Manuscripts don’t burn.

Written at the height of Stalinist rule in the USSR, Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita critiques the Soviet government’s forced involvement of art, illustrating how authenticity withstands suppression. Bulgakov intertwines three narrative threads across two timelines—the trial of Jesus under Pontius Pilate and the chaotic world of 1930s Russian society, where black magic disrupts the mundane.

The novel follows Satan, disguised as a black magic professor named Woland, and his band of mischievous servants as they disrupt Moscow’s rigid Soviet society, particularly through their surreal and chaotic seance at the Variety theater. Their antics expose the hypocrisy, greed, and moral corruption of those in control.

Running parallel to this supernatural upheaval is the story of Pontius Pilate, a retelling that, while not canonically faithful to the Bible, presents a deeply humanized rendition of the Roman governor. His internal struggle with guilt, power, and fate adds a philosophical depth to the story within the novel. As these two narratives mend together, Bulgakov warns of the deterministic nature of our existence - no one is above fate.

The characters are the true highlight of the novel, particularly Behemoth, the gun-wielding, talking cat in Woland’s entourage. Bulgakov takes no creative limitations, blurring the line between the absurd and the profound.

Woland himself remains an enigma, neither wholly good nor truly evil. Though his actions bring chaos, they serve a deeper purpose to expose the greed, cowardice, and moral decay of the Soviets. His brand of justice is unconventional yet deliberate, rewarding those who remain true to themselves while punishing the hypocritical. His most striking insight comes in his remark:

“What would your good be doing if there were no evil, and what would the earth look like if shadows disappeared from it?”

This novel offers a unique take on the classic “deal with the devil” trope. The most interesting thing is that the novel itself mirrors Bulgakov’s own reality. Just as the Master’s story is discarded and suppressed within the book, so too was The Master and Margarita hidden from the world until after Bulgakov’s death. His belief that authenticity endures through all resistance is prophetic.

Overall Rating: 8/10