Black Snow -A Theatrical Novel by Mikhail Bulgahov - composed November 1936, first published in Russian in 1969 - translated by Roger Cockrell - 2016

Black Swan: A Theatrical Novel by Mikhail Bulgahov - composed November 1936, first published in Russian in 1969 - translated by Roger Cockrell - 2016

 

 Mikhail Bulgahov

May 15, 1891 Kyiv, Ukraine

March 10, 1940 - Moscow

Mikhail Bulgahov

May 15, 1891 Kyiv, Ukraine

March 10, 1940 - Moscow 

Last month I read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgahov

(In the translation by Richard Pevear and Lariosa Volohonsky).  I was just mesmerized by this work.  I knew I wanted to read more of his fiction.  I decided to start my read through of his work  with his first novel White Guard.  Black Swan, my third of his novels is set largely  in The famous Moscow Art Theater.  The theater was founded in 1898 by The  highly influential Konstantia Stanislavski, whose acting philosophy greatly influenced American cinema and theater.

Konstantin Stanislavski

Roger Cockrell in his very informative introduction indicates tbe extent which Black Snow draws from The Life experiences of Bulgahov.  

The story opens with the central character, Maxudov,  living in a small Moscow apartment, making his living as a clerk, a job he hates.   Living with a cat he found on the streets, he has just finished his fitst novel.  He reads it to a group of literary types who almost all trash his work.  He plans suicide but gets distracted.  Through intervention by influential an friend he gets an opportunity at a theater which Cockrell and others say is modeled on the Moscow Art Theater.  They are going to put on his Play based on his families experiences  during 1918, a very turbulent and dangerous year in Kiev.  Basically his book is being turned into a play.  As The play is being rerearshed there all sorts of conflicts. The actors all have big personas.  People want changes in the play.  The management is potrayed in a hilarious fashion as a capricious dictatorship.  The Maxudov has to try to placate the managers, the actors to his growing frustration.

Buglahov is a Marvel at describing people vividly. In one great scene we see lots of people trying to get free tickets. Watching The business manager deal with this was hilarious.

Bulgahov never completed Black Snow.  He perhaps felt it would not get past censors or maybe he just got distracted.  In any case it eas just great fun to read

I will next read Fatal Eggs, then Morphine and after that The Dog’s Delimma.  

 

White Guard by Mikhail Bulgahov - 1925. - translated from the Russian by Marion Schwartz- 2008 - published by Yale University Press - with an introduction by Evgeny Dobrenko

White Guard by Mikhail Bulgahov - 1925. - translated from the Russian by Marion Schwartz- 2008 - published by Yale University Press - with an introduction by Evgeny Dobrenko

Mikhail Bulgahov

May 15, 1891 Kyiv, Ukraine

March 10, 1940 - Moscow 

Earlier this month I read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgahov

(In the translation by Richard Pevear and Lariosa Volohonsky).  I was just mesmerized by this work.  I knew I wanted to read more of his fiction.  I decided to start my read through of his work  with his first novel White Guard.

Bulgahov and first wife

White Guard begins in Kiev in December of 1918.  The city was very damaged by World War One only to now be engulfed in the violence and chaos of the Russian Civil War.  The Germans have largely left the city but left their delegate to rule. His authority is Under attack from Ukrainian Nationalist and Socialist forces..The City is also a battle ground for The anti-Bolsevick White Russians and Pro-communist forces.  Plus French and English forces are in the City.

The chaos is depicted through the lives of the Turbin Family, 

siblings Alexei, Elena, and Nikolka—and their friends Myshlaevsky and Carp. 

Bulgahov marvelously reproduced the mind numbing anarchy and danger of the City in his prose.  His lists of things are perfect. The only real solution for ordinary people is to stay home, admit no strangers into your house, believe in nothing you have not 

seen.  Over this Bulgahov creates a vision out of the book of revelations.

There are lots of exciting combat scenes, some pretty frank sexual episodes as people look for distraction, a lot on food issues and some cocaine.

The very informative introduction by Evgeny Dobrenko provides political background to Help sort out all the different fighting groups.

My next of his works will be Black Snow, a satire of Soviet theater, where Bulgahov spent much of his working life, in the 1920s.

