A Conversation for Faust of Fact and Fiction
The Master and Margarita
CopyMaster Started conversation Nov 22, 2001
I could go off on this subject for ages, having written my B.A. thesis on the evolution of the Faust legend. But I won't -- I'll just recommend the best of the books I wrote about in the thesis: "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov. It was written in Stalinist Moscow and is a brilliant satire of the Soviet Union in the 1930s and 40s.
In many ways, this novel is the perfect inversion of the Faustian paradigm. It is set in an atheistic society in which the very idea of selling one's soul to the devil would be absurd, because there IS no devil.
So what happens? Instead of man going to the devil, the devil comes to man. Hilarity ensues. This is one of the most insightful books you'll ever read, and also one of the funniest. So insightful that it was banned in the USSR for decades, and so funny I was nearly thrown off a bus while reading it.
The Master and Margarita
Loobylane (Owlatron's thundercats) - Nothing ever burns down by itself; every fire needs a little bit of help. Posted Jun 19, 2002
I have always been interested in this subject but no one seemed able to recommend where to start. Thanks for the suggestion.
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The Master and Margarita
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