Boris Leonidovich Pasternak was a renowned Russian poet, novelist, and literary translator. His novel "Doctor Zhivago" holds a significant place in literature. First published in 1957 in Italy, it tells the story of Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet, set between the Russian Revolution of 1905 and World War II. The plot is long and complex, making it challenging to follow for two main reasons. Firstly, Pasternak introduces numerous characters who interact unpredictably throughout the book. Secondly, he often refers to a character by different names or nicknames without clearly indicating that it's the same person. The novel has been translated into several languages and has had multiple publications in Iran. It was also adapted into a film by David Lean in 1965 and a TV series in Russia in 2005. Despite being completed in 1956, it faced publication difficulties in the Soviet Union due to Pasternak's opposition to the government's policies. However, it was finally published in Russia in 1988. "Doctor Zhivago" is a captivating work that offers a deep exploration of love, life, and the historical events that shaped Russia.

(Book 486 from 1001 books) - До́ктор Жива́го = Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak

There is one edition of Doctor Zhivago whose cover proudly proclaims that it is 'one of the greatest love stories ever told'. In fact, that very tagline nearly deterred me from reading this epic novel by the Russian master-poet Boris Pasternak. This is a substantial book. I was reluctant to devote all my time to a sentimental love story. Fortunately, labelling Doctor Zhivago as a 'love story' is akin to stating that Crime and Punishment is about the perils of being a pawnbroker.

Doctor Zhivago is a vast and sprawling novel. Like most great Russian novels, it features a large cast of characters (each of whom has at least three different names) and numerous chapters in which seemingly nothing occurs. Therefore, being a masochist at heart, I absolutely adored it. There is nothing I relish more in a book than page after page of nothingness, and Doctor Zhivago provides an abundance of it. For instance, there is an entire chapter set solely in a train carriage. We spend over fifty pages in that carriage. Nothing happens. And yet, it is brilliant.

If one insists on a plot synopsis, then it is the story of Doctor Yuri Zhivago and his attempts to hold his life together as his country disintegrates around him.

Pasternak's politics are very much in evidence throughout the novel. The book was famously prohibited from publication in the Soviet Union, and it is not difficult to understand why. Overall, I read this work as a scathing critique of the modern Soviet state and the bloodshed from which it emerged. Pasternak does not align himself with either the Whites or the Reds; both sides devastated Zhivago's beloved country. At times, Zhivago does become something of a mouthpiece for Pasternak, especially towards the end of the novel, where it transforms into a brutal critique of everything from War Communism to the NEP to Collectivisation. I would suggest that a somewhat solid knowledge of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath is necessary for this novel, as the entire plot is centred around the formation of the Soviet state.

I truly enjoyed my experience with Doctor Zhivago. It is an epic tale of an epic era in modern history. It is thoroughly readable and entirely enjoyable (something that one cannot always claim for Russian literature). I would recommend this to beginners in Russian literature as it strikes the perfect balance between plot and philosophy (something that Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy often struggle to achieve).

This is truly a timeless masterpiece.

On one hand, a great number of readers are bound to have a profound affection for this book. Its charm lies in the intricate and vivid portrayal of characters and the richly detailed world it creates.

However, on the other hand, I believe there are others who will find themselves getting bogged down by its numerous and sometimes overly elaborate details.

Certainly, those readers who have a primary preference for plot-driven novels are likely to be frustrated by the dreamy and somewhat meandering nature of Doctor Zhivago.

The story seems to unfold at a more leisurely pace, with a focus on the inner thoughts and emotions of the characters rather than a fast-paced sequence of events.

Nonetheless, this does not diminish the value of the book as a whole. It offers a unique and immersive reading experience that can be appreciated by those who are willing to invest the time and effort to fully engage with it.

