The Master and Margarita (Macmillan Collector's Library)

The book is ridiculously small. it fits in the palm of my hand. Good quality, but I would have purchased a larger edition if I would have been paying closer attention to the size.

Beautifully- made book, however only six inches tall!

I've been searching for this version for years. Long out of print, it's by far the best translation of Bulgakov's masterpiece that anyone's ever done. That's including Michael Glenny himself, who for some reason translated the book twice. His hardcover is a collector's item, but this one is better! I was SO excited to find it again after all these years, and in great condition, too! It manages to be funny, spooky, magical and absurd, while also being deeply philosophical. One of my favorite books of all time!

Beautiful format but not the best translation, in my humble opinion.

This amazing book was written during the time of Stalin in the USSR. It was only shown to the author’s friends and not published until 1966 - after the author’s death. It is a critique of so many things on so many levels - there isn’t the space here to go into detail. On many levels, this may be the best fantasy for adults.

It started out great. I was hooked. Oh, boy, here we go. I'm going to love this. Then it got a bit repetitive. Then it got really repetitive. The frequent references to the devil by the characters weren't even clever. Were they meant to be? Russian writers love devils and witches, don't they? And, they can be interesting. But, I thought this flamed out after the Master's stage show. Maybe someday I will try to finish it, but I just couldn't now. Love Russian music, but not so crazy about the literature. Now that I think of it, I'm not sure I have ever finished any of the historically revered Russian novels with the one exception of Pushkin's A Captain's Daughter. Maybe it is me.

I am beginning now to reread this masterpiece. I am not sure yet why the book is so great, but I know it is. And, because I read the book, I know that everything I know is wrong and in the next world I am on my own.APace10-24-2018

I have a 20/20 vision and I need a magnifying glass to read this tiny book

After so many years when I had read it for the first time and found myself fascinated by it and swept into its currents, I re-read "The Master and Margarita" with relish. It is a literary classic because it has stood the test of time and it transcends its original settings and social commentary of the day it was written.In “The Master and Margarita” Satan, going by the name of Professor Woland, descends on the Soviet Russia, and wreaks absolute havoc. Heads roll, people go insane and events occur that make the reader’s hair stand on end. Yet, the existence of Satan defies not only logic but also the atheistic mantra of the communist state. The citizens cannot afford to believe in the supernatural causes of the goings on. Those who do are dismissed as lunatics and placed in a mental asylum. This is where poet Ivan Bezdomny meets the Master who is the author of a novel about Pontius Pilate and the times of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion. The story is retold from the point of view of a direct observer (the Devil himself) and gives an eerie sense of intimacy with the tormented Procurator of Judea. Still, nobody believes in it. In fact, just in case somebody might, the Master’s book is denigrated and he burns his manuscript in despair. His lover and devotee, Margarita is in despair. Even though she wants to stand by the Master he leaves her and checks himself into an asylum.This book may be a revered classic but it is also a vivid, engaging, funny and utterly intriguing piece of fiction. The message of condemnation of the soviet regime, human greed, stupidity and narrow-mindedness is masterfully hidden within the plot and brilliant story-telling. The reader is immersed in the supernatural, the surreal, the macabre and burlesque all at the same time. The book bristles with satirical humour. And it is as relevant today as it was in the Stalinist Russia.

Regardless of whether you pick up on the underlying themes, or just enjoy the completely crazy story which carries them, this is a witty, at times crazed, and massively memorable piece of work. If you like complete realism, or dont think you could get your head round the idea of a wisecracking cat in a bowtie, then perhaps give it a miss. If, like myself, you dont mind a bit of pure folly with your brilliant plot, give this a go.

I liked the way the story was in two parts, with the Master and Margarita appearing only in part 2, which makes one wonder if this is the book that was ordered. It is easy to understand why the Soviet authorities were not comfortable with this book as it reveals the bureaucratic nature of the society at all levels. Some of the destructive impulses on the part of Margarita made me a little uncomfortable at times. But it is in many superficial ways a charming fairy story with a heart of blackness underneath.

A strange fantastical tale imbued with wickedness. Written in a compelling way it grips the reader. All the time, whilst reading it,I was waiting for redemption to break in but it didn't ever happen. I might write a more detailed review later but for now I must seek an antidote.

The content of the book is fine,but it's too small with very difficult print to read (due to size). This would have been a beautiful book if bigger!!Beware of it's small size....Disappointing