Bulgakov was a Soviet playwright, novelist, and short story writer best known for his humor and penetrating satire. Because of their realism and humor, Bulgakov's works enjoyed great popularity, but their trenchant criticism of Soviet mores was increasingly unacceptable to the authorities.
Bulgakov's short stories are a world unto themselves—sharp, witty, and often unsettling. In these pages, the absurdity of Soviet life collides with the supernatural, the grotesque meets the comic, and reality is always just a step away from slipping into nightmare. His prose is alive with irony, his characters caught between fate and farce.
From the eerie intrigue of Seance to the biting social satire of The Beer Story, from the tragicomic twists of Shifting Accommodation to the philosophical undertones of Psalm, this collection offers a glimpse into Bulgakov's early genius. Each story is a window into the chaotic, sometimes surreal existence of the Soviet era, where bureaucracy, ideology, and human folly create a theater of the absurd.
Whether mocking the rigid structures of Soviet authority or weaving in mystical elements, Bulgakov remains a master of contrast—his humor is laced with darkness, his tragedy softened by laughter. These stories, written in the 1920s and early 1930s, bear the marks of an era that sought to silence him. And yet, here they are—brilliant, subversive, and impossible to forget.
Content:
• The Cup of Life
• Komarov Case
• Moscow Settings
• Psalm
• Moonshine Springs
• Seance
• Shifting Accommodation
• The Beer Story
• The Embroidered Towel
