The Library Vault

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Arm and arm, hand and hand, I stroll the neighborhoods filled with brownstones that reminisce a tale from the past. Warmth pulses from the sun, beating softly down on a different borough. The East Village has changed directions to the West. Vintage clothing line the streets. Records are being spun, creating an effervescent sound. A wrinkled man smoking a cigarette saunters on the corner. I enter into a new emporium of books. 

The light pours through the artistic window of drab. A young man walking around with Harry Potter glasses and small unfit beanie, organically places books throughout. A strange indie melody surrounds the unkempt store, like trivial elevator music. The characters move slowly, pretending to read. A wannabe Morticia Adams appears from the corner of my eye. Elegantly taking books from one stack and moving it to the next, with no purpose, but with every intention. I think to myself where am I? Is this real? Well, my fellow reader, it is. 

It is difficult to examine the random stacks of books. The characters surround my every move. I feel like I am being watched, until I see the novel with the title Margarita. Jimmy Buffet populated in my head, but no, it could not be that kind of Margarita. The Master and Margarita … ah that makes sense. The cover is a silhouette of a black cat, sitting poised with a crimson backdrop of Moscow. I flip it over to read the back…

The Devil has made his way to 1930’s Moscow and he is stirring the pot. Are we shocked? I think not. The novel opens with a young poet and the head of a literary bureaucracy, questioning the devil’s existence. In walks Professor Woland, the Devil himself. Accompanying him are a ragged bunch of characters from a talking enormous black cat named Behemoth to a naked witch named Hella. They take the city by storm and reek havoc in a significantly short amount of time. The Master is locked away in an asylum, after he has written a prolific narrative of the story of Jesus and Pontius Pilot. The writing process coincided with a romance bloomed out of unfaithfulness, the Master and Margarita. There are a three plots that interplay within the novel, but as the novel progresses, they bleed together.

The reader learns that these two monochromatic characters are pulled away from what they think is a doomed love. Margarita then signs her soul to Professor Woland in order to be reacquainted with her lost love. I don’t want to give too much away. The Master and Margarita is a phenomenal novel but an acquired taste. The reader is taken on a journey of love, gruesome imagery, and comedic relief.

Russian authors are like fine wine – an acquired taste; a niche for book lovers. I happen to be one of those niche book lovers. Tolstoy, Pushkin, and Dostoevsky are a few whose names line my book shelves. Mikhail Bulgakov himself was a unique character with a compelling personal story echoed in his unflinching novel. 

Mikhail Bulgakov was not only a writer, a playwright, but also a medical doctor in Soviet Russia. Bulgakov was born in Kiev, part of the Russian Empire, in 1891 and served in World War I as a medical doctor. After the First World War, Bulgakov makes Moscow his home and plans to focus on pursuit of writing. The writing career was not panning out – his plays were not being produced. Bulgakov has an intermittent relationship with Joseph Stalin that is almost comical, but also hints at tragedy. Stalin personally banned one play, while then attending another play over fifteen times, which leads to their convoluted relationship. How could it not be? It’s Stalin. Bulgakov writes to Stalin, personally, asking to leave the Soviet Union since he could not serve his purpose as a professional writer. After which, Stalin personally called on Bulgakov and enticed him to stay and continue his work. I find this relationship strange, hinting at humor, but wrapped up in the society that is orchestrated by Stalin’s Soviet Union. Around this time, Bulgakov began writing The Master and Margarita in secret.

Bulgakov was adaptable and resilient. The novel was hidden for decades. Herein lies its mysticism, and why it is the nation’s favorite novel. Tragically, Bulgakov never saw the novel published. It satirically plays on Bulgakov’s own personal experience as a writer. An allegory, to say the least. 

The novel leaves the reader in disarray, creating a complicated task to pair a wine with. Some may think that a tequila or a margarita recipe would fit the void. Absolutely not. Others may think pairing vodka with this novel would do it justice. I also think not. Bulgakov’s novel is mystical and holds a sense of sophistication. The wine should pour in the hue of ruby red. It compliments not only the cover art, but the content described within. I personally held a glass of this wine while reading Bulgakov’s novel and was inspired. The crimson shade that lined my glass was from Domaine Rolet. 

Domaine Rolet Arbois Rouge is located in the Jura region, in France near Switzerland. Yes, I have managed to pick yet another French wine. I tend to favor Italian wines, but it appears that the French wines just pair better with novels. Why? I am not quite sure. The Jura region is mountainous, it creates an a secluded environment to promote traditional varietals. The vineyards locate on the lower slopes of the mountains that hold much limestone in the soil. The Arbois Rouge is known as a traditional red, being mostly Pinot Noir blended with Trousseau and Poulsard. The color of the Rolet is what defines this pairing. It is a beautiful scarlet, medium bodied and well balanced that is centered from the earth. The black cherries with its touch of spice will heightened the already uncanny world of Bulgakov, brought to the reader through the darkly romantic tale of The Master and Margarita. 

P.S. Be sure to have “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones playing in the background. Bulgakov’s novel inspired this notable classic rock anthem. Personally one of my favorites. More information can be found on the BBC Forum Podcast.