I just finished The Master and Margarita and my brain is still buzzing.
It was one of the most fascinating, strange, and brilliant things I’ve read in a long time, but I’ll be honest… a lot of the cultural and historical references went right over my head. I still loved it, but there were moments where I felt like I was standing outside the window of another time and place, trying to piece together what everyone inside already understood.
It reminded me a little of how I felt reading A Clockwork Orange for the first time — not because the books are similar, but because both had their own language, rhythm, and world that I had to sort of surrender to. With Bulgakov, it was satire layered over politics, layered over religion, layered over some wonderfully bizarre scenes that made me question whether I missed something or he was just having fun.
For those of you who read a lot of translated or international literature, how do you approach it when you hit those unfamiliar concepts or cultural references? Do you look everything up, just roll with it, or find a companion guide? And are there other books where you felt the same “wow, this is incredible but I’m sure I’m missing half of what makes it brilliant” feeling?
Would love to hear how other readers navigate stepping into a completely different cultural universe. Also, any suggestions similar to Master and Margarita?
by Nurse_By_Nature