The Master and Margarita
#534.28 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1967 Reading commitment Low Mikhail Bulgakov Last reviewed 2026-08-30
Overview
The Master and Margarita is Mikhail Bulgakov's Russian satirical fantasy novel, written between 1928 and 1940 and published only posthumously, first in a censored serialized form (1966-1967) and later complete and uncensored (1973). The Devil, travelling under the name Woland, visits officially atheist Soviet Moscow with a retinue of demonic companions, wreaking havoc among the city's literary elite; interwoven is a novel-within-the-novel retelling Pontius Pilate's judgment of Yeshua. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest novels and a landmark of fantastical literature.
Mythic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Master and Margarita Mikhail Bulgakov
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Master and Margarita | 1967 | 1 | core | 4.28 (447,924 ratings) |
Mikhail Bulgakov's single novel, written 1928-1940 and published posthumously (censored) in 1966-1967, complete uncensored in 1973; a satirical fantasy in which the Devil visits Soviet Moscow, interwoven with a novel-within-the-novel retelling Pontius Pilate's judgment of Yeshua. Multiple complete English translations exist (Mirra Ginsburg; Diana Burgin & Katherine Tiernan O'Connor; Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky; Hugh Aplin).
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Master and Margarita? The Master and Margarita's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Master and Margarita finished? Complete (1967).
- How much reading does The Master and Margarita take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~372 pages).
- How is The Master and Margarita ranked? #53 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 447,924 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #53?
Ranked #53 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.28 across 1 core book.
- Backed by 448k reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #52, Raybearer (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 1 book · Complete · 448k ratings · Ranks #53 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Written under Soviet censorship and published only posthumously; no formal award history to record.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.28 across 447,924 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Master and Margarita admitted; Core Canon = the single novel accepted 2026-08-30
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: The Master and Margarita Tier 2
- Mikhail Bulgakov: English Bibliography (masterandmargarita.eu) Tier 2
- Penguin Random House: The Master and Margarita Tier 1
Last reviewed: 2026-08-30
Rule: Core Canon is the single novel. No companion material is registered; Bulgakov's other works are outside this admission's scope.