The Master and Margarita

in Bulgakov's allegorical masterpiece of Stalin’s regime the devil is making a personal appearance in Moscow. He is accompanied by various demons, including a naked girl and a huge black cat. When he leaves, the asylums are full and the forces of law and order are in disarray. Only the Master, a writer and a man devoted to truth, and Margarita, the woman he loves, can resist the devil’s onslaught. ‘Stunning, superb... Bulgakov is one of the greatest Russian writers, perhaps the greatest’ Independent ‘A masterpiece – a classic of twentieth-century fiction’ New York Times TRANSLATED BY MICHAEL GLENNY, INTRODUCED BY WILL SELF