Author Archives: susan

One of the themes I see in this novel is the one of good versus evil; obvious, since both the devil and Jesus Christ are metaphorically referenced.  But there is more to the repression of Russia’s common folk than temptation … Continue reading → Continue reading →

So that’s what happens on vacation: you still read, but you don’t bother writing about it.  A couple things that struck me particularly in this reading: And suddenly they started singing the second verse as if of their own accord, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Actually a bit beyond the midpoint, but Bulgakov makes it a focus of change: We have no idea whether there were any other strange occurrences in Moscow that night, and we have no intention of trying to find out, since … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Obviously this novel is full of it, but Bulgakov, much like Marquez, makes it so enjoyable:      (…) there in a leather armchair, sobbing uncontrollably and clutching a wet handkerchief, her head thrown back and her legs stretched out … Continue reading → Continue reading →

     "The fact is that a year ago I wrote a novel about Pilate." "     You’re a writer?" asked the poet with interest.       The guest’s face darkened, and he shook his fist at Ivan that then … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There is a telltale sign that what you’re reading is a Russian novel–aside from the triple-named characters.  For me, it’s a sense of drama within the story that excites the characters yet is presented to the reader in a more … Continue reading → Continue reading →

And so the show is onstage, with Professor Woland seated, the black cat prancing about, and Fagot/Korovyov taking over the act.  What is promised is black magic tricks and an expose, but the magic is beyond comprehension except for its … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As I mentioned, the variety of characters, the different story paths were leading up to what the reader, as he learns more and more, comes to believe will be a momentous and telling part of the narrative.  The mysterious and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Despite what some adventure loving readers may claim, the novel that becomes a literary classic always has some kind of carefully considered plot. It simply is not the main priority of the narrative. In this novel, where much is implied … Continue reading → Continue reading →