In the 29 years since it was introduced to us, Bulgakov's novel has attained virtual classic status, in spite of the fact that he never lived to finish it. Unquestionably it is a remarkable achievement, though on a rereading I cannot help seeing flaws which the brilliance, daring and sheer originality of the writing made us overlook at the time. For one thing, the Master himself never comes to life, nor does Margarita (in both cases, Bulgakov was obviously thinking of Goethe's Faust; he even brings in a Brocken scene which is one of his weaker inventions). As is so often the case in literature, the Devil has most of the good lines and the best gags, and superb they often are. Perhaps Bulgakov was happier dealing with macabre situations or evil characters than he was with goodness and simplicity. This translation is described as "unabridged"; does this mean that there were cuts or dovetailing in the original one?