To Each According to Their Faith. On Bulgakov's ‘The Master and Margarita’

Books in the ‘Rereading the Classics’ series give a modern analysis of the works that form part of school literature curricula. This is the first attempt to provide a detailed insight into the spiritual, moral and religious aspects of the art of 19th and 20th century Russian writers. The series is offered as the basis of modern knowledge about Russian literature, which is necessary for high school students to pass school-leaving examinations and to gain admission to any institution of higher learning.

The title of this book (‘To Each According to Their Faith’) expresses the very essence of the proposed reading of The Master and Margarita. The author draws the reader into a leisurely journey through that ‘labyrinth of cohesions’, which, by definition of L. Tolstoy, is every true artistic work, especially such a complex one as this Bulgakov novel. The artistic and philosophical concept of M. Bulgakov's main book is viewed in comparison with other major phenomena of Russian literature of the 20th century — in particular, with the ‘Blue Book’ of M. Zoshchenko, in which the motley ‘klopovnik’ of the Soviet NEP and post-NEP life, as in Bulgakov’s novel, is depicted against the background of world history.

The book is addressed to teachers of Russian literature, high school students, university entrants, students, as well as all admirers of Bulgakov.