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Parkland: Birth of a Movement
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The New York Times bestselling author of Columbine offers a deeply moving account of the...
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Duck Soup (1933) in Movies
Feb 18, 2019
“You’re a brave man. Go and break through the lines. And remember, while you’re out there risking your life and limb through shot and shell, we’ll be in be in here thinking what a sucker you are” Rufus T. Firefly
And the one liners just keep on coming…
Here we have before you one of the most famous entries form The Marx Brothers as they made their indelible mark on Hollywood(land) and the silver screen back in the 1930’s, moving away from their Vaudeville roots to new level of immortally on celluloid.
The fifth film to credit the “The Marx Brothers”, Duck Soup in on one hand a sharply written satire on the weakness of mob mentality to willingly promote unwelcome change to their society and their willingness to follow just about any lunatic as long as they like what they hear; as well as a straight forward slapstick comedy of the time, in keeping with its music hall roots.
It is the music hall aspect of this classic which can be harder for a modern audience to take to, unless you are already disposed to this sort of rather dated humour. But as a satire, it is brilliant and still very funny over seventy years on.
Groucho Marx steals the show as Rufus T. Firefly as he leads his unwitting and possibly dimwitted fictional country of Fredonia (geddit?) to war and ultimate destruction. He is a character, whilst not in any way taking off Adolf Hitler, who was of course rising to power in Germany at this very moment, was clearly a reflection on this type of reckless and charismatic leader and as the hilarious final act demonstrates, is all too common in history and even in our present.
And the fact that Fredonia is ultimately doomed, was a coincidental foreshadowing of Nazi Germany’s fate a decade later, as well as a clear demonstration of the savvy writing.
Witty, whether it is the physical trademark Marx Brothers comedy or the sharp screenplay by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, based on the stage version of the same name, this a classic satire; whilst not being as hard hitting a s Chaplin’s works of the period, with The Great Dictator (1940) springing to mind, it still holds up and makes its point without hammering you over the head it.
So, you can just enjoy the show and/or take away the message, it is really up to you.
Here we have before you one of the most famous entries form The Marx Brothers as they made their indelible mark on Hollywood(land) and the silver screen back in the 1930’s, moving away from their Vaudeville roots to new level of immortally on celluloid.
The fifth film to credit the “The Marx Brothers”, Duck Soup in on one hand a sharply written satire on the weakness of mob mentality to willingly promote unwelcome change to their society and their willingness to follow just about any lunatic as long as they like what they hear; as well as a straight forward slapstick comedy of the time, in keeping with its music hall roots.
It is the music hall aspect of this classic which can be harder for a modern audience to take to, unless you are already disposed to this sort of rather dated humour. But as a satire, it is brilliant and still very funny over seventy years on.
Groucho Marx steals the show as Rufus T. Firefly as he leads his unwitting and possibly dimwitted fictional country of Fredonia (geddit?) to war and ultimate destruction. He is a character, whilst not in any way taking off Adolf Hitler, who was of course rising to power in Germany at this very moment, was clearly a reflection on this type of reckless and charismatic leader and as the hilarious final act demonstrates, is all too common in history and even in our present.
And the fact that Fredonia is ultimately doomed, was a coincidental foreshadowing of Nazi Germany’s fate a decade later, as well as a clear demonstration of the savvy writing.
Witty, whether it is the physical trademark Marx Brothers comedy or the sharp screenplay by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby, based on the stage version of the same name, this a classic satire; whilst not being as hard hitting a s Chaplin’s works of the period, with The Great Dictator (1940) springing to mind, it still holds up and makes its point without hammering you over the head it.
