found your podcast at a time of great crisis in my life. At that point I had started taking long walks in nature, accompanied by no one but your soothing voice spanning literature from different ages and spaces. This is probably year 4 of listening to your lectures, now watching your lectures on UA-cam. And I’m hoping I’ll be able to join you on Patreon soon. What you’re doing is an act of service to lost souls like myself. For that, I hope God blesses you immensely. It’s true Doctors save lives, but art saves our soul. And thank you, thank you endlessly for being one of the people who saved my soul. 🙏🥹
This was beautiful. I too have found great reward in listening to these lectures, and have recently began reading along with the group when I can. So glad you have found some peace.
The meaning in great literature will help through any crisis. Life Is inherently meaningful even though it is hard has been proven again and again by classic authors.
One of my favorite books of all time, certainly in my top 5. This is a novel that you can keep rereading, and each time truly walk away with another perspective you had not previously noticed. A masterpiece!
Hello; quick question. Were I to join the book club for, say, 6 months, and complete the reading of all chosen books, at the end of this period of time would I receive some sort of certification for partaking in the book club? That is, do members receive any kind of certificate to honor their participation, even if it does not last a full year? I would greatly appreciate clarification.
Hi! I live in Russia. I have read this Bulgakov's novel several times. I'm obssesed with this book. UA-cam recommended this video to me. I would like to shake hands with the author of the video. It was great. You are very interesting teller. I have watched your video with great plrasure. I'll watch other your videos) P. S. I' m sorry if I did mistakes in the sentences, my english is not perfect)
@@dianahernandez2447 I wish you good luck! Russian language is dificult, but wonderful. Russian literature is very interesting. I would like to visit USA and Europa. I love english language and western culture!
Do you have any recommended videos for analyzing this novel from the perspective of a RUssian who lived under the USSR? The only lecture I have been able to find is by Vladimir Zaznobin and tbh I didn't quite agree with much of what he said but found his talk very interesting nonetheless. ua-cam.com/video/Tw7XQBb94Cg/v-deo.htmlsi=T9F-zc99KliUBUrJ
Likely one of my absolute favourite pieces of literature I've ever had the chance of getting my hands on. Doing a second re-reading this year. Savoured every page. It's just a brilliant masterpiece; dreamy, funny, cunning, deadly. So glad to see Benjamin cover this gem.
I found this book through your 2024 list and just finished it. Had read Gulag Archipelago and Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands recently so I got the historical context, but what surprised me most was the magical realism aspect. The irony is not lost on this American as I watch my own society teetering toward tyranny. My favorite quote, "Fact is the most stubborn thing in the world." Thank you, Benjamin, for adding context, depth, and humor to a great read.
This is one of the books I have sitting on my shelf for a year. I'm afraid of it, but I'll read it... eventually. I ADORE hearing you talking about books and the lives of the authors! ❤
During your introduction to Stalin, you showed a doctored photo of Stalin and Beria on the left of the frame. On the right was an empty space with the river in the background. I laughed aloud at the Bulgakovian nature of the photo. The empty space originally showed a high ranking minister who was disappeared and erased from the picture.
The man who has been erased from the photo is Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD between 1936 and 1938. Stalin used to call him “our Himmler”. Organiser of the Great Terror, then executed in 1940.
I have 3 degrees in literature but never read much Russian lit outside of Tolstoy. I’ve taken 2024 to be my year of Russian lit and these videos are so fantastic in helping me. This one was particularly amazing! Thank you so much for all that you do! You have a gift and a soothing voice ✨
If anyone is on the fence about joining the Patreon book club, I want you to know that I have been a member for over a year and wish I would have signed up earlier. If you want to actually read some of those books on your bucket list, this is a great way to get that done in a supportive community with clear reading goals and assignments. Best subscription I have, by far.
Thank you so much for this incredibly beautiful review, Amber. You have completely made my day. I'm so grateful that you are journeying through these great books with so much love and depth with us 🙏☺️
I read this book last month. It took me a while to get into the satire and find it funny. The scene with the workers breaking out in song is what really made me start laughing out loud. I definitely wish I had this video a month ago.
A huge congratulations on reading it! This is definitely one that has a lot of difficulties upfront, but once you're into it, as you say, it is so hilarious! I love Bulgakov's sense of humour :)
I highly recommend looking for Classics in used Bookstores whenever possible because they're often chalk full of them. And not only are you then not lining the pockets of one Jeff Bezos, but you can often get really cool editions or even find ones with lovely or insightful annotations. I know this isn't an option for everyone, and Amazon is awfully convenient, but I just wanted to put it out there.
Read this book two years ago, a dear friend of mine has it on her reading list. Phenomenal book, absolutely recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor. Personally, I found it impossible to put down; Bulgakov wrote a true masterpiece with The Master and Margarita.
I completely agree! I'm so happy you love it so much. Bulgakov's sense of humour is right in line with what I find hilarious :) Masterpiece is absolutely the word to describe this novel!
Thanks and greetings from the Czech Republic! ;) (we've got an awesome translation; the translator lady actually went to Russia to Bulgakov's widow, to their appartment which inspired some stuff, drank from His own cup etc...)
I have always felt that not only is the book reminiscent of faust, but its second half is similar to faust II. This always quickly curbed my reading enthusiasm getting into the latter half of the book.
just finished it today, hands down one of my favorite books of all time already, and would likely never have found it if you didn't put it on the hlbc list for this year, so thank you for that Ben!
I’ve been waiting until I finished the book, before I watched your video. Such a treat, and vital for anyone needing some guidance before and after reading!
