Dubliners, anyone?

Post-Bloomsday. Yesterday was Bloomsday, a day that commemorates James Joyce his book Ulysses and the main character in the book, Leopold Bloom.
A few things that went on this weekend for Bloomsday:
Irish Embassy in Washington
The closing of a bookshop and James Joyce readings
NYTimes recounts

Celebrating Bloomsday.
Source: http://theamerican.ie/dublin-roles-out-events-for-bloomsday/

I'd like to add my small three cents of celebration, plus I love his book of short stories Dubliners. Very much unlike the person who owned the book before me; I found a note that revealed the person's distaste for the book. 

Well, I love the book's gloomyness. It's painted with such fierce and unapologizing reality that is not for every reader. Although, the modern touches are all there, the despair, the loss of faith and hope, the loss of innocence. In the introduction to the book James Joyce writes (an excerpt from a letter): "I am writing a series of epiclets–ten–for a paper. I have written one. I call the series Dubliners to betray the soul of that hemiplegia or paralysis which many consider a city."* In another letter, "people might be willing to pay for the special odour of corruption which, I hope, floats over my stories."* The publication of Dubliners was a nine-year ordeal.* Many rejections followed this collection of short stories. Thankfully, not enough to deter it's appearance on the market. So here I am, talking about this gloomy book, one which I happen to really like. Instead of advocating everyone read the whole of Dubliners I will make a small list of my favorite stories, from there each reader can decide if reading the rest is worth their time. 

Here is the list, with links where they can be read:

Araby

Eveline

A Little Cloud

Clay

A Mother

The full Dubliners can be found here.

With a little time these short stories can be read fairly quick, and with a bit more time each one can be fully savored.

*From the Norton Critical Edition of Dubliners by James Joyce, edited by Margot Norris. 

Having contributed my three cents to Bloomsday I return to the running theme of this month, which is LGBT prose. I am still reading Making Gay History by Eric Marcus and for the next post, this week, I should be reviewing an essay, possibly by Gloria Anzaldua. 

Part Two: The Master and Margarita

I know I've been away for what it seems like a little while, but in my defense, these past two weeks have been very hectic. Though I am still just in time, for April is not yet over.

Source:
http://www.manuscriptsdontburn.org/categor/
complicites-the-master-and-margarita/page/4/

The second part of Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita opens up with Margarita, this is the first time the reader gets to know Margarita first-hand, in the previous part it is only through what the Master says of her, which is little. We meet her in her own opulent house, being married to a wealthy man, reminiscing about the Master, whom she misses sorely since he disappeared, but we the reader know he's in the mental hospital. In her melancholy she decides to go to the park. There she meets Azazello, one of the devil's entourage. Once she meets him and somewhat tells him her sad story of lost love and injustice done to him, the story proceeds to get even more bizarre, but in an ironic and entertaining way. She becomes a witch, flies to a ritual where she is crowned goddess/queen, meets the devil and the rest of his possee. Along the way, she extracts revenge from the editors and writers that did the Master wrong. Towards the end of the surreal journey, now in the devil's somber chamber, while he plays chess, she pledges her devotion and asks that he bring back the Master. After a brief hesitation he does so, to her and the Master's surprise.

The story ends slightly dubiously, the story of the procurator of Judea is revisited and loose ends are tied, also, the Master and Margarita finally get to their small home we not not where, where they are to live in eternal peace. Ivan Homeless gets the ending of the Master's story and Woland leaves Moscow leaving a trail a destruction inflicted by Behemoth and Koroviev.

Behemoth and Koroviev during the famous séance. Source:
http://my.opera.com/mustainev/blog/2012/03/09/master-and-margarita-by-mikhail-bulgakov-2

Margarita the witch flying to her coronation. Source:
http://www.cafleurebon.com/galbanum-and-other-strangers-master-
and-margarita-by-michael-bulgahov-vol-a-nuit-draw/

I have reduced the second part of the book to the barest words but truly the book is a delight. First, because for those that enjoy fantasy, they will get a good does of that. Woland's magic tricks, the séance, everything he and his entourage do takes the reader's level of belief to a further level. Add to that the eerie, grotesque, yet enchanting ball that is held in Margarita's honor, where all the dead are risen from their graves and their stories are retold as they pay homage to the queen Margarita. The characters are all so colorful and poignant. I especially loved getting to know Margarita and seeing her transform into a witch. And the Master, towards the end, when he is almost reaching his eternal abode of peace, how he is described as he says farewell to the city and life he has known is reminiscent of a messiah.

"'Forever! That's a lot for a man to grasp,' whispered the Master, licking his dry, cracked lips. He listened carefully to what was going on in his soul. For a moment, his excitement seemed to turn into a feeling of deep, mortal insult. But the sentiment was fleeting. It vanished to be replaced by proud indifference and finally settled into an expectation of eternal peace. [...] 'Well, then, 'Woland said to him from high up in the saddle, 'are all the accounts settled? Have all the goodbyes been said?' 'Yes, it is over,' the Master said, calming down,  and looked directly into Woland's face without fear. [...] It had all fallen through the earth, leaving nothing but fog."