So, you can just enjoy the show and/or take away the message, it is really up to you.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Hate u Give in Books
Feb 8, 2018
Starr Carter lives a divided life. At sixteen, she spends part of her life in her impoverished inner city neighborhood and another portion in the suburbs, attending an elite prep school, where she is one of a handful of African American students. Starr feels like she is two Starrs, and she keeps these two people very separate, with a different set of friends and personas for each world. But her careful facade is threatened when her childhood best friend, Khalil, is killed by a police officer. Starr is with Khalil when he is shot--unarmed--and her life will never be the same. In the aftermath, the media begins to call Khalil a drug dealer and a gang member. But speaking up about what she saw isn't so simple, especially when not everyone wants to hear the truth.
You've probably heard about Thomas' debut novel by now--it's been getting a lot of coverage and truly, deservedly so. This is definitely a <i>powerful, eye-opening, and timely story. </i> Thomas has created an excellent main character in Starr, whose voice shines clear and strong in the book. Her struggle to fit into two worlds is one many can relate to: Starr's just happens to have life and death consequences. Starr has wonderful, supportive parents and two humorous brothers who fill out the book with a realism and warmth that's hard to describe. Thomas is superb in capturing her characters' voices, and I found myself easily able to picture Starr and her family. I especially loved such snippets that made them jump off the pages--for instance, the family settling down to watch NBA basketball, complete with all their little superstitions (I've definitely been there) was perfect.
Starr's story isn't always easy to read (nor should it be), but it offered strong insight into the systemic problems facing African American communities--much of it framed by Starr's pragmatic parents. I thought some things tied up too easily, but I was still very profoundly affected by the story. I loved Starr and her tough yet vulnerable self. I loved her parents, their love, and their history. Her brothers cracked me up. At its core, this is a story about family, as well as identity and race. It's important, serious, heartbreaking, and yet sometimes really funny. It's also beautiful, powerful, and definitely worth a read.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
You've probably heard about Thomas' debut novel by now--it's been getting a lot of coverage and truly, deservedly so. This is definitely a <i>powerful, eye-opening, and timely story. </i> Thomas has created an excellent main character in Starr, whose voice shines clear and strong in the book. Her struggle to fit into two worlds is one many can relate to: Starr's just happens to have life and death consequences. Starr has wonderful, supportive parents and two humorous brothers who fill out the book with a realism and warmth that's hard to describe. Thomas is superb in capturing her characters' voices, and I found myself easily able to picture Starr and her family. I especially loved such snippets that made them jump off the pages--for instance, the family settling down to watch NBA basketball, complete with all their little superstitions (I've definitely been there) was perfect.
Starr's story isn't always easy to read (nor should it be), but it offered strong insight into the systemic problems facing African American communities--much of it framed by Starr's pragmatic parents. I thought some things tied up too easily, but I was still very profoundly affected by the story. I loved Starr and her tough yet vulnerable self. I loved her parents, their love, and their history. Her brothers cracked me up. At its core, this is a story about family, as well as identity and race. It's important, serious, heartbreaking, and yet sometimes really funny. It's also beautiful, powerful, and definitely worth a read.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a></center>;
Darren (1599 KP) rated 7 Seconds (2005) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Story: What is a simple bank heist revenge plot we get some of the worst cops in the history of film, the worst gangsters and worst acting ever. While watching all I could think was a very poor man’s version of ‘Ronin’ and it would be hard to disagree with the idea of the film. (3/10)
Actor Review: Wesley Snipes – Jack Tuliver thief who is also ex-delta force who arranges a heist that he gets double crossed on and left to find out by whom. Snipes’ gets some good one-liners and really is the only good thing about this film. (6/10)
snipes
Actor Review: Tamzin Outhwaite – Sgt Kelly Anders a military Police officer who somehow gets caught up in the middle of the event but is the only one with brains. Awful performance she really should have stuck to the soaps. (2/10)
tamzin
