The Master And Margarita

Book Name : The Master And Margarita
Author : Mikhail Bulgakov

What is it about : A fantasy fiction about the havoc wreaked on Moscow when Satan and three sidekicks came to town - one of whom was a walking and talking malicious tom-cat ! Anyone who unfortunately crossed paths with these guys ended up either in the madhouse, had his head cut off by a tram, had their clothes disappeared and walked the streets naked or turned into a witch - basically Moscow burnt down and Muscovites running around for their lives as they watched ! The legend about the betrayal by Judas for 30 pieces of silver, supposedly all those years ago, made an interesting interlude of "a story within a story".

Some thoughts after having read the book : Crazy, surreal or pure magic - take your pick on deciding the book's nature. I would go for all three. It was hard going to get used to the style and translation to start but I actually ended up liking the book for the choice of words, structure and composition. The interlude as I mentioned above was vivid and electrifying and felt as if I was right there to witness the execution of the three prisoners. I thought that this historical interlude wrapped up nicely and intelligently towards the end of the book with the passing away of the Master (title).

Would I recommend this book to you : Ever watched Bettlejuice, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Harry Porter etc. - yeh that line of movies; well the book was a bit like that. Crazy, mind-boggling, unsettling and even fun sometimes. To that I would add poetic as well because the book was written beautifully. Free your pre-conceptions and let the book take you for a fantastic and crazy adventure and you would enjoy the ride.