I've just started on this book and have been a Hardcore Literature Patreon member for a year. I wanted to say that this is your strongest lecture yet to which I've listened. I had to pause and rewind multiple times because I was taking so many notes on your important points. Thanks for the hard work!
(alert: some spoilers ahead) I have been hoping you'd have a video about this book for ages, and finally here it is. I 'found' this book when reading your countryman Billy Connolly's book Made in Scotland, in which he listed his favourite books, M&M is one of them. I agree with you completely on the potential difficulty to fully understand the satirical dark humours in this book, the warm foaming apricot juice to start with, one really has to watch a few Russian movies from the 50s, 60s to glance the similar expressions out of the 'impoverished' life people had to endure. You have also explained a question that i have had for a long time: why Bulgakov named quite a few of his characters with the famous composers, it was from his own upbringing, and the love of the operas. Thank you! And I must add that anyone whose favourite composer is Igor Stravinsky, will not find yourself overjoyed watching him transformed into a doctor in the madhouse Bezdomny has to dwell, and what a doctor!!! up to this day, i couldn't stop laughing whenever i heard the word Schizophrenia!!! 😀 there is also an audiobook by Recorded Books, read by George Goodell that is quite brilliantly done, it is on youtube. and Thank you for the recommendations of the translations, I will look for the ones that I haven't read.
"Manuscripts don't burn" great words. I write some texts from time to time and I confirm. You can destroy all copies, but if you do not destroy the author/creator, you will not destroy the work. I've read the book at least three times... and discover something different each time. These are, in fact, two books in one. I recommend this beautiful classic of literature, but please devote some time to this piece of masterpiece because it's really worth it! It is one of my favouirte :-) Great speech :-) Best rgds from beautiful Gdańsk.
I just finished reading an Arabic translation of this novel in a relatively short time, 10 days, while living in Lebanon that is currently in a war… I think I’ll reread it but this time in English later in more peaceful times…
I finished the audiobook a few days ago. What an absolute masterpiece and the English version of the recording ( with Julian Rhind Tutt) is just incredible. His narration and ability to create different characters really bring this story to life! Currently suffering withdrawal symptoms having grown quite attached to the characters. I find myself missing the time I spent with the Master and Margarita, and especially Behemoth 😻
Behemoth is always my favorite as well! I first read this book in college in the late 80s and from the start it has been and remains one of my most favorite books ever!
Greetings from Ireland. Your enthusiasm is infectious! It's definitely an out there book. Started it a while back on holiday, but I must go back to it now that I know its fascinating background.
Now that you mention it (its relation to Goethe's Faust), I realize how closely it resembles the Baroque characteristics of modern German novels (a main argument in Stephen D. Dowden's Sympathy for the Abyss), and how Latin American "magical realism" novels are related to this masterpiece through the Baroque connection. Thank you very much!
This is a is one of the best of your masterful guides. The bio part was remarkable and your explication of the high parts of the narrative were spot on. Will rush back to a reread of this one. Thank you for your brilliance.
Another brilliant video. Thank you so much. I am abysmally ignorant of Bulkagov and the oppressive atmosphere of Stalin. Looking forward to reading the Master and Margarita. Benjamin you are so inspiring.
Truly brilliant and well informed! Thank you for this insightful guide. I read this novel when I was 13 and loved it, perceiving it as an ode to love and creativity. Yes, many writers and artists were repressed and some had it much “worse” than Bulgakov or Solzhenitsyn. You might be interested in having a look at Executed Renaissance - Valerian Pidmohylny’s “The City” portrays the city of Kyiv in the 1920s, not long after the events described in Bulgakov’s “The White Guard” or his play “The Days of the Turbins” which you mention in this video. Happy reading!
I picked up this book few days ago and hoped that you had a video on it since it was confusing and a complicated read. This video is released on the right time for me. 😅 Thank you 🙏
I read this book for the first time over 25 years ago. There was a play in a local theater based on this novel. The director had an enthralling idea of interweaving the biblical and "contemporary" parts of the plot by playing the parts of Voland/Pilat and Jeshua/Master by the same actors. I found this so very much thought provoking. However when I re-read Master and Margarita a few months ago, I found myself mostly pondering about... the inconvenience of being naked.... call me shallow... :-|
Language of the original - one of my native languages. It's interesting how those belonging to another cultural context will understand this book. It's like people laughing after a good joke and trying to explain the same joke to each other. I don't think there's such a dramatic difference between us, but still, there's a lot you won't grasp because you didn't live under Soviet rule. Just keep in mind that ordinary things became luxury items in the USSR. The vast majority of people had no opportunity to improve their financial situation. The state was the only employer and decided for itself how much money was enough for you. Much of the plot revolves around this. The culture of cancellation is most similar to the atmosphere in which the events of the novel take place.
When it comes to cultural dictatorship Soviet Union and Ukraine 2014-2024 are very similar. I mean the memorial sign of Bulgakov itself was removed in Kyiv in 2022. While the 4 Bandera statues still stand. Perhaps you should reread the book.
When I first bought this book decades ago I was so excited by it, that I rushed it and bought another copy in case someone "borrowed" it and never gave it back. I also greatly recommend the same author's "White Guard" - more conventional but brilliant, and his first book about working as a doctor. A Russian friend told me that among Russians people were amazed and thrilled that it had been published, because whispers about it had gone on so long.
Wow! Congratulations on finishing up War and Peace, Kevin :) How incredible to follow on Tolstoy's masterpiece with Bulgakov's great novel. It will be so interesting to see how the writers compare!
This one is going on my list. Thanks for helping me appreciate Russian lit. I’m loving it. Especially Anna Karenina.❤ I’m looking forward to reading post-Russian revolution. I think it will be quite a different experience.
