Talk:Mikhail Bulgakov
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Old talk
Ukranian novelist? I wasn't aware of this. I know he lived in Moscow, and was a favorite of Stalin. How are we classifying Soviet authors, which is what he certainly was? Atorpen 05:22 Jan 24, 2003 (UTC)
Well, he was born in Ukraine... -- Zoe
- Yes, he was. Learned more, since posting that rash note. But - I'm going to assert that he was a Soviet author. It may be a situation like that of T.S. Eliot, who eventually became a British citizen, I believe, and is studied in university under both disciplines. Atorpen
- When I wrote the article on Laurence Harvey, I said he was "Latvia-born" instead of calling him British. Maybe you could say "Ukraine-born Soviet author"? -- Zoe
- Done. AT
- Very few of his works were published by the "Soviets", most were banned. I will dig out some of my Bulgakov studies and see if I can improve on this, which is not particularly good, be he Ukranian or Soviet. Ortolan88
- I agree. Bulgakov certainly deserves more than he's getting; anyone know if the Russian Wiki has anything we can use? Atorpen
Removed:
- What needs to be added: a real bio, notes about his journalistic career, expansion on his writing career
All articles are under development. Although Stalin looked out for Bulgakov, he also prevented him from emigrating and banned all of his works. It is *very* hard to imagine that Stalin would have been a fan of The Master and Margarita. Ortolan88
- Thankfully, I've never been inside Stalins head. Your point is taken; still, Stalin did give a helping hand to Bulgakov from time to time, when he wasn't off killing other people. Without this patronage, Bulgakov would likely have been entirely spurned by MASSOLIT and the Moscow community. Atorpen
- You're kidding about that book! A friend of mine has been dogging me for weeks to read it but I've been busy with Orson Scott Card and Stephen King. It's here in hardcover; a black cat holding a gun and wearing a bow tie; the shadow on the wall behind has horns & a pointy tail. I take it that's an endorsement above, if Stalin didn't like it. :-) Koyaanis Qatsi
Chances are it will spoil you for Stephen King and Orson Scott Card forever. It is one danged amazing work of literature. Ortolan88
- Stephen King, maybe; I've become increasingly tired of him, though he still knows how to turn a phrase (and his description of when he was hit by a van was very affecting). Card is starting to show some common themes IMHO but I admire his skill at creating tension from ethical quandaries. Very humane author IMO, and easy, fun reading. Just the antidote I needed after having too many English classes. I will read the Bulgakov novel, probably when I go to L.A. and San Fran in early February. Koyaanis Qatsi
- Darned edit conflicts. Got that version sitting in front of me. its pretty good, but from what I've heard, and the little I've read, nothing compares to the original Russian, which is mind-blowing. Atorpen
It's almost always that way with translations. Threepenny Opera is not near so cute in German. BTW, it is hard to imagine any authority figure, from school principal up to Soviet dictator, approving of The Master and Margarita. One whiff of Bulgakov's prose style, even in the earlier, weaker English translation of M&M would be enough to send the author to permanent detention. Ortolan88
- I'm not sure I agree. Yes, it portrays the Devil as an authority figure, and Pilate mostly ineffective in dealing with the high priest. But, it was finally published in Soviet Russia, which is saying something. And it is well loved among Russian speakers I've met. I don't think the novel is entirely anti-Authority. But its been several years, so I should (am) rereading it now. Brilliant stuff. Of course, this is an aside, and probably doesn't belong here. Atorpen
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Ok, we've got a slight problem. All Russian-language sources, including the Encyclopedia Bulgakov - which is pretty authoritive on his life - say that he could not find any work at all. I put that in the article, but twice it was removed by Wikipedians saying he did indeed work as a "literary bureaucrat". Please give a cite that he did indeed receive work. - User:Kricxjo
- I wasn't the one who removed it, but: here (http://users.efni.com/~paradox/bulgakov/timeline.html), here (http://cr.middlebury.edu/public/russian/bulgakov/public_html/biography2.html), [and here], all suggest that he was able to find work, at least by 1930. I'd point out some print sources, but don't have any at hand. While we're at it, I disagree with the large Works heading at the very front. This is not standard for the English wikipedia, although it may be elsewhere, and it seems a bit jarring, especially as the title is used again later to refer to his works. Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies) suggests that biography come first, which is what I'm all for, although you obviously disagree. Any discussion? Atorpen 20:37 Feb 26, 2003 (UTC)
Who was that mysterious wikipedian? It was I. The biographical note to the 1995 Vintage edition of The Master and Margarita ISBN 0679760806 was written by Ellendea Proffer, translator of several Bulgakov works and author of Mikhail Bulgakov: Life and Work. It states:
- In 1930, in a time of despair when he burned his works in manuscript, he wrote his famous letter to the Soviet government, defending his right to be a satirist, and asking that his country let him emigrate if it could not use his abilities. To everyone's astonishment, Stalin, who had seen The Days of the Turbins many times, answered this letter with a phone call, and soon afterward Bulgakov had employment with a small theater. The Moscow Art Theater then found work for him, but most of the projects he worked on came to nothing, and the last years of his life were full of stress and disappointment. He broke with Stanislavsky and the Art Theater after the Moliére debacle [?], and returned to Theatrical Novel (begun earlier, then resumed) as a way of venting his spleen. He went to work for the Bolshoi theater as a librettist, which also proved frustrating, as project after project remained unproduced. From 1928 on, Bulgakov had worked only sporadically on his major work, The Master and Margarita; in 1937 he dropped Theatrical Novel, which would remain unfinished, and concentrated on the novel about the devil in Moscow. In 1938 under pressure from the Art Theater he wrote a play about the young Stalin, Batum, which was not only a compromise on his part, but adversely affected his failing health when it was rejected.
He died two years later, still editing The Master and Margarita. "Literary bureaucrat" may not be the best shorthand for what he was doing, but apparently he was working in the theater during those years, according to this note. Maybe it should say "minor theatrical duties". I didn't stick that bit in to discredit Bulgakov or credit Stalin. I have the greatest disdain for Stalin and nothing but admiration for Bulgakov, but that they should have had any relationship, whatever it was, is fascinating. Like Lenny Bruce says (paraphrase), "Don't look down on people who crack. You don't know what you'll say when they're about to give you the hot lead enema."Ortolan88
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Thanks for the cite, Ortolan88. I've just rearranged the article hoping it'll conform to the style guide a bit better. - User:Kricxjo
Disambiguation; S. Bulgakov
I came here looking for a page on Sergej Bulgakov, Soviet Idealist philosopher, author of Religija i politika, Religiya chelovekobozhestva u L. Feuerbacha etc. One of the main movers of Neo-Kantian philosophy in Marxist-Leninist dialectical thought. There may need to be a disambiguation page at "Bulgakov" for this reason. Nagelfar 10:26, 5 Sep 2004 (UTC)
Bulgakov's origin
To anyone who ever read Bulgakov's "White Guard" it is rather obvious he considered himself to be Russian rather than Ukrainian writer.
Also he was born in the Russian Empire not in Ukraine which did not exist at the time. (Fisenko 22:33, 13 May 2005 (UTC))
LOC
How about incorporating public domain text & data from LOC? http://www.loc.gov/rr/european/bulgaklc.html