Quotes From "The Master And Margarita" By Mikhail Bulgakov

Follow me, reader! Who told you that there is no true, faithful, eternal love in this world! May the liar's vile tongue be cut out! Follow me, my reader, and me alone, and I will show you such a love! Mikhail Bulgakov

But what can be done, the one who loves must share the fate of the one he loves. Mikhail Bulgakov

Everything will turn out right, the world is built on that. Mikhail Bulgakov

The tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes never! You're asked an unexpected question, you don't even flinch, it takes just a second to get yourself under control, you know just what you have to say to hide the truth, and you speak very convincingly, and nothing in your face twitches to give you away. But the truth, alas, has been disturbed by the question, and it rises up from the depths of your soul to flicker in your eyes and all is lost. Mikhail Bulgakov

— But here is a question that is troubling me: if there is no God, then, one may ask, who governs human life and, in general, the whole order of things on earth?— Man governs it himself, — Homeless angrily hastened to reply to this admittedly none-too-clear question.— Pardon me, — the stranger responded gently, — but in order to govern, one needs, after all, to have a precise plan for a certain, at least somewhat decent, length of time. Allow me to ask you, then, how can man govern, if he is not only deprived of the opportunity of making a plan for at least some ridiculously short period, well, say, a thousand years , but cannot even vouch for his own tomorrow? And in fact, — here the stranger turned to Berlioz, — imagine that you, for instance, start governing, giving orders to others and yourself, generally, so to speak, acquire a taste for it, and suddenly you get. .hem. . hem. . lung cancer. . — here the foreigner smiled sweetly, and if the thought of lung cancer gave him pleasure – yes, cancer – narrowing his eyes like a cat, he repeated the sonorous word –and so your governing is over! You are no longer interested in anyone’s fate but your own. Your family starts lying to you. Feeling that something is wrong, you rush to learned doctors, then to quacks, and sometimes to fortune-tellers as well. Like the first, so the second and third are completely senseless, as you understand. And it all ends tragically: a man who still recently thought he was governing something, suddenly winds up lying motionless in a wooden box, and the people around him, seeing that the man lying there is no longer good for anything, burn him in an oven. And sometimes it’s worse still: the man has just decided to go to Kislovodsk — here the foreigner squinted at Berlioz — a trifling matter, it seems, but even this he cannot accomplish, because suddenly, no one knows why, he slips and falls under a tram-car! Are you going to say it was he who governed himself that way? Would it not be more correct to think that he was governed by someone else entirely?. Mikhail Bulgakov

How sad, ye Gods, how sad the world is at evening, how mysterious the mists over the swamps! You will know it when you have wandered astray in those mists, when you have suffered greatly before dying, when you have walked through the world carrying an unbearable burden. You know it too when you are weary and ready to leave this earth without regret; its mists; its swamps and its rivers; ready to give yourself into the arms of death with a light heart, knowing that death alone can comfort you. Mikhail Bulgakov

If you’ve been exiled, why don’t you send me word of yourself? People do send word. Have you stopped loving me? No, for some reason I don’t believe that. It means you were exiled and died … Release me, then, I beg you, give me freedom to live, finally, to breathe the air! …’ Margarita Nikolaevna answered for him herself: ’You are free … am I holding you?’ Then she objected to him: ’No, what kind of answer is that? No, go from my memory, then I’ll be free … . Mikhail Bulgakov

Most bad, " the host concluded. "If you ask me, something sinister lurks in men who avoid wine, games, the company of lovely women, and dinnertime conversation. Such people are either gravely ill or secretly detest everyone around them. Mikhail Bulgakov

Why do smart people exist, if not to figure out convoluted problems? Mikhail Bulgakov

You should never ask anyone for anything. Never- and especially from those who are more powerful than yourself. Mikhail Bulgakov

Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it. Mikhail Bulgakov

Margarita was never short of money. She could buy whatever she liked. Her husband had plenty of interesting friends. Margarita never had to cook. Margarita knew nothing of the horrors of living in a shared flat. In short... was she happy? Not for a moment. Mikhail Bulgakov