Thank you. Really enjoyed your commentary on one of my favourite books. I originally read it in the original Russian but it was at a time when I was first getting properly up to speed with Russian so it took me about 3 months! I've read it a couple of times since in English and the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation is excellent.
Thank you so much, Alan! That's so cool you read this masterpiece in the original Russian. I would love to be able to do that someday. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation makes me think the original must be beautifully poetic!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is (obviously) best to read in the original - like any novel, I guess? But you're right, you need a good knowledge of 1930s Soviet history to appreciate the satirical humour as well as basic knowledge of the new Testament. It's still can be a good read though just because of the bizarreness of what is happening in Moscow. On first reading, I skimmed the biblical scenes a little but every time I come back to it, I appreciate these passages more and more. There was an excellent Russian TV miniseries of it from 2005 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_Margarita_%28miniseries%29 - with a great soundtrack. I highly recommend it although I'm not sure if there's a version with English language and/or subtitles. The best reason to learn Russian, in my experience though, is to appreciate the poetry of Pushkin. It's just runs off the tongue so well and has wonderful humour. No translation really does it justice. Russian is a great language for poetry because of the loose structure and the rich but regular inflection. I did my own literal translation of 'Eugene Onegin' (with a lot of help from Nabokov!) and 'Ruslan and Ludmila'. One day I may get back to more Russian literature. Maybe when I'm retired, I'll have the time! Anyway, keep up the good work. I'm really glad you came up on my UA-cam timeline at last.
The book of all times, smart, sharp, satirical, where mystery and realism are so tightly woven and cannot be separated. One of those books I wish everyone could read the original in Russian.
Excellent summary and analysis. Sublime book all the way through - a new film adaptation came out in Russia this year and was the biggest box office hit in years. The parallels between the 30’s USSR and contemporary Russia remind me of that quote about history not repeating but rhyming
I'm amused that there are lots of readers today and I believe it is the healthy way to live. I'm happy to hear people talk about books they read, great literature works.
Your channel is one of the best - if not the best - thing on UA-cam. Thank you so much for creating such thoughtful, interesting and engaging videos. I have recently started Master and Margarita (currently in chapter 3) and so far it has been a bit of a slog due to the large number of notes to the text, which are essential to understand the references and allusions but also interrupt the flow of the reading. This video has given me the push to persevere and be consistent. I am sure it will pay off :)
I read this book 20 years ago, when i was living in San Francisco. One of my closest friend, loved Russian literature and she turned me on to it. Master and the Margarita will be on reading list this year, along with Checov, Doystoyevsky and Turgev. 😊
In my book Michael Glenny's translations of all of Bulgakov's works are superb in that he eschewed literalism for getting the closest he possibly could in terms of voice, humour. and narrative
This is my favorite book of all time. I am not from Russia, so I read it in translation. Maybe it'll sound unusual , but first read it when I was 12 years old and find it so amusing. Of course, I have read it many times since then, and this is something that changed my life forever. Good video, thanks.
I'm so happy to hear this is your favourite book of all time, Amalija! It sounds like this masterpiece holds a lot of really special personal meaning for you :)
I read it blind a few years ago, and didn't bother reading the introductions. This worked in my favor, because in my second reading, understanding the allegory, I realized that a blind reading let me experience the ridiculous fever dream of the story. In my second reading i was definitely in the "bemused reader" category...
Mandelstam’s poetry forms the epigraph to one of the greatest works of American Literature - The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Wolfe was deeply influenced by Dickens, Proust, Nabokov and Greek Mythology as well as Catholicism ( he was a practicing Catholic) and all these influences braid together to form a fantastic and deep story. I think you will enjoy it and appreciate its depth.
There’s a recent film adaptation of the novel that’s making some noise in Russia. The moral descendants of Soviet bureaucrats demand it to be banned. If it ever gets translated, highly recommend to watch. It’s a new approach to the story and at the same time it mirrors the current events in Russia with eery accuracy (taking into account that it was filmed before the current wave of repressions).
I am rereading The Master and Margarita for the fourth or fifth time. I stumbled upon it in the early ‘90’s and picked it for a book club I was in. What was so fascinating to me were the many layers of this book. It has become one of my favorite books I have ever read and I’m thrilled we are reading it here. Each time I’ve read it, I’ve understood it better.
Wow! It makes me so happy to hear how much you love this incredible novel, Pam! I know exactly what you mean about understanding it better upon each reread. There are so many layers to Bulgakov's masterpiece and you always bring a new part of yourself to it each time :)
Aside from Nabokov, he has become my fave Russian novelist. Read this for the first time 3 yrs ago, and have read it twice since, and ,amazingly ,it has seemed almost a different book each time. Don Quixote is the only other book I’ve ever read that I can say that about.
I read this novel when I was twenty, I reread it this summer when I was forty. Woland's entry, the criminal incursions of Koroviev and Behemoth, the grotesque situations of the bureaucratic regime and the figure of Pilate who obtusely questions Jesus.. they were images still vivid in my memory. It is an immense novel that cannot be fully embraced. It's a dizzying carousel and an immortal love story.
I am new to your channel. I have to say I enjoy so much your recommendation of Bulgakov's work with enthusiasm and knowledge. Definitely can't wait to read it. Thanks.
The book is included into the school mandatory reading program in the former Soviet Union countries. We used to read it at school. This video contains a very good context analysis. Bravo.
I'm excited to get to some less agrandized works in the canon. I love all the books you've presented, Ben. Books for readers of all levels. I hope you do William Gaddis. Wow. Cant wait for this first time with "The M/M"! "Genji" too!
Thank you so much, Brock! I'm also tremendously excited for Genji too :) I have a feeling that this one is going to be a very special read-through. And I would definitely absolutely love to do William Gaddis in the future!
Have you read the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe? It is what some (myself firmly included) would consider a masterpiece of science fiction. I think it would be a great addition to your 'How to Read' series!
Hello my friend Benjamin, I loved your video I think you are a bright talented man because of your analysis of the book plus so many more books you mentioned and have analyzed (I wasn't familiar with your channel before but I'm very happy I did), let me tell you a little bit about my background since you asked us to do that at the end of the video, I'm Mexican and in the process of becoming an Orthodox Christian, I love learning about my Faith and I know you know Russia is a big part of it, I also love reading about many topics (history, religion, art, etc) so this book came in under my radar recently, I do have the book but I haven't read it - well just did the first few pages - but I already read Heart of a Dog and I love it! I am so excited about this book and your video really helped me a lot about what to expect plus the tips you provided at the end of the video, but yes your analysis is really good also about what you said about what you should be familiar with before hand - gospels, soviet Russia, etc - thank you very much for this awesome video and I will check your other videos as well 🙏🙏🙏
I’ve been a little afraid of starting this. I’ve recently started a journey into Russian literature and have had this on my TBR for a few years. After falling in love with Anna Karenina and Crime and Punishment, I purchased this recently. Thank you for the background information and recommendation to read Faust. But I’m diving in now, thanks to your insight!
Just what I needed. Joining your exploration of literature on Spotify as I have read this book twice now, but as you mentioned, missed quite a bit of what the story is conveying.
I agree that this is one of the greatest books of the twentieth century. I have read it twice. i would also highly recommend Bulgakov's "Heart of a Dog",
@@BenjaminMcEvoyI have to tell you - I've always struggled with the great Russians, but just before Christmas read - and ENJOYED - Anna Karenina (Constance Garnett trans.) I listened to your "Anna Karenina Taste Test" episode (hahaha), got the Rosamund Bartlett translation you showed us in the video, and immediately re-read Anna again. Enjoyed it 10x more. I'm going to get my hands on the P&V translation and read it again. Would never have done this without your influence.
Yoooo, yesterday I search engined "Benjamin McEvoy how to read Master and Margarita" and nothing came up, now this appears. Not to sound conceited but I think I made this happen.
It definitely sounds like you have the magic touch! 😁
Thanks for working that magic, I’ve been excited for this as well!
First study Stalin´s Soviet Union!
Do me a favour and Google “McEvoy how to read zorba the Greek”
😂❤
My favourite book ever! I was so lucky to visit Moscow a few years ago and see where Bulgakov used to live. It was heart-stopping to see the park and the bench that start the story.
i also sat around Patriarch's pond
Bulgakov is my favorite writer of Soviet time. He exposed ruthlessness of Stalinist ideology and encouraged readers to approach critically to Christianity too.
The dedication these writers had to make their art despite the consequences is a real testament to creativity and the human spirit. This context heightens the reading experience for me a great deal.
I found your podcast at a time of great crisis in my life. At that point I had started taking long walks in nature, accompanied by no one but your soothing voice spanning literature from different ages and spaces. This is probably year 4 of listening to your lectures, now watching your lectures on UA-cam. And I’m hoping I’ll be able to join you on Patreon soon. What you’re doing is an act of service to lost souls like myself. For that, I hope God blesses you immensely. It’s true Doctors save lives, but art saves our soul. And thank you, thank you endlessly for being one of the people who saved my soul. 🙏🥹
This was beautiful. I too have found great reward in listening to these lectures, and have recently began reading along with the group when I can. So glad you have found some peace.
How beautiful !
The meaning in great literature will help through any crisis. Life Is inherently meaningful even though it is hard has been proven again and again by classic authors.
He’s so good at analysis, and his voice is just right. ❤
One of my favorite books of all time, certainly in my top 5. This is a novel that you can keep rereading, and each time truly walk away with another perspective you had not previously noticed. A masterpiece!
Все зависит от возраста и периода жизни.да,всегда другой.
Wow, literally bought the book yesterday to read after I finish War And Peace. Great timing!
That's fantastic timing! I love that you're reading these two masterpieces back-to-back!
Hello; quick question. Were I to join the book club for, say, 6 months, and complete the reading of all chosen books, at the end of this period of time would I receive some sort of certification for partaking in the book club? That is, do members receive any kind of certificate to honor their participation, even if it does not last a full year? I would greatly appreciate clarification.
Hi! I live in Russia. I have read this Bulgakov's novel several times. I'm obssesed with this book.
UA-cam recommended this video to me. I would like to shake hands with the author of the video. It was great. You are very interesting teller. I have watched your video with great plrasure. I'll watch other your videos)
P. S. I' m sorry if I did mistakes in the sentences, my english is not perfect)
Чего Вы извиняетесь, голубчик? Пусть учат русский...
Would love to learn russian.my dream is to visit there sometime
@@dianahernandez2447 I wish you good luck! Russian language is dificult, but wonderful. Russian literature is very interesting.
I would like to visit USA and Europa. I love english language and western culture!
Do you have any recommended videos for analyzing this novel from the perspective of a RUssian who lived under the USSR? The only lecture I have been able to find is by Vladimir Zaznobin and tbh I didn't quite agree with much of what he said but found his talk very interesting nonetheless. ua-cam.com/video/Tw7XQBb94Cg/v-deo.htmlsi=T9F-zc99KliUBUrJ
@andreyevstavew ^^^
Brother you are the reason behind my book reading habit. You do full justice to the book review. Keep up the good work
Wow, thank you so much, Zeeshan! You have completely made my day! 🙏
Likely one of my absolute favourite pieces of literature I've ever had the chance of getting my hands on. Doing a second re-reading this year. Savoured every page. It's just a brilliant masterpiece; dreamy, funny, cunning, deadly. So glad to see Benjamin cover this gem.
wow, people outside Russia also are reading this book. My favorite since I was 10
I can see why it's your favourite, Katerina! Absolute masterpiece! :)
I love The Master and Margarita. One of the best books on cocktails hands down
😂😂
Just received my copy today! I'm assuredly looking forward to the literary adventure and the akin walk-thrus.
