Book

[Bud Struggle]

A reading suggestion.

An interesting book:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Masta_n_margarita.jpg

Bulgakov's Master and Margarita.

Devil appears in 1930's Moscow, in a society that does not believe in God.

If you commies haven't read it you might like the themes and subject matter and the author's type of questions, about meaning, rationalism, love, morality and other topics.

Seriously No joke. I am about half way through the novel.

[Hyacinth]

Truly an excellent book, I read it last summer.

[Bear MacMillan]

I read it about a year ago, it's really good.

[RedAnarchist]

Sounds like an interesting book.

[Random Precision]

Fucking excellent book. I might want to give it another read one of these days, since now I know more about 1930s Russia, the satire might be a bit more apparent.

IIRC, this book was, unsurprisingly, never published in the Stalin-era USSR. Bulgakov never even tried to get it published during his lifetime, because he knew what kind of people might come knocking on his door late at night if he had. The story of Soviet literature under Stalin is quite tragic- many of the best Russian writers, like Isaac Babel and Osip Mandelstam were executed or died in prison, while others like Bulgakov, Anna Akhmatova and Yevgeny Zamyatin were driven to silence because their work did not fit into the "socialist realism" kitsch that Stalin and Zhdanov promoted.

[Holden Caulfield]

were executed or died in prison


can't remember what the writers name was (i found i boring in my history lesson tbh) but we read an account of how he was beaten to death and urinated on while he lay dying, the plight of very good writers was terrible,

Victor Serge writes of Yagoda being a literary censor before he bacame a purgemonger,

also anybody read 'We' its like 1984 only not

[Bud Struggle]

also anybody read 'We' its like 1984 only not

I saw it as a kid as a TV play (just to show you how old I am.)

[Killfacer]

we: Yevgeny Zamyatin right? Excellent book, bit brutal though, doesnt create any sympathy for the main character.

[Publius]

It's my favorite book and the best book I've ever read.

Splendid.

[Dean]

I might read this if I get a chance. Thanks for the suggestion.

Also, does anybody have anything to say about "We" as to if it is good or not? I love Brave New World and 1984, I'm sure I'd like another book in that vein.

[Post-Something]

A reading suggestion.

An interesting book:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Masta_n_margarita.jpg

Bulgakov's Master and Margarita.

Devil appears in 1930's Moscow, in a society that does not believe in God.

If you commies haven't read it you might like the themes and subject matter and the author's type of questions, about meaning, rationalism, love, morality and other topics.

Seriously No joke. I am about half way through the novel.

Looked it up on Wikipedia and it looks a bit like Solzhenitsyn' stuff. I'll definitely check it out.

[IcarusAngel]

That's an interesting premise, because now that religion has been allowed back the people are buying into occultism and other superstitions, and things seem to be getting worse for their intelligence levels.

Plus, they've gone into some new form of brutal despotism.

The problem is never ONLY Stalinism, but capitalism and other forms of tyrannies as well that are still around.

[RedKnight]

That's an interesting premise, because now that religion has been allowed back the people are buying into occultism and other superstitions, and things seem to be getting worse for their intelligence levels.

Plus, they've gone into some new form of brutal despotism.

The problem is never ONLY Stalinism, but capitalism and other forms of tyrannies as well that are still around. I agree. It just goes to show how religious devotion does not result in greater human rights and/or freedom. Case in point, Iran.

[Bud Struggle]

Plus, they've gone into some new form of brutal despotism.

The problem is never ONLY Stalinism, but capitalism and other forms of tyrannies as well that are still around.

I heard Vladimir Posner comment when asked about Putin's despotism--that Russia has never had any idea of what democracy is, they went from the Tsar to the Communists to Putin, they just don't know any better.

[Killfacer]

dean, WE is an excellent read, i read it for my English course. You can really see how it influenced Orwell and Huxley. Although, it is a tad weird. Thats partially down to the weird characters who seem barely human. Well worth reading.

[RevMARKSman]

Absolutely fantastic book. Very funny too: "There is only one freshness - the first - and it is also the last."

There was a TV miniseries made from it that was pretty faithful to the book but woefully low-budget: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WLQ6rwF7LJM

[Bud Struggle]

There was a TV miniseries made from it that was pretty faithful to the book but woefully low-budget: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WLQ6rwF7LJM

Anna Kovalchuk as Margarita--very hot and very naked throughout the clips I watched. Not the way I pictured her, but I like their way better. :lol:

[Random Precision]

This book also inspired the Stones' song "Sympathy for the Devil":

"Please excuse me," he [Woland] said, speaking correctly, but with a foreign accent, "for presuming to speak to you without an introduction."

[Malakangga]

yes,sound like an interesting book. i must read too

[IcarusAngel]

Interestingly, they mention this book in My Dinner with Andre. I watched it last night, and Wally tells Andre he was going to do a play adaption of the book and that he was "playing the part of the cat," only except that he didn't get his cat suit until just before the play and people told him he wouldn't be able to hear and that he might faint, which he interpreted as "attempts to destroy him."

Good movie; great movie, in fact. They also mention the Scottish mathematician ROC in that movie, who tried to get closer to nature.

[Bud Struggle]

Interestingly, they mention this book in My Dinner with Andre. I watched it last night, and Wally tells Andre he was going to do a play adaption of the book and that he was "playing the part of the cat," only except that he didn't get his cat suit until just before the play and people told him he wouldn't be able to hear and that he might faint, which he interpreted as "attempts to destroy him."

Good movie; great movie, in fact. They also mention the Scottish mathematician ROC in that movie, who tried to get closer to nature.


Yup--great movie. I don't remember the lines but I'll listen for them. I knew Wally Shawn when I lived in NYC--his father was editor of the New Yorker--I saw his play Aunt Daun and Lemon at it's opening--and Lemon was a pretty convincing hard line conservative.

Anyway lovely man--was into "pornogrophy" the last time we met.

[IcarusAngel]

Yup--great movie.

Indeed. At least we both like superb movies.


I don't remember the lines but I'll listen for them. I knew Wally Shawn when I lived in NYC--his father was editor of the New Yorker--I saw his play Aunt Daun and Lemon at it's opening--and Lemon was a pretty convincing hard line conservative.

Anyway lovely man--was into "pornogrophy" the last time we met.

Interesting. Yes, Shawn has done plays that have both liberal and conservative themes (Lemon was actually pro-fascist, not just conservative). For example, he's also questioned US imperialism in some of his plays.

Here he is reading one of Howard Zinn's pieces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGCLHBSzqLw

Shawn's high voice plus Zinn's writings = epic win.

He also plays Cher's teacher in the movie clueless. :laugh: