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A full, post-glasnost critical biography of Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940).
Satan comes to Soviet Moscow in this critically acclaimed translation of one of the most important and best-loved modern classics in world literature. The Master and Margarita has been captivating readers around the world ever since its first publication in 1967. Written during Stalin’s time in power but suppressed in the Soviet Union for decades, Bulgakov’s masterpiece is an ironic parable on power and its corruption, on good and evil, and on human frailty and the strength of love. In The Master and Margarita, the Devil himself pays a visit to Soviet Moscow. Accompanied by a retinue that includes the fast-talking, vodka-drinking, giant tomcat Behemoth, he sets about creating a whirlwind...
Mikhail Bulgakov (1891–1940) was one of the most popular Russian writers of the twentieth century, but many of his works were banned for decades after his death due to the extreme political repression his country enforced. Even his great novel, The Master and Margarita, was written in complete secrecy during the 1930s for fear of the writer being arrested and shot. In her revelatory new biography, J. A. E. Curtis provides a fresh account of Bulgakov’s life and work, from his idyllic childhood in Kiev to the turmoil of World War One, the Russian Revolution, and civil war. Exploring newly available archives that have opened up following the dissolution of the USSR, Curtis draws on new hist...
_______________ 'Curtis spent a decade trying to negotiate her way past possessive Soviet archivists, and the result of her persistence is the most comprehensive selection of personal documents so far available in any language' - Simon Franklin, Times Literary Supplement 'Ingeniously structured ... an absorbing and, at times, uplifting book' - Robert Russell, Modern Language Review 'An engaging and readable story of a life which wears its scholarship lightly ... Rich and exciting material' - Jane Grayson, Slavonic and East European Review 'Produces a lovely collage effect, the verbal equivalent of the photo album or scrapbook' - Laura D. Weeks, Russian Review _______________ A reissued editi...
As the turbulent years following the Russian revolution of 1917 settle down into a new Soviet reality, the brilliant and eccentric zoologist Persikov discovers an amazing ray that drastically increases the size and reproductive rate of living organisms. At the same time, a mysterious plague wipes out all the chickens in the Soviet republics. The government expropriates Persikov's untested invention in order to rebuild the poultry industry, but a horrible mix-up quickly leads to a disaster that could threaten the entire world. This H. G. Wells-inspired novel by the legendary Mikhail Bulgakov is the only one of his larger works to have been published in its entirety during the author's lifetime. A poignant work of social science fiction and a brilliant satire on the Soviet revolution, it can now be enjoyed by English-speaking audiences through this accurate new translation. Includes annotations and afterword.
Marietta Chudakova is an expert on Soviet literature and on the works of Mikhail Bulgakov in particular. Her biography of Bulgakov was first published in 1988 and remains the most authoritative and comprehensive study of the writer’s life ever produced. It has received acclaim for the journalistic style in which it is written: the author draws on unpublished manuscripts and early drafts of Bulgakov’s novels to bring the writer to life. She also explores archive documents and memoirs written by some of Bulgakov’s contemporaries so as to construct a comprehensive and nuanced portrait of the writer and his life and times. Marietta Chudakova casts light on Bulgakov’s life with an unrival...
"The White Guard is the first full-length novel by the Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov, written between 1923 and 1924. However, it was not published in its entirety until after Bulgakov's death. The novel is a remarkable exploration of the political and social turmoil following the Bolshevik Revolution and the civil war in Ukraine. et in Kyiv during the winter of 1918-1919, The White Guard captures a time of dramatic political changes as the Russian Empire collapses and multiple factions vie for control of the region. The story revolves around the Turbin family, particularly the siblings Alexei and Elena, and their close friend Nikolai. The family is caught in the chaos as White Guard forces, Bolsheviks, and Ukrainian nationalists battle for dominance over the city. The novel vividly portrays the personal and psychological struggles of individuals amid the disintegration of the old order and the rise of a new, chaotic reality. Bulgakov masterfully depicts daily life in Kyiv during a time of siege and upheaval, highlighting the loss of security and the collapse of traditional institutions."
From the author of The Master and Margarita comes this short and tragic masterpiece about drug addiction Young Dr. Bromgard has come to a small country town to assume a new practice. No sooner has he arrived than he receives word that a colleague, Dr. Polyakov, has fallen gravely ill. Before Bromgard can go to his friend’s aid, Polyakov is brought to his practice in the middle of the night with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and, barely conscious, gives Bromgard his journal before dying. What Bromgard uncovers in the entries is Polyakov’s uncontrollable and merciless descent into morphine addiction — his first injection to ease his back pain, the thrill of the drug as it overtakes him, the looming signs of addiction, and the feverish final entries before his death.