Mikhail Bulgakov
"A Dead Man's Memoir: A Theatrical Novel"
Despite the name of the funeral, "Theatrical Novel" - a very jolly affair, and most researchers believe it, even the most ridiculous piece of Mikhail Bulgakov. Furthermore, it should also mention the extraordinary ease with which this novel was created: in one breath, without drafts, sketches and any corrections. Helen says that while she, on returning Mikhail Bulgakov in evening from the Bolshoi Theatre, laying dinner, he sat at his desk and wrote a few pages, then went to her incredibly pleased, rubbing his hands with satisfaction.
The novel begins with a preface - the alleged author it is not the author, but only a "publisher" if Notes of Sergei Maksudov from Kiev, who sent the essay "to his only friend" with a request to correct it and publish under his own name, "rushed to the Chain Bridge upside down" . The will of the deceased to perform, although the "publisher" and warns that everything contained in the "Notes" - the fruit of a sick imagination of Maksudov, and that "no such theaters, neither of these people, which are derived in a product of the late, nowhere to be found and there was no" and Maksudov himself has no relation to the drama.
"Notes" of Maksudov begin with the fact that the author received a mysterious letter from the director of the Independent Theatre Xavier Ilchin and goes to meet him. Xavier B. meets Maksudov cryptic words: "I read your novel" - and then the story rolled back into the past, and we learn that Maksudov, obscure, humble employee of the newspaper "Herald of the shipping company" has written a novel.
Upon completion of reading the novel first Maksudov's colleagues in the service, then expanding the circle of his listeners, come writers (one of whom Likospastov, is an incredible bastard - he became a familiar prototype Bulgakov's known at the time writer Yuri Slezkin). And now, after reading the novel, "the disaster". And all that heard in one voice declared that the novel does not print, because it "will not pass censorship."
Maksudov considers the novel in two versions, but gets it back marked "not suitable". Then he was preparing a suicide, which robs one of his friend, military, revolver. Already put a gun to his temple Maksudov heard an aria from Faust (opera)from a neighboring apartment - and then, preventing him from committing irreparable, to visit him is a strange entity in a beret, but without a pen - as it turns out, is the editor publisher of the private journal "Rodina" Ilya Rudolfi. Rudolfi taken to print the novel.
Maksudov service throws in the newspaper, as "goes to another world: he began to visit with Rudolph and meet famous writers. He had to get acquainted with the publisher, Makar Rvatsky and his brother Aloysius, who cleverly bought the writer notes for half price. But at last novel came out. Maksudov enters the world of real writers. After the party Maksudov ill flu, but this time the breaks yet another disaster: the poor recovery, the author learned, Rudolph went abroad, released only a third of the novel, and the next - nothing. Maksudov comprehends everything that happened to him.
Some time later Maksudov began composing a play - based on written novel. Here the story "Notes of the dead"" back to the original interrupted the scene - a meeting with writer director Ilchin. Ilchin orders Maksudov a play. What a coincidence that Maksudov had already begun to write it! In addition, Ilchin shows Maksudov Independent Theatre (under that name derived Moscow Art Theatre), and Maksudov understands that "this world is mine".
He ends the play, and beyond that begins the novel with the theater. Maksudov enters into a contract, met with employees of the Independent Theatre, with actor Peter Bombardov (which became the collective image of young actors of Moscow Art Theatre ). Bombardov shows Maksudov the theater, featuring a gallery of portraits in the foyer and telling stories depicted.
In a break Maksudov walk out the theater and into an amazing place, which the Theatre is called "office" - the possession of Philip Tulumbasov (here handing out pass-out). And here is where to turn around to Bulgakov - gallery of types of Moscow and a visiting folk, always milling in the office of Philip, was discharged extremely picturesque.
Once the play is reprinted, it must be "read" before one of the theater director - Ivan (the reader immediately realizes that, under the name of Ivan in the novel derived founder theMoscow Art Theatre, Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky). Despite the warning of Bombardov, Maksudov still made a mistake and gave a shot, "the scene where the hero shoots himself, and so it all wrong. Ivan interrupts reading and requires that the playwright rewrote the scene, replacing it with another, where the hero stabs a dagger. Not only this, Ivan demanded that the young heroine, her sister, was turned into a mother, which he immediately christened Antonina, and after reading, the author stated that "now you need to start working on this stuff".
Maksudov refused to make changes in the play, and at the Theatre seemed to have forgotten about it.
Several weeks passed, when he was summoned to the theater - on the advice to "elders". Illustrious past, the great old actor of the Theatre, the founders, gathered to discuss the play and the situation. To his disgust Maksudov realizes that they all consider him to play for some mysterious circumstances, inappropriate, and requests to return it to him, but immediately realizes that was a trap: they signed a contract obliges him to make any required changes, however, the author prohibited from transferring the play in other theaters.
A few weeks later the miracle happens: Maksudov receives a card from the theater with a notice that begins rehearsals of his play. This opens the second part of the novel, in which are written only two chapters: the fifteenth and sixteenth. Both are devoted to describing the play rehearsals, which he spent Ivan consistent with his "theory". A great opportunity to look at Stanislavski's system is through the eyes of Mikhail Bulgakov.
Requirements for alterations in the play suffers Maksudov. His relationship with the director, and Ivan the final spoil. But more than adaptations, Maksudov annoying long rehearsal, the play on which Ivan embodied in the life of his theory. To our deep dismay of Maksudov, after all these exercises, the actors play worse, so that the playwright begins to question itself "theory" by Ivan. In this Theatrical Novel terminates.
Description of the novel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatrical_Novel