Actor Review: Deobia Oparei – Spanky when things are going his way he is all talk but when it’s not he runs and hides. Funny character, but in the end a waste of use of the actors potential talent. (4/10)
spanky
Actor Review: Georgina Rylance – Suza, Jack’s partner in the crime but gets kidnapped leading him to try his best to save her. Simple support role that doesn’t get a chance to do much. (4/10)
suza
Actor Review: Peter Lee-Wilson – Alexsie Kutchinov the gangster who wants the heist prize and will do anything in his power to get it. Good performance as he gets to use the characters disability well. (6/10)
alex
Director Review: Simon Fellows – Can tell a known thinking man’s action thriller well but doesn’t try anything new. (5/10)
Action: The car chases work well, and some fights are good. (7/10)
Crime: Simple crime side to the story. (5/10)
Thriller: Doesn’t really get you routing for anyone or anywhere near the edge of the seat. (5/10)
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Settings: Set in Romania we get some good settings and look at the city. (8/10)
Suggestion: This is one that is really just for late night TV viewing any other time would be waste of time and money. (Late Night)
Best Part: Car chase one
Worst Part: The Police
Action Scene Of The Film: Car chase
Kill Of The Film: Some the of henchmen
Oscar Chances: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Overall: Crime Caper With No Brains Required
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/07/22/7-seconds-2005/
Actor Review: Wesley Snipes – Jack Tuliver thief who is also ex-delta force who arranges a heist that he gets double crossed on and left to find out by whom. Snipes’ gets some good one-liners and really is the only good thing about this film. (6/10)
snipes
Actor Review: Tamzin Outhwaite – Sgt Kelly Anders a military Police officer who somehow gets caught up in the middle of the event but is the only one with brains. Awful performance she really should have stuck to the soaps. (2/10)
tamzin
Actor Review: Deobia Oparei – Spanky when things are going his way he is all talk but when it’s not he runs and hides. Funny character, but in the end a waste of use of the actors potential talent. (4/10)
spanky
Actor Review: Georgina Rylance – Suza, Jack’s partner in the crime but gets kidnapped leading him to try his best to save her. Simple support role that doesn’t get a chance to do much. (4/10)
suza
Actor Review: Peter Lee-Wilson – Alexsie Kutchinov the gangster who wants the heist prize and will do anything in his power to get it. Good performance as he gets to use the characters disability well. (6/10)
alex
Director Review: Simon Fellows – Can tell a known thinking man’s action thriller well but doesn’t try anything new. (5/10)
Action: The car chases work well, and some fights are good. (7/10)
Crime: Simple crime side to the story. (5/10)
Thriller: Doesn’t really get you routing for anyone or anywhere near the edge of the seat. (5/10)
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Settings: Set in Romania we get some good settings and look at the city. (8/10)
Suggestion: This is one that is really just for late night TV viewing any other time would be waste of time and money. (Late Night)
Best Part: Car chase one
Worst Part: The Police
Action Scene Of The Film: Car chase
Kill Of The Film: Some the of henchmen
Oscar Chances: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Overall: Crime Caper With No Brains Required
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/07/22/7-seconds-2005/
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Battle of Trafalgar Square in Books
Feb 3, 2020
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
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I have this rule about books being sent to me - I try to read and review them all, because people spent time, effort and resources to write and share their works with readers. I received this book through a giveaway on LibraryThing almost a year ago, and decided it was time to give it a go.
This being said, my readers are the most important thing in the world, and my reviews simply cannot be compromised, no matter how I have gotten a certain book in my hands.
I think I should stop babbling now, and start talking about this book.
I dived into ‘’The Battle of Trafalgar Square’ not knowing what to expect. This is a book where two pigeons are the main characters and through dialogue and presentation they share this historic battle, but from their point of view.
It is lucky that this book is only 120 pages long, because otherwise I wouldn’t have finished it. It is a boring book, where one pigeon is desperately trying to tell this story of the battle, and the other pigeon is disturbingly annoying and keeps interrupting. The second pigeon also has terrible grammar knowledge, and even though I know this made purposely done, and I applaud the author for the wittiness, I couldn’t make myself enjoy it. Some people might find this funny though, and that’s also okay.
The idea of pigeons telling a story is quite interesting and unique to me, and this is something I admire about this book (therefore, the two stars I decided to give). However, the plot is unstable, and the story keeps being interrupted and delayed to a point where I started to get fed up. I also expected some more references of the actual historical moment. The only references in the book are the pigeons that were in the battle and had names of famous leaders, but their pigeon story was not similar to our history books. I really think that keeping the story as close as possible to the real event would have made a difference in this book.
<b>Not an enjoyable read for me, but if the plot sounds like something you might enjoy - I say go for it. Try it out. Your opinion is also valid!</b>
Until next time! x
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/new-blog-banner-8.png"/>;
I have this rule about books being sent to me - I try to read and review them all, because people spent time, effort and resources to write and share their works with readers. I received this book through a giveaway on LibraryThing almost a year ago, and decided it was time to give it a go.
This being said, my readers are the most important thing in the world, and my reviews simply cannot be compromised, no matter how I have gotten a certain book in my hands.
I think I should stop babbling now, and start talking about this book.
I dived into ‘’The Battle of Trafalgar Square’ not knowing what to expect. This is a book where two pigeons are the main characters and through dialogue and presentation they share this historic battle, but from their point of view.
It is lucky that this book is only 120 pages long, because otherwise I wouldn’t have finished it. It is a boring book, where one pigeon is desperately trying to tell this story of the battle, and the other pigeon is disturbingly annoying and keeps interrupting. The second pigeon also has terrible grammar knowledge, and even though I know this made purposely done, and I applaud the author for the wittiness, I couldn’t make myself enjoy it. Some people might find this funny though, and that’s also okay.
The idea of pigeons telling a story is quite interesting and unique to me, and this is something I admire about this book (therefore, the two stars I decided to give). However, the plot is unstable, and the story keeps being interrupted and delayed to a point where I started to get fed up. I also expected some more references of the actual historical moment. The only references in the book are the pigeons that were in the battle and had names of famous leaders, but their pigeon story was not similar to our history books. I really think that keeping the story as close as possible to the real event would have made a difference in this book.
<b>Not an enjoyable read for me, but if the plot sounds like something you might enjoy - I say go for it. Try it out. Your opinion is also valid!</b>
Until next time! x
Midsummer Mischief: Four Radical Plays
Timberlake Wertenbaker, Alice Birch, E.V. Crowe and Abi Zakarian
Book
A volume of four new plays as part of the RSC's Midsummer Mischief by Alice Birch, E. V. Crowe,...
Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find, Keep, and Understand a Man
Book
In the instant Number 1 "New York Times" bestseller "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man", Steve...
Midge (525 KP) rated The Twelve Dice of Christmas in Books
Dec 10, 2018
I adore a new book, and if it’s part of a series, that's great, as it means more books for me to read!
Welcome to Serenity Cove, a peaceful Southern community where the residents like to play dice, and when there is a dark mystery, play detective.
With Christmas fast approaching, Kate McCall and her retired friends get into the holiday spirit by agreeing to help the elderly Eula Mae Snow decorate her home, even when it means sorting through many of the older woman’s belongings. Intent on doing a good deed and uncovering a bright collection of seasonal decorations, Kate is stopped dead in her tracks when instead she discovers the skeleton of a man showing clear signs of foul play.
Many in Serenity Cove thought that Waylon Snow had run off and left town and his wife, Eula Mae, more than two decades earlier. But with the appearance of his skeleton and a whole host of clues pointing to Eula Mae as the murderer, Kate will have to put her sleuthing skills to work to figure out who could have committed the evil deed.
Kate and her retired friends, known as The Bunco Babes, are feeling festive and they are planning a cookie exchange and ugly sweater contest for their last dice game session of the season. As they plan their holidays, they decide to help their friend decorate her house for the annual charity Christmas Home Tour. The Bunco Babes get cracking, and in the process of hunting for the Christmas decorations, Kate discovers the skeleton in the root cellar. Kate now has a twenty-five-year-old mystery to contend with. Can she solve it?
