Mini Review: Bulgakov’s A Dead Man’s Memoir

Recently, a friend gave me a copy of Mikhail Bulgakov’s A Dead Man’s Memoir. As Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita is one my favourite books, I eargerly dug into A Dead Man’s Memoir. It is a different beast of a book, so it would be unfair to compare the two.

A Dead Man’s Memoir feels semi-autobiographical, a comment made by many who have reviewed the book. The central character is a self-hating, awkward and easily frustrated by others, especially the Soviet-era writers and playwrights that the novel thinly satirizes. The central character reminds me of other Russian novels, albeit more contemporary 21st century ones.

Overall, the novel is charming. It would not be the first Bulgakov I would recommend reading, but something to add to your literary reading once you have read a healthy dosage of Russian literature.