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The first major work of Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov was his novel "White Guard." It began to be published in 1925 in the pages of the magazine "Russia."
In this work, Bulgakov emerged as a strong realist, subtly reflecting both the whirlwinds of revolutionary events and the experiences of his characters. It is no coincidence that Maximilian Voloshin wrote that this novel can be compared to the debut publications of Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. The same burning realism permeates Bulgakov's stories from the cycle "Notes of a Young Doctor."
However, the writer's talent was broader than the ability to reflect the surrounding reality. We also know another Bulgakov — a fantasist, an inventor, even a science fiction writer, capable of spinning a completely incredible plot and presenting it with charming credibility. Bulgakov brought to Russian literature of the early 20th century what it often lacked before — engagement, intrigue, and a sparkling concept.
The novella "Deadly Eggs" is a brilliant example of this. Its plot, fantastic and incredible, captivates, enthralls, and does not allow one to tear away from reading. It is full of "terrifying and inexplicable" events and amazing surprises. At the same time, Bulgakov presents his incredible plot with a smile, with irony, in a quasi-serious tone. This is not Wells or Belyaev's science fiction, in which futuristic constructs are based on quite real technological grounds. For Bulgakov's fantastic game, such a foundation is not needed.
The same cunning fire of the unrestrained fantasist illuminates "The Devil's Tale" — a story about how twins doomed a clerk. As in "Deadly Eggs," everything here is built on chance, from which the most incredible consequences flow. In both novellas, Bulgakov gently chuckles and even playfully mocks life, pouring its contents into fantastic forms, within which all the details of Soviet life are remarkably preserved. Without this wonderful ability that Bulgakov possessed in full measure, neither his "A Dog's Heart" nor "The Master and Margarita" would have appeared later.
The book is illustrated with drawings by contemporary St. Petersburg artist Tatyana Kosach. She graduated from the historical faculty of St. Petersburg State University and is a specialist in Medieval art. Her iconographic and graphic works can be found in private collections of art lovers in Russia, the USA, Italy, and France.
In the series "Library of World Literature," her illustrations adorn the novels "An American Tragedy," "The Financier," "Titan," "Stoic" by Theodore Dreiser, "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Leonidovich Pasternak, "White Guard" by Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov, and stories by Ambrose Bierce.