This is my first novel by Gail Oust and I really enjoyed it. I love that it is an old mystery set in Christmastime. Although this is the fourth book in a mystery series, you do not need to have read the previous books in sequence to be able to follow the story properly.
I found many of the characters very funny and easy to relate to, particularly Kate herself, but also Eula Mae's granddaughter, Tammy Lynn and Bill Lewis, Kate's "significant other". Many of the other characters in the book were extremely amusing and unusual. Kate and the Town Sheriff, Sheriff Wiggins have history, Although he is not in Kate's fan club, can she use her powers of persuasion on him to allow the Bunco Babes into the house in time for it to be decorated for the Christmas Home Tour?
You’ll treasure this sweet Christmas mystery, as I did!
Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for a copy of this book.
Welcome to Serenity Cove, a peaceful Southern community where the residents like to play dice, and when there is a dark mystery, play detective.
With Christmas fast approaching, Kate McCall and her retired friends get into the holiday spirit by agreeing to help the elderly Eula Mae Snow decorate her home, even when it means sorting through many of the older woman’s belongings. Intent on doing a good deed and uncovering a bright collection of seasonal decorations, Kate is stopped dead in her tracks when instead she discovers the skeleton of a man showing clear signs of foul play.
Many in Serenity Cove thought that Waylon Snow had run off and left town and his wife, Eula Mae, more than two decades earlier. But with the appearance of his skeleton and a whole host of clues pointing to Eula Mae as the murderer, Kate will have to put her sleuthing skills to work to figure out who could have committed the evil deed.
Kate and her retired friends, known as The Bunco Babes, are feeling festive and they are planning a cookie exchange and ugly sweater contest for their last dice game session of the season. As they plan their holidays, they decide to help their friend decorate her house for the annual charity Christmas Home Tour. The Bunco Babes get cracking, and in the process of hunting for the Christmas decorations, Kate discovers the skeleton in the root cellar. Kate now has a twenty-five-year-old mystery to contend with. Can she solve it?
This is my first novel by Gail Oust and I really enjoyed it. I love that it is an old mystery set in Christmastime. Although this is the fourth book in a mystery series, you do not need to have read the previous books in sequence to be able to follow the story properly.
I found many of the characters very funny and easy to relate to, particularly Kate herself, but also Eula Mae's granddaughter, Tammy Lynn and Bill Lewis, Kate's "significant other". Many of the other characters in the book were extremely amusing and unusual. Kate and the Town Sheriff, Sheriff Wiggins have history, Although he is not in Kate's fan club, can she use her powers of persuasion on him to allow the Bunco Babes into the house in time for it to be decorated for the Christmas Home Tour?
You’ll treasure this sweet Christmas mystery, as I did!
Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for a copy of this book.
Roadside America
Travel and Navigation
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The team at RoadsideAmerica.com has spent decades exploring the weird wonders of America’s...
Sass Perilla (36 KP) rated The Master and Margarita in Books
Aug 9, 2019
Worth a read? Yes. Worth a reread? Maybe not.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Master and Magarita: Mikhail Bulgakov
Firstly, I didn’t intend to write an essay on this novel. However, once started I found I had a lot to say, and the more I thought about the plot and characters, the more ideas and parallels were sparked, so I am hopeful that the verbosity of this review can be forgiven.
At the risk of sounding both ignorant and uncultured, I found this novel (at least at first) bloody hard slog; not least because the Russian characters have three names, plus a nickname, plus a pun on their name (none of which work particularly well in translation and all of which sound rather similar to the English untrained ear). As an example- Ivan Nikolaevich Ponyrev (who seems to be referred to by any and all of these names) is also known as “Homeless” and “the poet” is a key character in the opening section of the novel. To further demonstrate: there are 17 different names that start with A that are used to refer to 15 different characters with Andreyevich used as the middle name of a bereaved uncle, who makes a journey from Kiev after his nephew is beheaded in a freak tram accident- and Andrey the buffet manager at a Moscow theatre. Clear as mud right? And that is before starting on similarly named characters with the initials M, P, L and S! At my last count there were 45 distinct characters, and I am fairly sure there will be some that I have missed. Hence, I did a lot of re-reading to work out exactly who was doing what to whom.