I found this book through your 2024 list and just finished it. Had read Gulag Archipelago and Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands recently so I got the historical context, but what surprised me most was the magical realism aspect. The irony is not lost on this American as I watch my own society teetering toward tyranny. My favorite quote, "Fact is the most stubborn thing in the world." Thank you, Benjamin, for adding context, depth, and humor to a great read.
This is one of the books I have sitting on my shelf for a year. I'm afraid of it, but I'll read it... eventually.
I ADORE hearing you talking about books and the lives of the authors! ❤
Thank you so much, Alexandra! I really appreciate that. I'd love to know what you make of Bulgakov's great novel when you read it ☺️❤️
This first chapter or so will knock your socks off 😂
During your introduction to Stalin, you showed a doctored photo of Stalin and Beria on the left of the frame. On the right was an empty space with the river in the background. I laughed aloud at the Bulgakovian nature of the photo. The empty space originally showed a high ranking minister who was disappeared and erased from the picture.
The man who has been erased from the photo is Nikolai Yezhov, head of the NKVD between 1936 and 1938. Stalin used to call him “our Himmler”. Organiser of the Great Terror, then executed in 1940.
I have 3 degrees in literature but never read much Russian lit outside of Tolstoy. I’ve taken 2024 to be my year of Russian lit and these videos are so fantastic in helping me. This one was particularly amazing! Thank you so much for all that you do! You have a gift and a soothing voice ✨
If anyone is on the fence about joining the Patreon book club, I want you to know that I have been a member for over a year and wish I would have signed up earlier. If you want to actually read some of those books on your bucket list, this is a great way to get that done in a supportive community with clear reading goals and assignments. Best subscription I have, by far.
Thank you so much for this incredibly beautiful review, Amber. You have completely made my day. I'm so grateful that you are journeying through these great books with so much love and depth with us 🙏☺️
Your timing couldn't be more perfect - I am half-way through this fascinating book. Thank you!
Wow! That's amazing timing! I'm so happy you're enjoying it :)
I read this book last month. It took me a while to get into the satire and find it funny. The scene with the workers breaking out in song is what really made me start laughing out loud. I definitely wish I had this video a month ago.
A huge congratulations on reading it! This is definitely one that has a lot of difficulties upfront, but once you're into it, as you say, it is so hilarious! I love Bulgakov's sense of humour :)
ua-cam.com/video/ecFwf88b7Xw/v-deo.html
On my way to Amazon now. I have expanses my reading horizons vastly thanks to your channel! THANK YOU.
Wow! Thank you so much, Doug! I really appreciate that so deeply 🙏☺️
I highly recommend looking for Classics in used Bookstores whenever possible because they're often chalk full of them. And not only are you then not lining the pockets of one Jeff Bezos, but you can often get really cool editions or even find ones with lovely or insightful annotations.
I know this isn't an option for everyone, and Amazon is awfully convenient, but I just wanted to put it out there.
I have just brought this book. I am almost done with The Brothers Karamazov. Can't wait to read this book.
Read this book two years ago, a dear friend of mine has it on her reading list. Phenomenal book, absolutely recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor. Personally, I found it impossible to put down; Bulgakov wrote a true masterpiece with The Master and Margarita.
I completely agree! I'm so happy you love it so much. Bulgakov's sense of humour is right in line with what I find hilarious :) Masterpiece is absolutely the word to describe this novel!
the first chapter was really entertaining and got me into the book. Whimsical
I'm so thrilled to hear that :)
Thanks and greetings from the Czech Republic! ;) (we've got an awesome translation; the translator lady actually went to Russia to Bulgakov's widow, to their appartment which inspired some stuff, drank from His own cup etc...)
Fantastic video on Bulgakov. I really need to read this book.
Thank you so much, Yolanda ☺️
I read this book three times. The transition to part two of the book is amazing.
Completely agree! :)
Excited to see that you're featuring The Master and Margarita, it's one of my favorites. Thank you!
I have always felt that not only is the book reminiscent of faust, but its second half is similar to faust II. This always quickly curbed my reading enthusiasm getting into the latter half of the book.
just finished it today, hands down one of my favorite books of all time already, and would likely never have found it if you didn't put it on the hlbc list for this year, so thank you for that Ben!
Wow! Congratulations on finishing it :) It fills me with so much joy to hear it's now one of your all-time favourite books!! ☺️
Ben , your reviews are insanely deep, perfectly presented and thoroughly enjoyable. This review in particular is absolutely first class. I love it.
Wow! Thank you so much :) You have completely made my day!!
I’ve been waiting until I finished the book, before I watched your video. Such a treat, and vital for anyone needing some guidance before and after reading!
Thanck you for this wonderful lesson! Greetings from Romania
You're so welcome! Thank you for watching over in beautiful Romania 🇷🇴☺️
Currently reading this!! Love a good synchronicity 🤓
Nice one, Alexa!! I really love a good synchronicity too ☺️
I've just started on this book and have been a Hardcore Literature Patreon member for a year. I wanted to say that this is your strongest lecture yet to which I've listened. I had to pause and rewind multiple times because I was taking so many notes on your important points. Thanks for the hard work!