The book that I started with very different expectations because the most general valid definition of it is "a love story" supposedly tells the struggles of people during a period when Russia was experiencing chaos upon chaos. Of course, the character of Jivago is at the center, but the other character, Lara, who is the reason it is perceived as a love story, doesn't even accompany us from the beginning to the end of the book. In fact, the book, with as many long-named characters as you would expect from a Russian novel and the fact that we learn that these characters are surprisingly connected to each other in a random way after several pages, is quite engaging. And in the background, it makes us experience many wars and revolutions and does this in the most impartial way, even critically, which I think makes it an epic. Although my reading of it turned into a small struggle due to these wrong expectations, I'm glad I read it.

P.S. It took its place in my personal history as the second book after Claudius where I started to mix up the characters and made a list.

You'd think that having Julie Christie as a mistress and Geraldine Chaplin as a wife would be the pinnacle of a man's life. However, that's not the case. Because if all that goodness is taken away and your time with each amounts to nothing in the grand scheme of your life, then maybe life truly is a bitch.

Dr. Zhivago presents us with another Russian masterpiece that portrays man as a pawn in the game of history. It's easy to understand why the Soviets banned the book, as its view of the Bolsheviks becomes increasingly negative as the story unfolds. I recall discussing the book and movie when I was in the Soviet Union in the 70s. My tour guide was intrigued and furtively asked me about both, but suddenly stopped, perhaps thinking for a panicked moment that I was a plant. No, comrade, just an interested reader.

I considered giving the book 4 stars because it has some parts that could be removed without affecting it. It also makes the cardinal sin of including an epilogue after the two main characters have left the scene. However, the fifth star is for the poetry. The narrative often slows down for beautiful poetic writing, which Pevear & Volokhonsky handle more deftly in the prose than in the unforgiving confines of verse. Zhivago is a Renaissance man of Russia, interested in poetry, writing, philosophy, history, medicine, and more. He's like a William Carlos Williams of the steppes, coming home from doctor calls to write poetry. Here's a sample of Pasternak's descriptive flare:

"Meanwhile it was getting dark. The crimson-bronze patches of light the sunset scattered over the snow were swiftly fading, going out. The ashen softness of the expanses quickly sank into the lilac twilight, which was turning more and more purple. Their gray mist merged with the fine, lacy handwriting of the birches along the road, tenderly traced against the pale pink of the sky, suddenly grown shallow."

Larissa Fyodorovna (Lara) is a character for the ages - beautiful, intelligent, emotional, strong, maternal, romantic, and realistic all at once. It's no wonder so many western girls were named after her after the book and movie were released. She links together disparate characters like Zhivago and his wife, Tonya; the repugnant Komarovsky; and Pavel Antipov (Strelnikov). She truly comes across as the wife everyman dreams of but never gets.

Like War & Peace, the book seamlessly alternates between wartime scenes and domestic ones. Pasternak is equally skilled at both. The sharp contrasts, I believe, are a great metaphor for Russia itself - the vast, beautiful landscape serving as an unwilling backdrop to the 20th century's tremendous upheavals. In the end, you'll be left with certain scenes, especially from Varykino, permanently etched in your long-term memory. How many books can make that claim? It's a rhetorical question, of course. This book is haunting, poignant, memorable, and beautifully written.

\\n  AUGUST 2 REVIEW:\\n
After finishing the book last night, I promptly penned my review. I always follow this routine as I immediately embark on reading the next book. Additionally, it is much easier to jot down what I have learned from the book and my feelings while reading when the story is still vivid in my mind.

However, throughout the day, I had a nagging thought that I might have missed the essence of the story. My August 1 Review, which is presented below, was definitely too feeble for the exquisitely told tale of the forbidden love between Yuri and Lara.

While driving home from the office, I posed the typical questions that I ask myself after reading a book: Did I glean any knowledge from it? From its characters? From the events? Is there anything in the story that can transform me into a better person? Is there a lesson that I can learn? Is there a message that the book is trying to convey to me?

I firmly believe that a book, just like a person, crosses our path for a reason. There are no random encounters. Out of the countless books that line the shelves of a bookstore or a library, we select the ones that catch our eye. We peruse, read the blurbs, seek recommendations, and make our choices. Similarly, in the course of our life's journey, we encounter numerous people, and there are those whom we smile at and greet, hoping to win them over and have them as friends.

