At the Table with Bulgakov. The Spirit of the Time in the Works of the Great Master and Culinary Books

Bulgakov's fate 'stitches' the divide between two epochs, between imperial Russia and Soviet Russia. The value of Mikhail Afanasyevich's work lies not in the fact that he was a chronicler of his time, but in that he wrote for all times. His works are dissected into quotes, many of which are culinary: 'Sturgeon of the second freshness', 'Do not read Soviet newspapers before lunch', 'The keyholder made vodka'... Bulgakov's works help to understand the complex and contradiction-filled time in which he lived. Documents from that time, sometimes having nothing to do with Bulgakov's creativity, such as culinary books, help to understand his works and immerse oneself in their atmosphere. Bulgakov was an aesthete and a connoisseur of gastronomic masterpieces. He was drawn to satirical and fantastical plots, and just as easily as Gogol, turned everyday life into a phantasmagoria, revealing its absurdity. At the same time, he was a singer of the high joys of creativity and love, of a harmonious family gathered at the same table. And as for what was served at the table in those times, read in this remarkably interesting book.