Speak of the Devil!
The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov
The devil descends upon Moscow in the 1930s with his riotous band, which includes an expert assassin and a demonic, gun-toting tomcat.
Disappearances, destruction and death spread through the city like wildfire and Margarita discovers that her lover has vanished in the chaos. Making a bargain with the devil, she decides to try a little black magic of her own to save the man she loves...
Bulgakovs The Master and Margarita is a soaring, dazzling novel; an extraordinary fusion of wildly disparate elements. It is a concerto played simultaneously on the organ, the bagpipes, and a pennywhistle, while someone sets off fireworks between the players feet.
NEW YORK TIMES
Recommended translation (Amazon Paperback)
Alternate translation for Kindle users
Probably available at your local library (look for the Burgin/O'Connor translation!).
Let's read!
Guidelines:
-Read at your own pace, and comment whenever you feel like it. If you want to discuss specifics, please use spoiler tags! [spoiler]text goes here[/spoiler]
-When using spoiler tags, please mark where you are--a chapter number is fine.
-Suggestions for the next book club selection are welcome at any time. We'll vote on the next book sometime near the end of the month.
Future Book Club Possibilities:
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Dubliners by James Joyce
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Don Quixote by Pierre Menard
[your recommendation here!]
Previous Book Club Threads:
The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas (Aug 2011)
Master and Commander, by Patrick O'Brian (July 2011)
The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin (June 2011)
A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan (May 2011)
The Afghan Campaign, by Steven Pressfield (Apr 2011)
Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein (Mar 2011)
Flashman, by George MacDonald Fraser (Feb 2011)