Doctor Zhivago is one such book that I chose to read from the over 400 books in my to-read pile. Yes, it was the suggested book for August 2010 in our 1001 Group. Yes, it is part of my mission to complete all 1001 books before I pass away. But, I had the option not to read it. Yet, I chose to begin it early last week, read it throughout the week, and chose to finish it last night.

If I had read this book when I was still single, that is, before I turned 29 years old, it would have been just another illicit love affair. Illicit because both Yuri and Lara are married. Yuri has Tonya, and they are living happily. Lara is separated from her husband, who is a soldier. One day, Yuri sees (again) Lara, and he decides to spend a night at her place. He fabricates an alibi for his wife, Tonya, for not coming home that night. And thus, that's the first day of their forbidden love affair. If I were single, I would have simply dismissed it as just another story and not glean any lesson from it because I was single and still in search of the right person to spend the rest of my life with.

However, now that I am married and happily so, the story takes on a different meaning. The way Pasternak describes it, the love between Yuri and Lara is a true and beautiful love. Is it possible that a married man could still encounter his one true love, his real soulmate, when he is already married? Is it possible that a married man made a mistake by marrying the wrong person?

These are the questions that this book has planted in my mind as I drove home tonight. You must have heard the beautiful song \\"Lara's Theme\\" that captures this very sentiment. The dream of fulfilling the right love that arrives at the wrong time (when a person or both persons are already married):

\\n  
\\n  Somewhere, my love, there will be songs to sing
Although the snow covers the hopes of Spring
Somewhere a hill blossoms in green and gold
And there are dreams, all that your heart can hold
Someday we'll meet again, my love
Someday whenever the Spring breaks through

You'll come to me out of the long-ago
Warm as the wind, soft as the kiss of snow
Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then
Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again

Someday we'll meet again, my love
I said \\"someday whenever that Spring breaks through\\"

You'll come to me out of the long-ago
Warm as the wind, and as soft as the kiss of snow
Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then
Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again!
\\n  
\\n

I am not certain of the answers. Truly. I hope that Yuri's dilemma will not befall me. I will not actively seek it. I will not make myself available for it. But if and when it does come my way, I will probably do what Yuri did. That is why I rated this book with a five-star. This book presents a disturbing (for a married man) question. And fortunately, it also offers an answer. Or an option: what Yuri did. Clever. One heck of a story.

\\n  AUGUST 1 REVIEW:\\n
Doctor Zhivago, first submitted for publication in 1956, was initially rejected due to its \\"libelous\\" portrayal of the Russian Civil War (1917 - 1921). When it was finally published in English in 1958, it had already been translated into 18 other languages. Its author, Russian poet Boris Pasternak (1890 - 1960), won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the same year this novel was published in English: 1958. Upon learning the good news, he sent a telegram expressing his \\"Immensely thankful, touched, proud, astonished, abashed,\\" but four days later, he sent another telegram declining the award. It is said that the Soviet Communist Party pressured him to reject the award.

This novel is about:

Love or, to be more precise, two love triangles. The first triangle involves Yuri, who is torn between his wife Tonya and his mistress, Lara. The second triangle is centered around Lara, who is caught between Yuri and her husband Pasha/Sterlnikov. Among the two love triangles, Pasternak delved deeper into the latter. The most beautiful quote describing the love between Yuri and Lara can be found on page 501:

\\"Oh, what a love it was, utterly free, unique, like nothing else on earth! Their thoughts were like other people's songs.

They loved each other, not driven by necessity, by the \\"blaze of passion\\" often falsely ascribed to love. They loved each other because everything around them willed it, the trees and the clouds and the sky over their heads and the earth under their feet. Perhaps their surrounding world, the strangers they met in the street, the wide expanses they saw on their walks, the rooms in which they lived or met, took more delight in their love than they themselves did.\\"

Moscow during the two wars: the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Russian Civil War of 1918 – 1921. In the book's epilogue, there is an evening scene where the two surviving sons of Yuri are perusing the book their father wrote. Pasternak aptly remarks:

\\"And Moscow, right below them and stretching into the distance, the author's native city, in which he had spent half his life - Moscow now struck them not as the stage of the events connected with him but as the main protagonist of a long story, the end of which they had reached that evening, book in hand.\\"

Life during war is, above all, what this novel is all about. However, unlike other war novels, there are no depictions of battlefront scenes with soldiers dying in trenches or forests. Nevertheless, the impact of those wars can be witnessed in the changes they bring to the characters' lives.

