The Master and MargaritaThe Master and Margarita
Score Classic
What it's about
One spring evening in 1930s Moscow, the Devil arrives, calling himself Professor Woland, with a retinue that includes an enormous talking black cat named Behemoth. Over the next few days they wreak havoc on the city's literary establishment and its bureaucrats. Meanwhile, a writer known only as the Master, who wrote a novel about Pontius Pilate, sits in a psychiatric hospital, and the woman who loves him, Margarita, is willing to do anything to get him back.
Why it's worth reading
It's on Le Monde's list of the books of the century and was a pick on the BBC's Big Read. Bulgakov wrote it in secret under Stalin, and it wasn't published until decades later.
You'll love it if you liked
Midnight's Children
Ficciones
DemonsGood to know
It moves between Moscow and ancient Jerusalem, and its satire of Soviet life is easier to follow with good notes. The Pevear and Volokhonsky or Burgin and O'Connor translations are good.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller57 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #58 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #151 of the 762 classics we rank
- #472 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Master and Margarita worth reading?
Yes. It's on Le Monde's list of the books of the century and was a pick on the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #472 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 78.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Master and Margarita about?
One spring evening in 1930s Moscow, the Devil arrives, calling himself Professor Woland, with a retinue that includes an enormous talking black cat named Behemoth. Over the next few days they wreak havoc on the city's literary establishment and its bureaucrats. Meanwhile, a writer known only as the Master, who wrote a novel about Pontius Pilate, sits in a psychiatric hospital, and the woman who loves him, Margarita, is willing to do anything to get him back.
How long does it take to read The Master and Margarita?
About 11 hours (432 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Master and Margarita?
If you liked it, try Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges or Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky.