"Bulgakov's love for Kiev burns in every chapter of
The White Guard." –
The Guardian "Infused with a passion for the old city and for its people that catches the reader up in its sweeping intensity."
–The New York Times Book Review "A portrait of a population under siege . . . Bulgakov's novel evokes the suffering of [the Russian Civil War] and the still greater horrors that lay ahead."
–The Wall Street Journal "Bulgakov unfurls great fictional canvases conjuring up the atmosphere and beauty of his beloved Kiev like Pushkin . . . But beneath the effulgent lyricism there sounds a chuckle of cynicism . . . His irony is both broad and finely honed."
–Newsweek "A writer of fantastic genius." –
The Sunday Times (London)