Mikhail Bulgakov

Only if some microorganism doesn't attack these tender hothouse plants and eat away at their roots, only if they don't rot! And that can happen with pineapples! Oh, yes, indeed it can!

— Mikhail Bulgakov

Gods, my gods! How sad the earth is at eventide! How mysterious are the mists over the swamps. Anyone who has wandered in these mists, who has suffered a great deal before death, or flown above the earth, bearing a burden beyond his strength knows this. Someone who is exhausted knows this. And without regret he forsakes the mists of the earth, its swamps and rivers, and sinks into the arms of death with a light heart knowing that death alone . . .

— Mikhail Bulgakov

How sad, ye gods, how sad the world is at evening, how mysterious the mists over the swamps. You will know it when you have suffered greatly before dying, when you have walked through the world carrying an unbearable burden. You know it too when you are weary and ready to leave this earth without regret; it's mists, it's swamps and it's rivers; ready to give yourself into the arms of death with a light heart, knowing that death alone can comfort you.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

How sad, ye Gods, how sad the world is at evening, how mysterious the mists over the swamps! You will know it when you have wandered astray in those mists, when you have suffered greatly before dying, when you have walked through the world carrying an unbearable burden. You know it too when you are weary and ready to leave this earth without regret; its mists; its swamps and its rivers; ready to give yourself into the arms of death with a light heart, knowing that death alone can comfort you.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

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.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

Don’t be afraid, Queen, the blood has long run down into the earth. And on the spot where it was spilled, grapevines are growing today.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

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

— Mikhail Bulgakov

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

— Mikhail Bulgakov

But here is a question that is troubling me: if there is no God, then, one may ask, who governs human life and, in general, the whole order of things on earth?

— Mikhail Bulgakov

I believe you!' the artiste exclaimed finally and extinguishes his gaze. 'I do! These eyes are not lying! How many times have I told you that your basic error consists in underestimating the significance of the human eye. Understand that the tongue can conceal the truth, but the eyes - never! A sudden question is put to you, you don't even flinch, in one second you get hold of yourself and know what you must say to conceal the truth, and you speak quite convincingly, and not a wrinkle on your face moves, but - alas - the truth which the question stirs up from the bottom of your soul leaps momentarily into your eyes, and it's all over! They see it, and you're caught!

— Mikhail Bulgakov

In fact, I'm beginning to fear that this confusion will go on for a long time. And all because he writes down what I said incorrectly.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'I do not know these good men,' replied the prisoner.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

It's all over, so let's not burden the telegraph system.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

Ryukhin showed himself no mercy-'I don't believe in anything I've ever written!'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

Foreign visitors . . . how impressed you all are with foreign visitors! But they come in many different varieties.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

‘He's clever,' thought Ivan,' I must admit there are some smart people even among the intelligentsia'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

. . . said the not entirely suppressed old Ivan, rearing his head from inside the new one, although without much confidence.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

There was something uncommonly fake and uncertain in every line of these articles, depite their threatening and self-assured tone. I kept thinking . . . that the authors of these articles weren't saying what they wanted to say, and that that was why they were so furious.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'What is all this? Damn me if I don't have you thrown out of here!' The beast just smiled and said: 'Damn you, I think you said? Very well!'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'What's the use of dying in a ward surrounded by a lot of groaning and croaking incurables? Wouldn't it be much better to throw a party with that twenty-seven thousand and take poison and depart for the other world to the sound of violins, surrounded by lovely drunken girls and happy friends?'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

`Second freshness - that's what is nonsense! There is only one freshness - the first - and it is also the last. And if sturgeon is of the second freshness, that means it is simply rotten.'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

We have no idea whether there were any other strange occurences in Moscow that night, and we have no intention of trying to find out, since the time has come for us to proceed to Part Two of this true narrative. Follow me, reader!

— Mikhail Bulgakov

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

'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

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

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'Don't be afraid, Queen … don't be afraid, Queen, the blood has long since gone into the earth. And where it was spilled, grapevines are already growing.'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

Manuscripts don't burn.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'Unfortunately I cannot show it to you,' replied the master, 'because I burned it in my stove.''I'm sorry but I don't believe you,' said Woland. 'You can't have done. Manuscripts don't burn.'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'Never ask for anything! Never for anything, and especially from those who are stronger than you. They'll make the offer themselves, and give everything themselves.'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'I had the pleasure of meeting that young man at the Patriarch's Ponds. He almost drove me mad myself, proving to me that I don't exist. But you do believe that it is really I?'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

'For some reason, cats are usually addressed familiarly, though no cat has ever drunk bruderschaft with anyone.'

— Mikhail Bulgakov

It was clear to him that he had lost something irretrievably that day, and that now he wanted to make up for the loss with minor, inconsequential, and most importantly, belated measures.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

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.

— Mikhail Bulgakov

Cowardice was undoubtedly one of the most terrible vices - thus spoke Yeshua Ha-Nozri. 'No, philosopher, I disagree with you: it is the most terrible vice!'

— Mikhail Bulgakov