Nothing in the whole of literature compares with The Master and Margarita. Bulgakov's crowning achievement, this luminous work skillfully blands magical and realistic elements, grotesque situations and major ethical concerns. Written during the darkest period of Stalin's repressive reign, its is a devastating satire of Soviet life and combines 2 distinct yet interwoven parts, one set in contemporary Moscow, the other in ancient Jerusalem, eachi brimming with incident and with historical, imaginary, frightful and wonderful characters.