Master and Margarita

A 50th-anniversary Deluxe Edition of the incomparable 20th-century masterpiece of satire and fantasy, in a newly revised version of the acclaimed Pevear and Volokhonsky translation

Nothing in the whole of literature compares with The Master and Margarita. One spring afternoon, the Devil, trailing fire and chaos in his wake, weaves himself out of the shadows and into Moscow. Mikhail Bulgakov's fantastical, funny, and devastating satire of Soviet life combines two distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, each brimming with historical, imaginary, frightful, and wonderful characters. Written during the darkest days of Stalin's reign, and finally published in 1966 and 1967, The Master and Margarita became a literary phenomenon, signaling artistic and spiritual freedom for Russians everywhere.

This newly revised translation, by the award-winning team of Pevear and Volokhonsky, is made from the complete and unabridged Russian text.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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Published Jan 1, 2018

448 pages

Average rating: 7.91

174 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

litjock
Sep 29, 2025
10/10 stars
Yes. Yes. Yes. A bizarre, absurd, and fun read all while making an impactful statement about how lies corrupt, how easy it is to go insane, hope and love, authenticity, art, and courage and cowardice. Interestingly, the devil is the only character that tells the truth.
andywarholiday
Dec 19, 2024
10/10 stars
A random paperback landed in my lap 30+ years ago and never left. Some translations are more artful than others, but for my money, this is novel is about as good as literature gets.
Rose Mendez
Dec 27, 2023
6/10 stars
Well, alrighty, then....
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
This was very bizarre. Almost dreamlike all the way through. A story about an author who is writing a book about pontius pilate. It’s hard to imagine the reception this would have gotten in the time it was published. Really pushing the envelope!
E Clou
Jul 05, 2023
6/10 stars
It's too absurd for my taste. There were parts I enjoyed, but with so many characters and no laws of physics, it was just a lot.

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