Великий канцлер

by Mikhail Bulgakov, Михаил Булгаков

538 Pages, Hardcover book in Russian, collects every know early version of the book that would go on to become Master & Margarita. This is the manuscript that Bulgakov's wife pulled out of the fire.

544 pages, Твердый переплет

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov (Russian: Михаил Булгаков) was a Russian writer, medical doctor, and playwright. His novel The Master and Margarita , published posthumously, has been called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.

He also wrote the novel The White Guard and the plays Ivan Vasilievich, Flight (also called The Run ), and The Days of the Turbins . He wrote mostly about the horrors of the Russian Civil War and about the fate of Russian intellectuals and officers of the Tsarist Army caught up in revolution and Civil War.

Some of his works ( Flight , all his works between the years 1922 and 1926, and others) were banned by the Soviet government, and personally by Joseph Stalin, after it was decided by them that they "glorified emigration and White generals". On the other hand, Stalin loved The Days of the Turbins (also called The Turbin Brothers ) very much and reportedly saw it at least 15 times.

Reviews

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed seeing the whole journey of this novel through different drafts and versions. It got a bit repetitive by the end because it felt like I read the opening chapters over at that point but most of the drafts and details were still very interesting.

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Новая редакция романа, продолжавшего оставаться непонятным. Она начиналась с года начала работы, жанра произведения и словосочетания “Великий канцлер”. Разум читателя помутится, стоит ему ознакомиться с текстом подробнее. И как не сойти с ума? Берлиоз зарезан трамваем, в Москве творится чертовщина. И вот он – Иван Попов – свидетель произошедшего, оказывается запертым в психиатрической лечебнице. Лечащий врач предлагает ему читать “Библию” и описать ощущения. Так рождается рассказ про головную боль Понтия Пилата, лишившихся рассудка иудеев и Иешуа Га-ноцри, должного быть распятым на кресте. Надо ли говорить, что Ивана навестит ведьма Маргарита, с которой он покинет стены жёлтого дома?

(c) Trounin

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

The detail that got me in Великий канцлер was a throwaway line about what people leave unsaid at funerals. Mikhail Bulgakov is full of moments like that, small and sharp and true. The main plot is okay. Perfect for readers who collect little observations, skip if you read for the big story.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick verdict on Великий канцлер: tight, tense, and a little cold. What worked: Mikhail Bulgakov never wastes a sentence. What didn't: I admired it more than I felt it. Recommend for fans of clean, sharp writing, skip if you need a warm hug.

[Davit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually the later version of the book is much more better.