from "The Master & Margarita"

"But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings. Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because of your fantasy of enjoying naked light? You're stupid."
— Mikhail Bulgakov
from The Master and Margarita

Last year when I was first told I might have opportunity to travel to Russia I made a quick trip to a used bookstore and picked up as many classic Russian novels as I thought I might be able to read. They're heavy, voluminous works written by some truly great minds, with ponderous themes and some really vivid characters. I particularly enjoyed Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master & Margarita", and look forward to reading it a few more times over the course of my life. The premise? The devil descends upon Moscow as a professional magician from the west offering a theatrical performance of astonishing complexity... There is so much delightful subversion and social commentary in the novel, and you'll see a more posts from this book over the course of this blog because it's simply delightful. Tomorrow i'll point you towards Bulgakov's description of the devil's big black cat named Behemoth...