To avoid offending the Russian communist authorities, Yuri did not have the customary church burial ceremony. However, there are flowers beside the casket that seem to \\"compensate for the absence of the ritual and the chant (p. 493).\\" Pasternak continues:

\\"They did more than blossom and smell sweet. Perhaps hastening the return to dust, they poured forth their scent as in the choir and, steeping everything in their exhalation, seemed to take over the function of the Office of the Dead.

The vegetable kingdom can easily be thought of as the nearest neighbor of the kingdom of death. Perhaps the mysteries of evolution and the riddles of life that so puzzle us are contained in the green of the earth, among the trees and the flowers of graveyards. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus risen from the grave, \\"supposing Him to be the gardener....\\"

Another beautiful quote reveals Pasternak's perspective on life: \\"Man is born to live, not to prepare for life.\\"

Thank God for blessing us with the opportunity to read beautiful novels like Doctor Zhivago that make this life's journey more bearable, if not more meaningful.

Dear friends, let me reveal a little secret to you. Recently, I have become a moody and picky reader. I only read what pleases me, and if a work doesn't appeal to me, I stop reading it immediately, even if it is one of the novels unanimously recognized by the readers of the nation. This novel, at the beginning, was strongly considered to be one of those works that I decided not to finish. Because in the first 100 pages of the novel, which has about 780 pages, it presents and introduces countless characters. You struggle to remember their official names, their abbreviated names, their borrowed names, and their relationships with each other. Then, to your great disappointment, after making significant progress in reading, you discover that many of these characters will have no role in the events of the novel, and most of them will never appear again.

Despite all that, for some unknown reason, I was still drawn to the novel like a magical thread, and I dedicated as much time as possible every day to continue reading. Then, by chance, I came across a note written by the great Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva one day, and she said: "The effect of Pasternak is equivalent to the effect of sleep; we don't understand it, we fall into it, we are under its influence, we drown in it. We understand Pasternak as animals understand us..." Perhaps this is a more accurate and truthful description of the reading experience of the poet, Boris Pasternak, who is a poet before being a novelist. Although I faced difficulties in reading the novel, the poetic narrative of Pasternak inspired me to finish reading!

On the cover of the edition I read, which was published by Dar al-Mada, I noticed that the translator of the novel was not a well-known translator, nor was it a single translator, but a group of Arab writers. In my opinion, this is because the language of Pasternak is so rich and complex that only writers with great skill and artistry can break through its barriers! Before reading Pasternak, I never imagined that you could describe nature with all its components such as the sky, the sun, the stars, and the snow... in the way that Pasternak describes it, which makes you feel the wind blowing on your face, the sun shining on your head, or the stars twinkling from their positions in the sky, and makes you feel the beauty and magic of this universe!

This novel, above all, is a human epic. In its style, and in its artistic and dramatic structure, it resembles those great and massive novels that the giants of Russian literature such as Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky labored to write. From the first lines, the reader can clearly sense the influence and spirit of Tolstoy, especially his novel War and Peace. It is a novel that deeply embodies the final stage of the Bolshevik Revolution, which brought countless misfortunes to thousands of people. They were killed, hanged, and died in exile in Siberia, without anyone caring about them. Boris Pasternak was one of those educated and creative free thinkers who faced the most blatant forms and levels of communist tyranny, and who were subjected to the persecution and terror of the regime. During that dark period, Stalin executed many intellectuals and poets, and had prepared a list to support the execution trials, demanding the signature of all Russians. Pasternak said about that: "One day, they brought me a list asking me to sign it. Its content included agreement with the many trials and executions during that period. My wife was expecting a child. She cried out of extreme fear. But I refused. On that day, I thought: Should I try to persevere and resist or not? I was sure that they would kill me, and that my time had come. But I was ready for that. I hated all that spilled blood. And I could not bear the state of terror and grief that had reached its peak."