(alert: some spoilers ahead) I have been hoping you'd have a video about this book for ages, and finally here it is. I 'found' this book when reading your countryman Billy Connolly's book Made in Scotland, in which he listed his favourite books, M&M is one of them. I agree with you completely on the potential difficulty to fully understand the satirical dark humours in this book, the warm foaming apricot juice to start with, one really has to watch a few Russian movies from the 50s, 60s to glance the similar expressions out of the 'impoverished' life people had to endure.
You have also explained a question that i have had for a long time: why Bulgakov named quite a few of his characters with the famous composers, it was from his own upbringing, and the love of the operas. Thank you! And I must add that anyone whose favourite composer is Igor Stravinsky, will not find yourself overjoyed watching him transformed into a doctor in the madhouse Bezdomny has to dwell, and what a doctor!!! up to this day, i couldn't stop laughing whenever i heard the word Schizophrenia!!! 😀
there is also an audiobook by Recorded Books, read by George Goodell that is quite brilliantly done, it is on youtube.
and Thank you for the recommendations of the translations, I will look for the ones that I haven't read.
"Manuscripts don't burn" great words. I write some texts from time to time and I confirm. You can destroy all copies, but if you do not destroy the author/creator, you will not destroy the work. I've read the book at least three times... and discover something different each time. These are, in fact, two books in one. I recommend this beautiful classic of literature, but please devote some time to this piece of masterpiece because it's really worth it! It is one of my favouirte :-) Great speech :-) Best rgds from beautiful Gdańsk.
I just finished reading an Arabic translation of this novel in a relatively short time, 10 days, while living in Lebanon that is currently in a war… I think I’ll reread it but this time in English later in more peaceful times…
I finished the audiobook a few days ago. What an absolute masterpiece and the English version of the recording ( with Julian Rhind Tutt) is just incredible. His narration and ability to create different characters really bring this story to life!
Currently suffering withdrawal symptoms having grown quite attached to the characters. I find myself missing the time I spent with the Master and Margarita, and especially Behemoth 😻
Behemoth is always my favorite as well! I first read this book in college in the late 80s and from the start it has been and remains one of my most favorite books ever!
Greetings from Ireland.
Your enthusiasm is infectious! It's definitely an out there book. Started it a while back on holiday, but I must go back to it now that I know its fascinating background.
Now that you mention it (its relation to Goethe's Faust), I realize how closely it resembles the Baroque characteristics of modern German novels (a main argument in Stephen D. Dowden's Sympathy for the Abyss), and how Latin American "magical realism" novels are related to this masterpiece through the Baroque connection. Thank you very much!
This is a is one of the best of your masterful guides. The bio part was remarkable and your explication of the high parts of the narrative were spot on. Will rush back to a reread of this one. Thank you for your brilliance.
Another brilliant video. Thank you so much. I am abysmally ignorant of Bulkagov and the oppressive atmosphere of Stalin. Looking forward to reading the Master and Margarita. Benjamin you are so inspiring.
Your work enriches my life. Thanks, ben.
Thank you so much!! You have completely made my day :)
Truly brilliant and well informed! Thank you for this insightful guide. I read this novel when I was 13 and loved it, perceiving it as an ode to love and creativity. Yes, many writers and artists were repressed and some had it much “worse” than Bulgakov or Solzhenitsyn. You might be interested in having a look at Executed Renaissance - Valerian Pidmohylny’s “The City” portrays the city of Kyiv in the 1920s, not long after the events described in Bulgakov’s “The White Guard” or his play “The Days of the Turbins” which you mention in this video. Happy reading!
Well done! A mere single thumbs up isn't nearly enough to express how much I thoroughly enjoyed this review.
Wow, thank you so much!! You have completely made my day :)
I picked up this book few days ago and hoped that you had a video on it since it was confusing and a complicated read. This video is released on the right time for me. 😅 Thank you 🙏
Literally just started this book yesterday. Thank you so much!
Fantastic timing!! I hope you enjoy it! :)
I read this book for the first time over 25 years ago. There was a play in a local theater based on this novel. The director had an enthralling idea of interweaving the biblical and "contemporary" parts of the plot by playing the parts of Voland/Pilat and Jeshua/Master by the same actors. I found this so very much thought provoking. However when I re-read Master and Margarita a few months ago, I found myself mostly pondering about... the inconvenience of being naked.... call me shallow... :-|
Language of the original - one of my native languages. It's interesting how those belonging to another cultural context will understand this book. It's like people laughing after a good joke and trying to explain the same joke to each other. I don't think there's such a dramatic difference between us, but still, there's a lot you won't grasp because you didn't live under Soviet rule. Just keep in mind that ordinary things became luxury items in the USSR. The vast majority of people had no opportunity to improve their financial situation. The state was the only employer and decided for itself how much money was enough for you. Much of the plot revolves around this. The culture of cancellation is most similar to the atmosphere in which the events of the novel take place.
When it comes to cultural dictatorship Soviet Union and Ukraine 2014-2024 are very similar. I mean the memorial sign of Bulgakov itself was removed in Kyiv in 2022. While the 4 Bandera statues still stand. Perhaps you should reread the book.
When I first bought this book decades ago I was so excited by it, that I rushed it and bought another copy in case someone "borrowed" it and never gave it back. I also greatly recommend the same author's "White Guard" - more conventional but brilliant, and his first book about working as a doctor. A Russian friend told me that among Russians people were amazed and thrilled that it had been published, because whispers about it had gone on so long.
Perfect timing. I've just started the novel a couple of days ago.
