...can be found in the film, The Daytrippers. Liev Schreiber plays Parker Posey's boyfriend, a would-be writer whose novel, just completed, features a protagonist with a dog's head. He then goes on a riff about a couple of other books with "stretched" realism, including Master/Margarita.
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Los Angeles
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Mon, June 28, 2004 - 12:16 PMby the way, i finished the book.
it wasn't the easiest of reads; for one, surrealism is a genre that i tend to find hard to follow. as with the kafka i've read, i forced myself to stay with it. -
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Mon, June 28, 2004 - 12:24 PMReally? I found it light and easy. But then I'm not as well read as you (I assume) and not as harsh a critic (unless we're talking about photography). What did you get from the book? -
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Mon, June 28, 2004 - 12:54 PMI'm sure you're far better read than am I, Ken.
I liked the historical references and am still going through the notes at the back of the book to see what refers to what.
"Difficult" more for the syntactical style; not so much regarding following the story.
What I liked most about it - surprise - is its subversiveness. It is difficult to imagine being pressured, here in the United States, for being political with literature. That is probably what most occupied my mind: imagining the context of the author's time and events happening in his own country.
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Mon, June 28, 2004 - 12:55 PMmore thoughts to follow, i'm sure... -
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Mon, June 28, 2004 - 1:03 PMWoland, despite later being "good", is noticeably Stalin-like (i thought), in the context of the disappearance of Berlioz and Meigel.
Last(for now), Moral Ambiguity as a center-piece of any work, is generally interesting.
...still sorting through some notes i made... -
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Tue, July 6, 2004 - 10:31 PMAw geez, you made notes?! I had to put it down for a while but picked it up when I had some good chunks of time over the weekend. I also have trouble with surrealism (in painting too) but have found that as I read I find these insights and just little gems that make me giggle or go Ah ha! Of course, I don't make notes so I can't quote any at the moment. I do turn up a tiny corner of the page so i'll get back to you. And I do realize there is a larger picture I haven't just yet wrapped my mind around ( i don't really like that phrase but it works). Also, knowing a bit of the history of the author and the time makes it more interesting I think >> moral ambiguity!
non-sequitor...the whole execution of jesus reminded me of my 7th grade teacher, Mr. Weseloh. I went to parochial school and he went through the whole physiological (sp?) aspect of jesus' death for us...to further this non-sequitor...in that same school we performed Jesus Christ Superstar...I played Mary Magdalene. My friend Rosie Del Rios played Jesus and I made her shirt, tye dyed yellow with blood spurts all over it. So much for furthering this intellectual discussion...
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Fri, November 26, 2004 - 7:12 PMHi, I'm Katherine and I just joined this tribe. I wanted to join the discussion because I love this book. It's probably one of my favorites. (Which is probably obvious since I'm here :)
Re. moral ambiguity - I don't think it's so much that as Bulgakov's use of doubles (yeshua&master as teachers; mathew&margarita as desciples; master&pontius pilate as cowards, margarita& banga as those who love, etc.). They can overlap.
Also as is more common to Russian lit., refusal to show anyone in any one light - purely evil or purely good. That's why while Voland may remind us of Stalin, so does Pilate or anyone with absolute power (although Pilate was afraid of the emperor). But Voland is also doubled with Yeshua (when they both decide to give Master peace and not light). Ultimately he is a double for God (deciding people's fates, dispensing reward and punishment), "but each according to their jurisdiction".
Just some thoughts. -
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Re: Master and Margarita reference...
Fri, April 1, 2005 - 1:34 PMI also loved this book for many of the reasons that Katherine listed. It is amazing. I wish I could read it in the original Russian.
Bets
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