What Pasternak expected happened when he finished writing his controversial novel Doctor Zhivago, which he could not publish in his country. Some of his friends helped him publish it in Italy and then in London, and it won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Here began a fierce and cruel attack by the official Russian authorities against the novel and its author, which led to his refusal to accept the award because of its implications. He wrote about that period, saying: "I have been placed like a wild animal in a cage, in a certain place, and behind the rock of persecution, and there is no way out in front of me, but at the edge of the grave, I feel that the day will come when all that fear will disappear." Perhaps it was his kind heart and naivety that made him believe that it was possible to publish this novel in the Soviet Union. Or perhaps it was because he always believed in life, in love, and in humanity!

Grand and sweeping in the Russian tradition, Doctor Zhivago truly deserves all the praise it has rightfully earned. It is a captivating story that unfolds in troubled times,描绘了人们在混乱中艰难求生的画面. It delves into the themes of love, family, and the simple yet essential everyday routines. Everyone in the story is hoping to just have another day to make something meaningful out of their lives. The characters in this novel are vibrant and come to life on the pages, engendering deep feelings within the reader. What makes it even more remarkable is that it doesn't attempt to justify itself; it simply presents the story as it is. The setting is an integral and powerful part of the narrative. Harsh and mysterious Russia pervades every aspect, influencing everyone and everything. It envelops the reader, just like Pasternak's masterful depiction of life's rhythm. Life in this story seems to flow without a specific reason, simply seeking its own destiny. Doctor Zhivago is indeed a wonderful novel that leaves a lasting impression.

I read "Doctor Zhivago": It Talks about Russia

The novel Doctor Zhivago takes us into the world of Yuri Andreevich Zhivago and the beautiful Lara Antipova in the early decades of the 20th century. There, the two lead parallel lives that slowly intertwine. Against the backdrop of snow, the Siberian winter, nature, Russia, the Revolution, and the First World War.

Love (strong but only hinted at), war (with its inevitable cruelties), painful separations, reflections on existence, death.

But.

Maybe it's the fact that I have already encountered the Russian Revolution extensively in many books and films. Maybe it's that the Gone with the Wind-style love stories make me feel queasy (and here the story is even tattered, inconsistent, and often incomprehensible). Maybe it's that a six-hundred-page novel with an improbable and uninteresting plot can only be extremely boring. Maybe it's that some lyrical passages and the poetic writing of some sections (undoubtedly worthy of note) cannot be the only point of interest in a "novel". Maybe it's that the procession of characters we see is comparable to that of a Versace fashion show. Only that, unlike the fashion shows, here all the characters are presented with their first names, last names, patronymics, and diminutives (variable depending on the hour and the lunar phases).

Maybe it's that the historical analysis dwells very little on notable facts. Maybe it's that the philosophical digressions are sometimes a bit delirious. Maybe it's that I never really felt involved in this story.

The fact is that the book disappointed me considerably. And although I think it should be read anyway, sooner or later, for its historical importance, in my opinion, it is not without major flaws and is far from being balanced.

I came to this book with a bit of prior knowledge about the story. The 1965 movie adaptation is one of my mother's favorite films, and I vividly remember being captivated by the image of Yuri and Lara taking refuge in Varykino, in the abandoned house filled with snow and icicles. I always had the impression that this is what the apocalypse would look like in Canada. I also knew that the novel would be far more intricate and difficult to follow than the movie, given the Russians' pesky habit of using nicknames and patronymics. But I wasn't deterred. In my experience, books that require effort often reward you in a way that easy reads simply can't. And what better time to read Russian literature than when it's snowing and freezing outside? I think there isn't.

In some ways, it almost feels like a fairy tale. There are numerous coincidences (such a big country yet these people keep running into each other all the time!), the heavy price paid for the characters' survival and occasional happiness, the lyricism of the language (I read the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation and have no complaints), and the snow-covered landscape. You know, a dark and brutal fairy tale set in the middle of a civil war.