Amazing timing! I hope you enjoy it :)
Oh my, I'm just finishing War and Peace. I guess it will be another deep dive with this one. Thank you for the guidance
Wow! Congratulations on finishing up War and Peace, Kevin :) How incredible to follow on Tolstoy's masterpiece with Bulgakov's great novel. It will be so interesting to see how the writers compare!
This one is going on my list. Thanks for helping me appreciate Russian lit. I’m loving it. Especially Anna Karenina.❤ I’m looking forward to reading post-Russian revolution. I think it will be quite a different experience.
I keep returning to this commentary as I delve into Bulgakov, again and again.
Thank you. Really enjoyed your commentary on one of my favourite books. I originally read it in the original Russian but it was at a time when I was first getting properly up to speed with Russian so it took me about 3 months! I've read it a couple of times since in English and the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation is excellent.
Thank you so much, Alan! That's so cool you read this masterpiece in the original Russian. I would love to be able to do that someday. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation makes me think the original must be beautifully poetic!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is (obviously) best to read in the original - like any novel, I guess? But you're right, you need a good knowledge of 1930s Soviet history to appreciate the satirical humour as well as basic knowledge of the new Testament. It's still can be a good read though just because of the bizarreness of what is happening in Moscow. On first reading, I skimmed the biblical scenes a little but every time I come back to it, I appreciate these passages more and more.
There was an excellent Russian TV miniseries of it from 2005 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Master_and_Margarita_%28miniseries%29 - with a great soundtrack. I highly recommend it although I'm not sure if there's a version with English language and/or subtitles.
The best reason to learn Russian, in my experience though, is to appreciate the poetry of Pushkin. It's just runs off the tongue so well and has wonderful humour. No translation really does it justice. Russian is a great language for poetry because of the loose structure and the rich but regular inflection. I did my own literal translation of 'Eugene Onegin' (with a lot of help from Nabokov!) and 'Ruslan and Ludmila'. One day I may get back to more Russian literature. Maybe when I'm retired, I'll have the time!
Anyway, keep up the good work. I'm really glad you came up on my UA-cam timeline at last.
I read this for the first time last year with help from online analyses. Masterful and deserving of re reads
This is among my favorites...
I just finished reading TMAM today and I'm so happy to have found your channel! Thoroughly enjoyable, thank you! 😽
Congratulations on finishing it!! And thank you so much for watching. I really appreciate you being here ☺️
Awesome mate. Currently halfway through my third time reading this book. It still hurts my brain.
Thank you, David! I completely relate to that :) Bulgakov challenges me no matter how many times I read him!
Phenomenal deep dive as usual! Thank you for the great insight on this masterpiece
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that :)
Seeing another one of your videos has arrived has made my day! Will purchase this book ASAP! Thank you, Ben. :-)
Aw, thank you so much, Marian :) I'm so happy to hear that! I'd love to know what you make of it!
Just started this book. So glad I listened to your talk on this, it will help me immensely!
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear that :) I hope you enjoy it, Lisa!
The book of all times, smart, sharp, satirical, where mystery and realism are so tightly woven and cannot be separated. One of those books I wish everyone could read the original in Russian.
Beautifully put :) This is one of the works that most make me yearn to learn Russian!
What a great video on Blugakov! Will you create a video on Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons?
I swear i just purchased this book couple of hours before this video was posted, I am 100 pages in and I have to say I love this book
Fantastic timing! I'm so happy you're loving it so much :)
Excellent summary and analysis. Sublime book all the way through - a new film adaptation came out in Russia this year and was the biggest box office hit in years. The parallels between the 30’s USSR and contemporary Russia remind me of that quote about history not repeating but rhyming
I'm amused that there are lots of readers today and I believe it is the healthy way to live. I'm happy to hear people talk about books they read, great literature works.
Your channel is one of the best - if not the best - thing on UA-cam. Thank you so much for creating such thoughtful, interesting and engaging videos. I have recently started Master and Margarita (currently in chapter 3) and so far it has been a bit of a slog due to the large number of notes to the text, which are essential to understand the references and allusions but also interrupt the flow of the reading. This video has given me the push to persevere and be consistent. I am sure it will pay off :)
Listened to a few reviews after reading this book. This was by far my favorite
Thank you so much, Christy! You have made my day! ☺️
Benjamin you are the best!
Thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate you :)
I read this book 20 years ago, when i was living in San Francisco. One of my closest friend, loved Russian literature and she turned me on to it. Master and the Margarita will be on reading list this year, along with Checov, Doystoyevsky and Turgev. 😊
*Turgenev ))
@@Alexandra_Indina love Turgev stories.
Benjamin please make videos on these :-
'the rover' by Aphra behn
'Doctor Faustus ' by Christopher Marlowe
'Gulliver's travel' by Jonathan Swift .
In my book Michael Glenny's translations of all of Bulgakov's works are superb in that he eschewed literalism for getting the closest he possibly could in terms of voice, humour. and narrative
This is my favorite book of all time. I am not from Russia, so I read it in translation. Maybe it'll sound unusual , but first read it when I was 12 years old and find it so amusing. Of course, I have read it many times since then, and this is something that changed my life forever. Good video, thanks.
I'm so happy to hear this is your favourite book of all time, Amalija! It sounds like this masterpiece holds a lot of really special personal meaning for you :)
I read it blind a few years ago, and didn't bother reading the introductions. This worked in my favor, because in my second reading, understanding the allegory, I realized that a blind reading let me experience the ridiculous fever dream of the story.
In my second reading i was definitely in the "bemused reader" category...
Mandelstam’s poetry forms the epigraph to one of the greatest works of American Literature - The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
Wolfe was deeply influenced by Dickens, Proust, Nabokov and Greek Mythology as well as Catholicism ( he was a practicing Catholic) and all these influences braid together to form a fantastic and deep story.