Additionally, I would suggest you need to be wary of the different translations. The distinct changes in meaning are subtle but important. To triangulate I had three versions at my disposal: Hugh Aplin’s translation (available for free on Kindle), the audiobook version translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (which I listened to simultaneously when reading the book to come to my own interpretation, and the subtitles for the Russian TV miniseries from 2005 when I gave up trying to work out who was who from name alone!
So those were my “technical” issues (if you like) with engaging with this novel, and this lack of clarity and understanding (and my own lack of contextual knowledge of Stalinist Russia) meant I missed many of the (what I am sure are hysterically funny to those in the know) satirical jokes in the opening section. That said, the random action and quick changes of focus, undercurrent of chaos in Moscow despite entrenched hierarchal structures and clear threat that (any) one could go missing at any time, for an unclear reason gave a clear insight into the mind and fears of a 1930s Russian citizen. No wonder it was available only in censored form for so long.
Despite these hardships, there were some genuinely laugh out loud moments in the first Moscow based part of the novel. The citizens have not lost their individuality, as they scrabble and fight for bank notes in the theatre, which are later revealed to be worthless. Nor have they lost their sense of pride and vanity, which we see in the female theatre goers, so desperate to attain the fashionable French couture (which later literally disappears from their bodies leaving semi-naked citizenesses desperately trying to cover themselves in a scene reminiscent of “Allo Allo” meets “Benny Hill”). When Professor Woland says his show will “expose” what the locals have failed to realise is that it is their (moral) shortcomings that are about to be revealed. The message is clearly, that no government can successfully legislate against human nature.
Oooh- and another fun fact, apparently Woland (later revealed- or perhaps is implied- to be Satan) was the inspiration to the Rolling Stones 1968 hit “Sympathy for the Devil”, well at least that is what my Google-Fu tells me.
Obviously, there were substantial hurdles to leap, however, I found by the second half of the novel, when we finally meet the eponymous characters, I had got in to the swing of things and begun to embrace the farcical surrealism of the novel.
The second “book” marks a change in tone, although it continues to cut away to scenes of Jesus’ sentencing by Pilate and execution (here known in the Aramaic form Yeshua). Ironically it is these scenes that are the most “real” and substantially human, as Pilate’s decision weighs head achingly heavily on him throughout. The Master and Margarita seem to be the only two characters fully invested in the authenticity of literature, and serve as a counterpoint to the heavily censored “monstrous” writing of Ivan and the rest of the writers’ union Massolit, more interested in fine dining and what their positions can do for them then the production of quality writing.
And it is Margarita’s journey of discovery and liberation from the stodgy, miserable societal expectations of that leads her back to her Master. Bulgakov mixes classical myth, Russian folklore and Bible stories to give us an impression of the timelessness of the central romance. As the worlds of communist Moscow and the inner worlds of the Master and Margarita collide, we are informed of the former’s desire to excuse all magic (and mischief) as the product of mass hypnosis, when the latter (and the reader) are fully aware of the spiritual significance and dimension of the events.
Clever, astute and in places laugh out loud funny, this novel none-the-less requires a level of dedication from the non-Russian speaking reader. Worth a read? Yes. Worth a re-read? Maybe not.
Firstly, I didn’t intend to write an essay on this novel. However, once started I found I had a lot to say, and the more I thought about the plot and characters, the more ideas and parallels were sparked, so I am hopeful that the verbosity of this review can be forgiven.