The novel follows the story of Yuri Andreevich Zhivago, from his childhood until his death. Through his eyes, we see the days leading up to the October Revolution, the uprising itself, and the subsequent Civil War, and how the fabric of Russian culture and identity was forever changed by these events. Yuri experiences tragic loss and exile, betrayal and oppression, but he holds on to the life-line of a luminous love affair through those brutal and tumultuous years. The bulk of the story revolves around Zhivago, who grows up to be a doctor and a poet, his wife Tonya, his mistress Lara, her husband Pasha Antipov (eventually known as Strelnikov), and her tormentor, the unscrupulous Kamerovski. The plot is quite convoluted, moving from Moscow to the Urals and back several times as the characters separate, reunite, and separate again, the runaway train of history and multiple wars sending them in unexpected directions.

The writing is poetic and evocative. I'm aware that there's no such thing as a perfect translation, but this version is apparently very close to the rhythm Pasternak intended for his words. I think what really matters is that it was written in such a way that I got lost in the images and the atmosphere. While the romantic entanglement is crucial to the story, most of the narrative is more about the experience of living in Revolutionary Russia: the starvation, diseases, displacements, separations, the once-great house divided into dilapidated tenements, the overcrowded military hospitals. Scenes that describe things like the dragoons attacking the peaceful march or the villages burned down by the Whites are succinct yet chilling.

A lot of time is spent in deep philosophical conversation that, while not directly about politics, definitely serves as a commentary on the Revolution and its consequences. Pasternak also uses Zhivago as his mouthpiece to express thoughts about the purpose of humanity, the nature of art, what other Russian writers had accomplished and why it mattered. The evocative diary passages about Yuri's conviction that one should strive to be a good person in a way that transcends politics are simply wonderful, full of passion and sadness.

