Notes of a Corpse

Mikhail Afanasevich Bulgakov (1891–1940) — a doctor, playwright, and screenwriter, a world-renowned writer and classic of world literature. When Bulgakov passed away, an unfinished work remained, which he had been working on for several years — "Notes of a Corpse." The narrative in the novel is told from the perspective of the author's friend, Sergei Maksudov, whose last wish was the publication of his notes about the theatrical backstage. The atmosphere of the theatrical world of that time and the ambiance of literary quests are conveyed through the expressive and detailed illustrations of the talented artist Maxim Popovsky.

Mikhail Afanasevich Bulgakov (1891–1940) — a doctor, playwright, and screenwriter, a world-renowned writer and classic of world literature. He was born in Kyiv and was the eldest child in an intellectual large family. The writer's father was a professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy, and his mother was a teacher at a girls' gymnasium. The children were instilled with a love for music, theater, and reading, and their creative aspirations were encouraged. Bulgakov began writing his first short stories in his youth. In 1901, the boy was accepted into a prestigious school — the First Kyiv Male Gymnasium. Even before finishing it, Mikhail lost his father and had to engage in tutoring to help his mother provide for the family. During World War I, Bulgakov, a student at the medical faculty of Kyiv University, served in a Red Cross hospital. After graduating, he volunteered at a front-line hospital. For a long time, the young man worked as a doctor. It was around this time that he began writing stories that later became part of the cycle "Notes of a Young Doctor." His works were published in magazines and attracted the attention of both readers and established writers. Bulgakov's texts, witty and original, also caught the attention of theatrical figures. In 1926, two of his plays were presented on stage. Working in the theater captivated Bulgakov. He spent a lot of time at the Moscow Art Theatre, where he acted, directed, and wrote plays. The writer was absorbed in creativity until his very death. Suffering from a serious illness, he dictated the final edits to his texts to his wife.

When Bulgakov passed away, an unfinished work remained, which he had been working on for the last several years. His text titled "Theatrical Novel" was first published in 1965, twenty-five years after the writer's death. However, on the first page of Bulgakov's manuscript, there was another title for this work — "Notes of a Corpse." Nevertheless, the publishers involved in the publication of the novel chose the first option. It is difficult to assert which one Bulgakov would have preferred, but the title "Notes of a Corpse" was underscored by the author with a double line and appeared more frequently in the notes of his third wife, Elena Bulgakova. It is believed that the plot of the novel was based on Bulgakov's conflict with the leadership of the Moscow Art Theatre: his plays, for censorship reasons at that time, were not allowed on stage, which led to the playwright's break with the theater. The narrative in the novel is told from the perspective of a certain acquaintance of the author, Sergei Maksudov, whose last wish was the publication of his notes about the theatrical backstage. The atmosphere of the theatrical world and the ambiance of literary quests are conveyed through the expressive and detailed illustrations of the talented artist Maxim Popovsky.