What did you make of this one guys?

>>9078202
It was funny sometimes.

You have to be pretty aware of life in USSR and all it's quirks to get a lot of the charm and humor tbqh.

t. russki

>>9078208
Oh, I might as well drop this meme.
"Há quatro traduções brasileiras até o momento (2013): duas a partir do inglês e duas diretas do russo. A primeira tradução foi publicada em 1969, pela editora Novo Tempo, sob o título O Diabo Chega a Moscou Travestido em Professor Alemão de Magia Negra. "
Quick translation: There are four brazillian translations until now(2013): two from english and two straight from russian. The first translation was published in 1969 by the the editor Novo Tempo under the name "The Devil arrives in Moscow dressed as a german teacher of black magic."

>>9078214
Agreed. If you do not have a pretty cohesive picture of what life was like in 1930s Russia, then many of Bulgakov's critical nuances will fall flat. Not much of a 'satire' in that case.

>>9078202
As has been said before, context is everything. Novel wasn't published until after Stalin's death. Much of the thematic stuff is satirical nudges at the Soviet state and specifically the new Atheism of SU. Bulgakov wasn't any Dostoevsky when it came to Christian morality but he could see the usefulness in it and somewhat resented the complete elimination of it. Hence why the devil goes around tempting people specifically into vices pretty much constantly.

My reading of it basically was that the first book is representative of the secret police and oppressive state working to silence voices and artists by eliminating management in the Variety and Massolit and having them disappear. Second half is escapist surrealist fantasy about what people will do to get away from the crushing nature of every day life, perhaps falling back onto folktales and more paganistic beliefs with nowhere to put their faith.

That's what I got at least.
Everything else "hey its a Faust reference" or "isn't Behemoth a cool guy". Which is fine.


I liked it

>>9078296
Behemoth a cute
Cuuuute