Diaboliad
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 1925 book cover | |
| Author | Mikhail Bulgakov |
|---|---|
| Language | Russian |
| Genre | |
| Set in | Soviet Union |
| Publisher | Nedra |
Publication date | 1924, Moscow |
| Publication place | Soviet Union |
Diaboliad (Russian: Дьяволиада) is a short story by Mikhail Bulgakov. It was the only story of his to be published as a book in his lifetime.[1]
In 1923 Mikhail Bulgakov met Nikolai Semyonovich Angarsky (pen name of Nikolai Klestov), who was the senior editor and manager of the Nedra publishing house. After making his acquaintance, Angarsky began publishing Bulgakov's stories in the Nedra almanac, including "The Fatal Eggs".[2] Bulgakov read the story to Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who liked it very much, however Bulgakov himself noted in his diary twice that he himself was not pleased with the story.[3] Diaboliad was first published in 1924. In 1925, the story was published separately as Bulgakov's own book. Two months after publication, the Joint State Political Directorate of the USSR confiscated the edition, although Angarskiy secured approval from the Glavlit to publish a second edition of the book. In 1926, it was successfully published again, however Bulgakov then cut ties with the publishing house.[2] Literary critic Yevgeny Zamyatin lauded the story for its cinematic structure and blend of the fantastic and everyday.[1] Contemporaries mentioned that the story was hilarious, however today it lost much of its humorous gist, because the context which the author's caustics hints was addressing is no longer known.[4]