And now tell me, why is it that you use me words "good people" all the time? Do you call everyone that, or what?- Everyone, - the prisoner replied. - There are no evil people in the world.(- А Ñ‚еперь скажи мне, чÑ‚о эÑ‚о Ñ‚Ñ‹ все время упоÑ‚ребляешь слова добрÑ‹елюди"? ТÑ‹ всех, чÑ‚о ли, Ñ‚ак назÑ‹ваешь?- Всех, - оÑ‚веÑ‚ил аресÑ‚анÑ‚, - злÑ‹х людей неÑ‚ на свеÑ‚е.) . Mikhail Bulgakov

Jesus to Pilate:"The trouble is, " the bound man went on, not stopping by anyone, "that you are too closed off and have definitely lost faith in people. You must agree, one can't place all one's affection in a dog. Your life is impoverished, Hegemon. Mikhail Bulgakov

No one's fate is of any interest to you except your own. Mikhail Bulgakov

But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings. Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because of your fantasy of enjoying naked light? You're stupid. . Mikhail Bulgakov

You spoke your words as though you denied the very existence of the shadows or of evil. Think, now: where would your good be if there were no evil and what would the world look like without shadow? Mikhail Bulgakov

Man is mortal, and as the professor so rightly said mortality can come so suddenly Mikhail Bulgakov

The tongue may hide the truth but the eyes–never! Mikhail Bulgakov

Everyone listened to this amusing narrative with great interest, and the moment that Behemoth concluded it, they all shouted in unison: 'Lies! Mikhail Bulgakov

You were right, " said the Master impressed by the neatness of Korovyov's work, "when you said: no documents, no person. So that means I don't exist since I don't have any documents. Mikhail Bulgakov

What is all this? Get him out of here, devil take me! ” And that one, imagine, smiles and says: “Devil take you? That, in fact, can be done! ” And–bang! Mikhail Bulgakov

You are not Dostoevsky, ' said the woman...' You never can tell...' he answered.' Dostoevsky is dead, ' the woman said, a bit uncertainly.' I protest! ' he said with heat, 'Dostoevsky is immortal! Mikhail Bulgakov

I believe you! ' the artiste exclaimed finally and extinguishes his gaze. 'I do! These eyes are not lying! How many times have I told you that your basic error consists in underestimating the significance of the human eye. Understand that the tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes - never! A sudden question is put to you, you don't even flinch, in one second you get hold of yourself and know what you must say to conceal the truth, and you speak quite convincingly, and not a wrinkle on your face moves, but - alas - the truth which the question stirs up from the bottom of your soul leaps momentarily into your eyes, and it's all over! They see it, and you're caught! . Mikhail Bulgakov

Is that vodka?" Margarita asked weakly. The cat jumped up in his seat with indignation." I beg pardon, my queen, " he rasped, "Would I ever allow myself to offer vodka to a lady? This is pure alcohol! Mikhail Bulgakov

Not fooling around, not bothering nobody, just sitting here mending the Primus, " said the cat with a hostile frown, "and, moreover, I consider it my duty to warn you that the cat is an ancient, inviolable animal. Mikhail Bulgakov

The buckets emptied quickly, and men from different squads took turns bringing water from the gully that lay towards the city, where, in the feeble shade of emaciated mulberries, a muddy stream lived out its last days in the diabolical heat. Mikhail Bulgakov

Once more and for the last time, the moon flashed above and broke into pieces, and then everything went black. Mikhail Bulgakov

You're not Dostoevsky, ' said the citizeness, who was getting muddled by Koroviev. Well, who knows, who knows, ' he replied. 'Dostoevsky's dead, ' said the citizeness, but somehow not very confidently. 'I protest! ' Behemoth exclaimed hotly. 'Dostoevsky is immortal! Mikhail Bulgakov

Don’t be afraid, Queen, the blood has long run down into the earth. And on the spot where it was spilled, grapevines are growing today. Mikhail Bulgakov

Yes, man is mortal, but that would be only half the trouble. The worst of it is that he's sometimes unexpectedly mortal–there's the trick! Mikhail Bulgakov