I need to share some thoughts about the symbolism in this book. It made a very strong impression on me, and I truly believe it's key to seeing this work as a story of epic scope yet incredible intimacy. There might be spoilers here.
This novel is about a lot more than Yuri and Lara's love story, even though most events end up revolving around it. One of the themes that especially struck me is the philosophical disillusionment with the Revolution and its ideologies. Yuri's exasperation with the blatant hypocrisies and blind acceptance of a conformist dogma that strips people of their identity echoes Pasternak's own disappointment in the false promises made to the Russian people by the engineers of the October Revolution. I believe he was expressing a deep frustration with the fundamental impossibility of creating true art in a rigidly controlled society like the one he suddenly found himself in. Yuri's resiliency is a symbol of Pasternak's hope that the spirit of art and poetry can endure even the worst things humanity throws at it. And Pasha's idealism, which is quickly corrupted into straight-up terrorism, is his fear that too much power can ruin even the best of intentions.
When seen from a symbolic perspective, Lara, caught between those two men and having been dishonored and injured shamelessly by Kamerovski, is how Pasternak saw Mother Russia. She is in love with its culture, art, and intellectualism (and without which she is but a shadow of herself), but she is abused by those who hold mercenary power and subjugated by a twisted version of its deepest ideals. He clearly thought that the old system was tainted, unfair, and abusive, but he also couldn't help but see the senselessness of the brutality brought on by the Revolution. With either Pasha or Kamerovski controlling her life, Lara suffers, and her only reprieve is with Yuri. This makes the novel also about the yearning for freedom, especially when it comes to Lara, who is in one way or another always a prisoner or a puppet of the circumstances in which she finds herself. Her stolen time with Yuri is the only true freedom she ever experiences, as the affair is a choice she makes unreservedly. I found myself wondering if the child she has with Yuri and then loses in the Urals isn't a symbol for the book itself, which Pasternak wrote knowing it might never be published under his government.
All that, of course, means that the characters aren't as developed as they could be, since they are more like vehicles for Pasternak's ideas than real people. He gives them great speeches and strong feelings, but not enough dialogue to make them fully human. This is more of an annoyance than a weakness of the book itself.
The transformation of Pasha Antipov – from an idealist student into a vicious enforcer for the Reds – is an evolution that I thought about a lot. "Disappointment embittered him. The revolution armed him." To me, that's the most heartbreaking character development I've encountered in a long time, as it shows that when taken to extremes, any ideology can become violent intolerance. Pasha wanted to create a world where men like Kamerovski could never hurt women like Lara again. The intention is noble and born from love, but it's misguided and forgets that one simply can't make goodness mandatory. I'm a very left-leaning person politically, but I often read or listen to the speeches of my fellow leftists and can't help but notice how, on occasion, their hardline approach and desire to silence those who don't think like them often comes shockingly close to the tactics they accuse the right of using. I can't find it in myself to excuse their distortion of the truth and bullying simply because I share a lot of their values. Antipov/Strelnikov is what happens when good intentions go wrong, and he scares me almost as much as Kamerovski, albeit for completely different reasons.
I have to say that I'm not a fan of adultery in novels. It often feels like a contrived setup, and I'm sorry to say that I'm not sure Pasternak understood much about women. Of course, Yuri and Tonya's marriage is based on friendship, and they are a suitably matched couple on paper, as they are from similar backgrounds and have known each other most of their lives. This is in stark contrast to his love for Lara, which is irrational, visceral, and passionate. He could never have married her under the old regime, but the circumstances of the new one don't give them any options for legitimacy either. So I fully understand why their relationship is illicit. In the circumstances, it could never have been otherwise. But given the way she reacts to her husband's affair, Tonya is either a very unrealistic wife, a saint, or she's figured that with a civil war and famine going on, she has bigger problems to worry about. Either way, this part of the story made me look at the book skeptically for a few minutes, but it's a minor complaint.
I've been told that the context in which this book was written and published is important for a true appreciation of the work, and I mostly just found it fascinating and heartbreaking. I will be reading "The Zhivago Affair: the Kremlin, the CIA and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book" soon. Pasternak wrote "Doctor Zhivago" on paper given to him by another poet's widow, and he was painfully aware of how many of his fellow writers had been jailed or killed during the Great Purge. Stalin had apparently crossed his name off one of the execution lists, so he was relatively safe – or at least as safe as anyone could be given the circumstances. The novel was originally rejected for publication in Russia because it was seen as anti-Soviet and critical of communism (which, you know, it sort of is), so the manuscript was smuggled out of the USSR by an Italian publisher and published in the West. There, I suppose predictably, it was seen as a great piece of anti-Russian propaganda, especially by the CIA. Also predictably, this got Pasternak into a nasty spot of trouble with the KGB when he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature. He declined the medal under threat from the authorities. It wasn't until the 80s, more than twenty years after Pasternak's death, that the novel was published in his home country. It's now part of the Russian academic curriculum, so I guess his belief in the resilience of art has finally been vindicated.
This book is a truly remarkable work of art. It might be a little messy, but it should definitely be read by everyone for its amazing story, gorgeous language, and important subtext. As far as adaptations go, the classic version with Omar Sharif and Julie Christie is great, but I also enjoyed the 2002 series (which is perhaps a bit more faithful to the novel), despite Keira Knightley's presence. Hans Matheson is an excellent Yuri, and Kris Marshall's Pasha broke my heart.

Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago is a complex and profound work that requires a certain level of knowledge and interest in the Russian Revolution and its aftermath to fully understand.

The first time I attempted to read it two years ago, I gave up after getting through about two-thirds of the book. Back then, my understanding of Russia's history was limited to a simple before-and-after view of the revolution.

However, upon rereading it now, I found myself more engaged with the politics and ideology of the time. The book reads more like a poem than a traditional novel, with a plot consisting of fragmented, impressionistic scenes.

The characters are not as strongly developed as in Tolstoy's works, and their distance from the action sometimes makes the story seem dull.

Despite these flaws, there are parts of the book that I truly loved. Pasternak's deep feeling for nature and his ability to vividly describe Russia's landscapes are remarkable.

