Mikhail Bulgakov: Trending quotes

“The tongue may hide the truth but the eyes—never!”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book One in 'Nikanor Ivanovich's Dream', B/O
Variant: The tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes never!
Source: The Master and Margarita (1967)
Context: The tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes never! You're asked an unexpected question, you don't even flinch, it takes just a second to get yourself under control, you know just what you have to say to hide the truth, and you speak very convincingly, and nothing in your face twitches to give you away. But the truth, alas, has been disturbed by the question, and it rises up from the depths of your soul to flicker in your eyes and all is lost.

Truth

“Cowardice is the most terrible of vices.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita

“Everything will turn out right, the world is built on that.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita

World

“There's only one degree of freshness — the first, which makes it also the last”

Mikhail Bulgakov

“Well, as everyone knows, once witchcraft gets started, there's no stopping it.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book One in the chapter 'Schizophrenia, as Predicted', B/O
The Master and Margarita (1967)

“You should never ask anyone for anything. Never- and especially from those who are more powerful than yourself.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita

“Follow me reader! Who told you that there is no true, faithful, eternal love in this world! May the liar's vile tongue be cut out!”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book Two in 'Margarita', P/V, opening lines of Book Two
Variant: Who told you that there is no true, faithful, eternal love in this world! May the liar’s vile tongue be cut out!
Source: The Master and Margarita (1967)

Love , World , Faith

“Once upon a time there was a lady. She had no children, and no happiness either. And at first she cried for a long time, but then she became wicked...”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book Two in 'Flight', B/O, Margarita talking about herself to a young girl
Source: The Master and Margarita (1967)

Children , Time , Happiness

“There is no greater misfortune in the world than the loss of reason.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita

World , Loss

“The hope that she might regain her happiness made her fearless.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book Two in 'By Candlelight'
The Master and Margarita (1967)

Hope , Happiness

“Yes, man is mortal, but that would be only half the trouble. The worst of it is that he's sometimes unexpectedly mortal - there's the trick!”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Да, человек смертен, но это было бы ещё полбеды. Плохо то, что он иногда внезапно смертен, вот в чём фокус!
Book One in 'Never Talk with Strangers', P/V
Source: The Master and Margarita (1967)

“What would your good do if evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?”

Mikhail Bulgakov

Evil

“But the truth, alas, has been disturbed by the question, and it rises up from the depths of your soul to flicker in your eyes and all is lost.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book One in 'Nikanor Ivanovich's Dream', B/O
The Master and Margarita (1967)
Context: The tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes never! You're asked an unexpected question, you don't even flinch, it takes just a second to get yourself under control, you know just what you have to say to hide the truth, and you speak very convincingly, and nothing in your face twitches to give you away. But the truth, alas, has been disturbed by the question, and it rises up from the depths of your soul to flicker in your eyes and all is lost.

Truth , Soul , Question

“It was the kind of look one gives someone one has heard of and thought a lot about, and whom one is meeting for the first time.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Book Two in 'The Burial', B/O
The Master and Margarita (1967)
Context: The procurator studied the new arrival with avid, and slightly fearful eyes. It was the kind of look one gives someone one has heard of and thought a lot about, and whom one is meeting for the first time.

Time

“But what can be done, the one who loves must share the fate of the one he loves.”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita

Love , Fate

“Is that vodka?" Margarita asked weakly.
The cat jumped up in his seat with indignation.
"I beg pardon, my queen," he rasped, "Would I ever allow myself to offer vodka to a lady? This is pure alcohol!”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita

Alcohol , Cats

“Punch a man on the nose, kick an old man downstairs, shoot somebody or any old thing like that, that’s my job. But argue with women in love—no thank you!”

Mikhail Bulgakov book The Master and Margarita

Source: The Master and Margarita