Berk Worms 2026 - Russian Literature

Welcome to our Berk Worms 🐛 book club. Each month we all aim to read the same book from a particular genre and then meet to discuss it. We also then talk about other books we are reading and sometimes exchange books with one another. All are welcome!

Our book for discussion in August is a classic Russian novel entitled The Master And Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. We will be reading the English translation of the novel. This novel was first written in the Soviet Union between 1928 and 1940 and it was first published in English in 1967. The novel runs at approximately 432 pages, depending on the edition you read. It is also available on Kindle and Audiobook. It is best to start in good time.

About the novel for discussion:

The literary world is shaken to its foundations when a mysterious gentleman - a professor of black magic - arrives in Moscow, accompanied by a bizarre retinue of servants. It soon becomes clear that he is the Devil himself, come to wreak havoc among the cultural elite of a disbelieving capital. But the Devil's mission quickly becomes entangled with the fate of the Master - a man who has turned his back on his former life and taken refuge in a lunatic asylum - and his past lover, Margarita.

Both a satirical romp and a daring analysis of the nature of good and evil, innocence and guilt, The Master and Margarita is the crowning achievement of one of the greatest Russian writers of the twentieth century. Written in secret during the darkest days of Stalin's reign, The Master and Margarita became an overnight literary phenomenon when it was finally published it, signalling artistic freedom for Russians everywhere.

Brimming with magic and incident, it is full of imaginary, historical, terrifying and wonderful characters, from witches, poets and Biblical tyrants to the beautiful, courageous Margarita, who will do anything to save the imprisoned writer she loves.

Critical views:

**“**Bulgakov is one of the greatest Russian writers, perhaps the greatest” Independent

'The Master and Margarita is my favorite, favorite book in the world ever by Mikhail. To me it's the greatest exploration of the human imagination, and it's about forgiveness and life and history, and it's just the most incredible book that I've ever read; I read it once and then I read it almost immediately again.' --Daniel Radcliffe

Reading Ahead:

8 September: we will be reading Action and Adventure. The book we have chosen is called Saltblood by Francesca De Tores

October: we will be reading a Dystopian novel.
This will be selected in our August meeting.

Happy reading, 🐛Cazza