The master and margarita

Bulgakov paints an excellent picture of Stalin’s regime in this allegorical masterpiece. The devil makes a personal appearance in Moscow accompanied by various demons, including a naked girl and a huge black cat. When he leaves, the asylums are full and the forces of law and order are in disarray. Only the Master, a man devoted to truth, and Margarita, the woman he loves, can resist the devil’s onslaught. With an introduction by Will Self.