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Cover of Morphine by Mikhail Bulgakov

Morphine

by Mikhail Bulgakov

A young doctor records the progression from medical relief to euphoria, dependence, and total enslavement.

Published
1927
Setting
Russia
Shelf rating
4.4

The story, briefly

Spoiler-free

Told largely through a doctor’s journal, Bulgakov’s novella follows morphine use from relief and private exhilaration into isolation, deception, and ruin.

What's inside

A rural doctor begins using morphine for relief and documents the drug’s steady possession of his work, relationships, and life.

Why we recommend it

  1. Addiction documented from the inside

    The journal form makes dependence immediate, private, clinical, and increasingly desperate.

What this book explores

Book editions

Paperback edition cover
Paperback
New Directions
2013
ISBN-13
9780811221689

Reader reviews

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Cover of Junky by William S. Burroughs

Junky

William S. Burroughs

A later account of addiction stripped of romance and spiritual mythology.

Read our take

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References

References

The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document Morphine, its publication, and its place in literary history.

  1. 1Morphine

    Novel
    Mikhail Bulgakov, 1927
    Used for

    The primary text represented by this page, used for descriptions of the work’s contents and for any quoted passages shown here.

  2. 2Morphine

    Official record
    New Directions
    Used for

    Official record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.

    View source
  3. 3Morphine by Mikhaïl Boulgakov — bibliographic record

    Official record
    Bibliothèque nationale de France
    Used for

    Official record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.

    View source
  1. 4Морфий — catalogue record

    Official record
    Russian State Library
    Used for

    Official record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.

    View source
  2. 5Morphine by Mikhail Bulgakov — edition record

    Official record
    Google Books
    Used for

    Official record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.

    View source
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Why these sources are here

The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.

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