I think you will enjoy it and appreciate its depth.
There’s a recent film adaptation of the novel that’s making some noise in Russia. The moral descendants of Soviet bureaucrats demand it to be banned. If it ever gets translated, highly recommend to watch. It’s a new approach to the story and at the same time it mirrors the current events in Russia with eery accuracy (taking into account that it was filmed before the current wave of repressions).
Каких бл@ть репресий? Либерды которые ненавидят Россию желающей её развала и раздела. В России ещё очень мягко с ней поступают.
I am rereading The Master and Margarita for the fourth or fifth time. I stumbled upon it in the early ‘90’s and picked it for a book club I was in. What was so fascinating to me were the many layers of this book. It has become one of my favorite books I have ever read and I’m thrilled we are reading it here. Each time I’ve read it, I’ve understood it better.
Wow! It makes me so happy to hear how much you love this incredible novel, Pam! I know exactly what you mean about understanding it better upon each reread. There are so many layers to Bulgakov's masterpiece and you always bring a new part of yourself to it each time :)
Aside from Nabokov, he has become my fave Russian novelist. Read this for the first time 3 yrs ago, and have read it twice since, and ,amazingly ,it has seemed almost a different book each time. Don Quixote is the only other book I’ve ever read that I can say that about.
I read this novel when I was twenty, I reread it this summer when I was forty.
Woland's entry, the criminal incursions of Koroviev and Behemoth, the grotesque situations of the bureaucratic regime and the figure of Pilate who obtusely questions Jesus..
they were images still vivid in my memory.
It is an immense novel that cannot be fully embraced.
It's a dizzying carousel and an immortal love story.
I am new to your channel. I have to say I enjoy so much your recommendation of Bulgakov's work with enthusiasm and knowledge. Definitely can't wait to read it. Thanks.
Lokshin’s film “The Master and Margarita” is the best film adaptation of this great book
The book is included into the school mandatory reading program in the former Soviet Union countries. We used to read it at school.
This video contains a very good context analysis. Bravo.
I finished this book last night. I feel like I have fallen in love. I was absolutely enraptured by this book.
Wow! Congratulations on finishing it!! I'm so happy you fell in love with this masterpiece :)
You should upload videos twice a week honestly, i always search for your videos. Love your content.
"These weren't bugs, these were features." 👏
It is interesting that exactly the people who hate Stalin tend to give him supernatural godlike powers of omnipresence, omnipotence an so on.
Agreed with every word. Ecranisation is FANTASTIC too.
I'm excited to get to some less agrandized works in the canon. I love all the books you've presented, Ben. Books for readers of all levels. I hope you do William Gaddis. Wow. Cant wait for this first time with "The M/M"! "Genji" too!
Thank you so much, Brock! I'm also tremendously excited for Genji too :) I have a feeling that this one is going to be a very special read-through. And I would definitely absolutely love to do William Gaddis in the future!
You have no idea how happy this made me when I saw the notification lol!! I just bought this book
Thank you so much, Jocey!! I'm so happy to hear you bought it :) I'd love to know what you make of it!
Looking forward to reading this!
Have you read the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe? It is what some (myself firmly included) would consider a masterpiece of science fiction. I think it would be a great addition to your 'How to Read' series!
Thanks for sharing another lovely video, Benjamin!
Have an amazing week ahead!
Cheers from Brazil!
Highly recommend checking out the Michael Karpelson translation. It's brilliant
(Also, the audiobook version has best narrator I've ever heard)
Hello my friend Benjamin, I loved your video I think you are a bright talented man because of your analysis of the book plus so many more books you mentioned and have analyzed (I wasn't familiar with your channel before but I'm very happy I did), let me tell you a little bit about my background since you asked us to do that at the end of the video, I'm Mexican and in the process of becoming an Orthodox Christian, I love learning about my Faith and I know you know Russia is a big part of it, I also love reading about many topics (history, religion, art, etc) so this book came in under my radar recently, I do have the book but I haven't read it - well just did the first few pages - but I already read Heart of a Dog and I love it! I am so excited about this book and your video really helped me a lot about what to expect plus the tips you provided at the end of the video, but yes your analysis is really good also about what you said about what you should be familiar with before hand - gospels, soviet Russia, etc - thank you very much for this awesome video and I will check your other videos as well 🙏🙏🙏
I’ve been a little afraid of starting this. I’ve recently started a journey into Russian literature and have had this on my TBR for a few years. After falling in love with Anna Karenina and Crime and Punishment, I purchased this recently. Thank you for the background information and recommendation to read Faust. But I’m diving in now, thanks to your insight!
Just what I needed. Joining your exploration of literature on Spotify as I have read this book twice now, but as you mentioned, missed quite a bit of what the story is conveying.
Thank you so much for the video. Love your beautiful & clear speech
Aw, thank you so much! I really appreciate that 😊
I agree that this is one of the greatest books of the twentieth century. I have read it twice. i would also highly recommend Bulgakov's "Heart of a Dog",
just discovered your channel Ben -- keep it up! Awesome content. My wife and I love listening to your presentations.
Wow! Thank you so much, Larry! I really appreciate that deeply :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoyI have to tell you - I've always struggled with the great Russians, but just before Christmas read - and ENJOYED - Anna Karenina (Constance Garnett trans.) I listened to your "Anna Karenina Taste Test" episode (hahaha), got the Rosamund Bartlett translation you showed us in the video, and immediately re-read Anna again. Enjoyed it 10x more. I'm going to get my hands on the P&V translation and read it again. Would never have done this without your influence.