At the risk of sounding both ignorant and uncultured, I found this novel (at least at first) bloody hard slog; not least because the Russian characters have three names, plus a nickname, plus a pun on their name (none of which work particularly well in translation and all of which sound rather similar to the English untrained ear). As an example- Ivan Nikolaevich Ponyrev (who seems to be referred to by any and all of these names) is also known as “Homeless” and “the poet” is a key character in the opening section of the novel. To further demonstrate: there are 17 different names that start with A that are used to refer to 15 different characters with Andreyevich used as the middle name of a bereaved uncle, who makes a journey from Kiev after his nephew is beheaded in a freak tram accident- and Andrey the buffet manager at a Moscow theatre. Clear as mud right? And that is before starting on similarly named characters with the initials M, P, L and S! At my last count there were 45 distinct characters, and I am fairly sure there will be some that I have missed. Hence, I did a lot of re-reading to work out exactly who was doing what to whom.
Additionally, I would suggest you need to be wary of the different translations. The distinct changes in meaning are subtle but important. To triangulate I had three versions at my disposal: Hugh Aplin’s translation (available for free on Kindle), the audiobook version translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (which I listened to simultaneously when reading the book to come to my own interpretation, and the subtitles for the Russian TV miniseries from 2005 when I gave up trying to work out who was who from name alone!
So those were my “technical” issues (if you like) with engaging with this novel, and this lack of clarity and understanding (and my own lack of contextual knowledge of Stalinist Russia) meant I missed many of the (what I am sure are hysterically funny to those in the know) satirical jokes in the opening section. That said, the random action and quick changes of focus, undercurrent of chaos in Moscow despite entrenched hierarchal structures and clear threat that (any) one could go missing at any time, for an unclear reason gave a clear insight into the mind and fears of a 1930s Russian citizen. No wonder it was available only in censored form for so long.
Despite these hardships, there were some genuinely laugh out loud moments in the first Moscow based part of the novel. The citizens have not lost their individuality, as they scrabble and fight for bank notes in the theatre, which are later revealed to be worthless. Nor have they lost their sense of pride and vanity, which we see in the female theatre goers, so desperate to attain the fashionable French couture (which later literally disappears from their bodies leaving semi-naked citizenesses desperately trying to cover themselves in a scene reminiscent of “Allo Allo” meets “Benny Hill”). When Professor Woland says his show will “expose” what the locals have failed to realise is that it is their (moral) shortcomings that are about to be revealed. The message is clearly, that no government can successfully legislate against human nature.
Oooh- and another fun fact, apparently Woland (later revealed- or perhaps is implied- to be Satan) was the inspiration to the Rolling Stones 1968 hit “Sympathy for the Devil”, well at least that is what my Google-Fu tells me.
Obviously, there were substantial hurdles to leap, however, I found by the second half of the novel, when we finally meet the eponymous characters, I had got in to the swing of things and begun to embrace the farcical surrealism of the novel.
The second “book” marks a change in tone, although it continues to cut away to scenes of Jesus’ sentencing by Pilate and execution (here known in the Aramaic form Yeshua). Ironically it is these scenes that are the most “real” and substantially human, as Pilate’s decision weighs head achingly heavily on him throughout. The Master and Margarita seem to be the only two characters fully invested in the authenticity of literature, and serve as a counterpoint to the heavily censored “monstrous” writing of Ivan and the rest of the writers’ union Massolit, more interested in fine dining and what their positions can do for them then the production of quality writing.
And it is Margarita’s journey of discovery and liberation from the stodgy, miserable societal expectations of that leads her back to her Master. Bulgakov mixes classical myth, Russian folklore and Bible stories to give us an impression of the timelessness of the central romance. As the worlds of communist Moscow and the inner worlds of the Master and Margarita collide, we are informed of the former’s desire to excuse all magic (and mischief) as the product of mass hypnosis, when the latter (and the reader) are fully aware of the spiritual significance and dimension of the events.
Clever, astute and in places laugh out loud funny, this novel none-the-less requires a level of dedication from the non-Russian speaking reader. Worth a read? Yes. Worth a re-read? Maybe not.