Secondly, the book is an enlightening delight because the reader is constantly faced with the weighing of good and evil. What does it mean to be evil? And likewise, what does it mean to be good? Tying this up with Mikhail Bulgakov's time and the context within which he created this book, the nation's insecurity and mistrust as everything around them was changing, the obligation to follow the imposed norm, the disappearances, all the nuances that plagued Moscow during his time as Stalin rose to power is evident. Also, another important aspect of the book is it's questioning of faith, on the veracity of faith and belied versus of non-belief. There is an interplay within these two extremes throughout the novel that ends with more questions than answers.

I highly recommend this book, it was an exciting, intriguing and revealing read. Also, there are so many awesome pictures relating to The Master and Margarita that I couldn't help posting at least three.

Part One: The Master and Margarita

-What are you, then?  -I am part of that power that always wishes evil and always performs the good. -Goethe, Faust

Source: http://www.davno.ru/soviet-posters/propaganda/poster-12.html

Continuing with Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. Part one of the novel opens up with Ivan the poet, called Homeless, discussing the veracity of the existence of Jesus. Berlioz, "chairman and editor of Moscow's largest literary journal" is asking that Ivan rewrite a poem so that it disqualifies the existence of Jesus. Immediately, Woland comes into the scene alone. This commences his entrance into Moscow along with his colorful entourage. Remember, faith and religion are not allowed in Moscow from early on in the 20th century, during Stalin's reign. The voice from the beginning is actively engaging and the chapters jump from one chaotic scene to the next as Woland and his retinue challenge and disorder the inhabitants of Moscow. Disappearances occur, which very much aligns with what was in reality happening during Bulgakov's time. If a person was found to be a hinderance on the government and its' aims, said person would "disappear". Intertwined with this present Moscow (1920's) is the retelling of Jesus's judgement in Judea but, as opposed to the New Testament perspective, from the point of view and interpretation of Pontius Pilate.

This double outline illustrated from the beginning reveals a constant interplay of beliefs which evolves within the story. Which brings to the forefront, what is truth? What is faith? Faith is suggested as a mental illness. The supernatural is also intermixed with these questions, as Woland continues to suspend the readers' and the characters' belief by means of his and his retinue's magic and trickery. Many of the characters introduced are arrested, sent to a mental hospital, transported mysteriously somewhere far, or just disappear.

"if there is no God, then may I ask who governs man's existence and all world order?"[...]"In order to govern, one needs to have a definite plan for some reasonable length of time. Allow me to ask you how man can govern anything considering that not only is he unable to plan for even a laughably short period, say a thousand years, but that he cannot even vouch for tomorrow?" -Woland

Source:
 http://www.davno.ru/soviet-posters/propaganda/poster-12.html

Woland, whom the reader, a few chapters in, can identify as the devil is also painted differently. Contrary to the preconceived concept of whom the devil is and his ruthless maleficence, this devil challenges disbelief and lacks ruthlessness, for even though a few characters do loose their lives, one is lead to see the reason behind that loss and what led to it.

Following the first chapter, Ivan Homeless is entered into a mental hospital, where he meets the Master. He is the creator and writer of the story of Pontius Pilate, it is his book banned and his writing career truncated due to the subject matter of his book, the retelling of Jesus' judgement from the view of Pilate, the judge. What struck me, among many other things in this excellent novel, is how faith, pre-notions and traditions are questioned. Jesus is not portrayed as divine either, merely as a humble rabble rouser, and vice versa, the devil is not entirely evil according to orthodox conviction.

Part one, rather than highlight one specific protagonist, sets the plot which leads to the second part and the introduction of Margarita. The action is quick and precise, and the writer is in continual sporadic conversation with the reader throughout, which in turn engages the attention.

"What other oddities transpired in Moscow that night we know not, and we certainly will not pry, especially since it is time for us to move on to the second part of this truthful narrative. Follow me, reader!"

Mikhail Bulgakov

No more Julio Cortázar, while I am reading his novel Rayuela, this month will be dedicated to Mikhail Bulgakov and his novel, "The Master and Margarita".

On the author himself, he was born in Kiev in 1891 into an educated family, his father was asisstant professor of theology. He died when Mikhail was still young. His mother, henceforth, took over his education. He studied medicine, became a physician, and afterwards opened a small practice before becoming a writer and playwright.

His budding writing career led him to Moscow in 1921. Unfortunately, after having witnessed the aftershocks of the Russian civil war, now a new "Soviet reality" was taking shape that was going to affect his writing career. Stalin came into power and a new truth was revealing itself in Moscow and consequently Russia. From here on out many of his plays would be banned fron stage, not fitting into the communist agenda, and he would also be denied the liberty of leaving the country. He died in March 1940, still editing "The Master and Margarita" and never having published the book.

I introduce the author first because I found, after having read the novel, that being aware of the context in which the book was written further inriched my understanding and interpretation of it.
The Russia of Bulgakov is clearly depicted in the novel as well as his own artistic frustrations at having many of his plays banned from stage. This Moscow is one where corruption, scarce housing and the persecution of church, clergy and faith abound. No one can be trusted, especially foreigners. Given all these nuances Bulgakov also laces his novel, divided in two parts, with another story. It is therefore two parts within two parts. Present day Moscow contrasted with Pontius Pilate's Judea "during the spring month of Nisan". Specifically, the accusation, condemnation and crucifiction of Jesus from the perspective of Pilate.

Having briefly introduced Mikhail Bulgakov and the Russia in which he lived and created his work, I will leave "The Master and Margarita" for next week.

  "Darkness descending from the Mediterranean Sea engulfed the city so hated by the procurator..."