> I read The Master and Margarita a long time ago because I read somewhere that it was one inspiration for the Rolling Stone's Sympathy for the Devil, so I wasn't exactly driven by pretentious intellectualism.
I have a hunch you do not discuss The Master and Margarita at parties.
Edit: The downvotes on this is the exact reason why McDuff is popular - it is intellectual masturbation. The one mocked by Russian writers. One, of course, should read it in Russian on in V&P translation to notice this plot twist. It is always fun to watch.
The downvotes are because you keep making a non-sequitur strawmen instead of contributing anything of value to the discussion. Why wouldn't I be talking about it at parties?
What's your point exactly? Do you think that Master and Margarita is overrated or do you think people like it for the wrong reasons?
For the same reason why you would not be discussing "Confucius, Philosopher of the Chinese" -- wrong audience.
> Do you think that Master and Margarita is overrated or do you think people like it for the wrong reasons?
I gave the answer above - fawning over TMAM among the western population is signaling of intellectualism targeting their friends. TMAM actually addresses it.
I have a hunch you do not discuss The Master and Margarita at parties.
Edit: The downvotes on this is the exact reason why McDuff is popular - it is intellectual masturbation. The one mocked by Russian writers. One, of course, should read it in Russian on in V&P translation to notice this plot twist. It is always fun to watch.