I am ambivalent about The Master and Margarita. It's beautifully written, and the fantasy/surreal elements are nicely done. I know this is supposed to be a commentary on Stalinist Russia, and I understand what that commentary is, but I also feel like I have no idea what that commentary is. This was a clear story, but a murky one, too. It was weird, but that weirdness was not weird in the context of the story. I don't know if I like the Master and Margarita, or if I don't like it. As I say, I'm ambivalent.Maybe when I was still in college and my mind was more nimble I would have enjoyed the hard mental work that this book asks of its readers. Now that I'm old, tired, and can barely keep my concentration on anything for more than 30 minutes at a stretch, maybe the rigorous demands made by The Master and Margarita are just too far beyond my diminishing mental capacity. This one asked me to bring more to the table than I've got left in my pantry.