The love story that finally emerges near the end is overshadowed by the momentous events that precede it, but Pasternak's writing is still inspiring.

This book has reminded me of War and Peace, but the two works are quite different. While Tolstoy's characters actively shape history, Pasternak's are swept along by it.

Nevertheless, Doctor Zhivago is a unique and important work that offers a different perspective on Russian history and literature. I plan to use it as a starting point for further exploration of Russian literature, especially from the Soviet era.

“A Russian song is like water in a mill pond. It seems stopped up and unmoving. But in its depths it constantly flows through the sluice gates, and the calm of its surface is deceptive.”

Dr. Zhivago commences with one of the most unbearably poignant scenes of loss I've ever encountered in literature. This immediately sets the tone for what will be an excruciatingly difficult, serious, and painful narrative. The scene is that of a young mother's funeral. Ten-year-old Yuri Zhivago, distraught and beside himself with grief, climbs onto her grave. Pasternak's writing is simply beautiful as he describes Yuri's actions.
He raised his head and from his vantage point absently glanced about the bare autumn landscape and the domes of the monastery. His snub-nosed face became contorted and he stretched out his neck. If a wolf cub had raised his head with such movement, it would have been clear that he was about to howl. The boy covered his face with his hands and burst into sobs. This is not just a love story born out of tragedy; it is also a story of profound transformation. It explores the transformation of nature, of individuals, of Russia itself, of ideas, of philosophies, and of love.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, amidst the chaos of WWI and the Russian Revolution, Pasternak enlightens readers about the inhumanity and political upheavals that plunged his country into civil war. He aimed to write a tale that was both a beautiful portrayal of his country and an illumination of the horrid truths that occurred. To achieve this, he crafted a complex web of characters and a story that would captivate readers. Drawing from his own life experiences as a poet, he brought to life the quintessential protagonist, Doctor Zhivago.

Yuri Zhivago is a passionate poet and physician, a man divided. He is torn between his deep love for the beauty of his country and the transforming atmosphere that cannot be escaped. More concerned with philosophy and religion, he is a thinker and a contemplative person, rather than a willing participant in a revolution he doesn't believe in. Yuri is also conflicted about the two women in his life. He loves his wife, Tonia, deeply, but is caught between his adoration and devotion to her and the hands of fate that bring him close to Lara and continue to draw him to her throughout his life. Tonia represents comfort, peace, and warmth, all the things Yuri longs for in the midst of war. He has known her for so long that she is almost a part of him. Lara, on the other hand, seems to embody the dangerous and serious aspects of life that Yuri experiences as a result of the wartime trials he endures as a soldier. His love for Lara is more spiritual and soulful, like his love for nature.

Pasternak's imagery-filled prose strongly emphasizes the natural world, as if nature were a character in its own right. His beautiful personifications of nature are clearly and gorgeously written.
First signs of spring. Thaw. The air smells of buttered pancakes and vodka, as at Shrovetide. A sleepy, oily sun blinking in the forest, sleepy pines blinking their needles like eyelashes, oily puddles glistening at noon. The countryside yawns, stretches, turns over, and goes back to sleep.
The intoxication of spring went to the sky’s head, and it grew bleary from fumes and covered itself with clouds.

There is a sense of fate, destiny, and providence that Pasternak skillfully weaves throughout the novel with the characters. His ability to tell their stories and interconnect them seems effortless. He places characters in the exact positions needed to advance the story and connects them in ways that are truly unimaginable.
They were all there, all side by side, and some did not recognize each other, while others had never known each other.
It’s not for nothing that you stand at the end of my life…just as…at its beginning.

I entered into this reading with high expectations, but I had no idea that it would be a truly monumental work. Doctor Zhivago is a masterful piece of literature, worthy of the Nobel Prize that Boris Pasternak was awarded in 1958. Sadly, he was forced to decline the award due to the backlash he received from the Soviet government.
Source:https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lit...

If you ever have the inclination to read this novel, I encourage you to pick it up and begin. Take your time and stick with it, and you will not be disappointed when you finally reach the end.