 

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgahov - 1967 - translated from Russian by Richard Pevear and Lariosa Volohonsky -with a Forward by Boris Fishman - 2016 - 412 Pages

 

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgahov - 1967 - translated from Russisn by Richard Pevear and Lariosa Volohonsky -with a Forward  by Boris Fishman - 2016 - 412 Pages 

This post is in Observation of The 130th Birth anniversary of Mikhail Bulgahov

A very good article on The Lecacy and history of The Master and Margarita 

With a newly revised translation based on an uncensored Russian original, The 50th anniversary edition has lots of useful footnotes. Bulgahov composed if from 1928 to 1940 but did not publish it for concern of reaction of Stalinist authorities 

Mikhail Bulgahov 

May 15, 1891 Kyiv, Ukraine

March 10, 1940 - Moscow 

I wish i had read this back in 1997 so I could have by now reread it numerous times.  Maybe Bulgahov’s ability to take us away from the mundane World will make it a marvelous pandemic times read for many.  Others maybe dealing with their own darkness now and feel similarities in modern societies to Stalist Era Moscow as portrayed by Bulgahov.  Others may see in The News from India The Devil having great fun or in contemporary politicians vain greedy sycophants to match those in The Master and Margarita.

‘Beautiful, strange, tender, scarifying, and incandescent . . . One of those novels that, even in translation, makes one feel that not one word could have been written differently . . Master and Margarita has too many achievements to list—for one thing, a plot scudding with action and suspense, not exactly a hallmark of Russian literature. . . . This luminous translation [is] distinguished by not only the stylistic elegance that has become a hallmark of Pevear and Volokhonsky translations but also a supreme ear for the sound and meaning of Soviet life. . . . It’s time for The Master and Margarita to rise to its rightful place in the canon of great world literature. . . . As literature, it will live forever.’ —Boris Fishman, from the Foreword

I have had The Master and Margarita on my to be read list for years. I can enthusiastically agree with those who see it as a great work of art, a remarkable combination of styles and a very funny satire of Russian Society under Stalin.  

The plot has two settings. One  turns on the Devil’s visit to the Soviet Union where he causes immense havoc aming Moscow literary elite.  The other setting is in the time of Jesus, centering on his order of execution by Pontius Pilate.

As part one open Woland, the Devil has a confrontation with Berlioz, head of an important trade Union. Woland tells him he will die that day.  In vivid scene Berlioz gets his head cut off in a bizzare accident.  A Young poet witnesses the event and attempts to capture Woland and his Entourage.  His attempts to convince the authorities Woland is the Devil, in an officially athesitic Society whose officials must repudiate such Ideas get him placed in a mental hospital.  There he meets The Master very bitter because no one will publish his novel about Pontius Pilate and Jesus. He has from his dispair abandoned his mistress Margarita.  Along The way Woland puts on an incredible magic show and trashes The luxury apartment of Berlioz.  Of course on his official income he could not afford such a place.

Part Two things get even stranger. Margarita learns to fly and control her unleashed passions.

We meet a magic cat, encounter Vampires, theatrical personalities and figures from Russian history.

Natasha, her maid, accompanies her as they fly over Russia’s forests and rivers. Margarita bathes and returns to Moscow with Azazello as the hostess of Satan's spring ball. At Azazello's side, she welcomes dark historical figures as they arrive from Hell. The Devil grants her one wish.  She asks for The Master to be returned to her.  At The Spring Ball numerous characters from Hell return for The party.  There  are echoes of Dante, Faust, and Gogol.  There are helpful footnotes

We read more of The Master’s novel.  Does he seem to vinducate Judas? Does he see Jesus as Christians do or as amythical figure?  

The plot is open to numerous interpretations.  Much turns on How you think The novel about Pontius Pilate illuminates Life in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.

There are lots of historical references and literary allusions. Faust is a source of inspiration as is the work of Gogol.  

It is very funny.  For sure it is Russia’s contribution to magic realism at a very high level.

The Master and Margarita is really as powerful as these famous writers have said 

“My favorite novel—it’s just the greatest explosion of imagination, craziness, satire, humor, and heart.” —Daniel Radcliffe

“From the first page I was immediately beguiled, leading me to my year of reading Bulgakov, drawing me to venture to Moscow to seek out the landmarks in the book, and the author’s grave, which is steps away from the grave of Gogol.” —Patti Smith, The New York Times Book Review

“Nude vampires, gun-toting talking black cat, and devil as ultimate party starter aside, the miracle of this novel is that every time you read it, it’s a different book.” —Marlon James, “My 10 Favorite Books,” in T: The New York Times Style Magazine

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