Doctor Zhivago – Boris Pasternak

Description

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak is an epic historical novel that captures the turmoil of the Russian Revolution and its profound impact on the lives of ordinary people. First published in the West in 1957, the book was banned in the Soviet Union for decades, only appearing there in 1987. Its international release sparked immense controversy, resulting in Pasternak being awarded — and subsequently forced to decline — the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958. Today, Doctor Zhivago remains a literary classic, known for its lyrical prose, complex characters, and poignant portrayal of love and loss in a time of political upheaval.

At the heart of the story is Dr. Yury Zhivago, a poet, physician, and philosopher, whose life is thrown into chaos by war and revolution. His deep, conflicted love for Lara, the wife of a revolutionary, adds an intimate and emotional thread to the novel’s broader historical canvas. Through Zhivago’s eyes, readers witness the shifting tides of Russian society, from bourgeois comforts to Bolshevik brutality, and the devastating effects of war on personal identity and freedom. Interwoven throughout the novel are Zhivago’s poems, some of the most exquisite writing in the book, offering a tender, personal perspective amidst sweeping historical change.

Doctor Zhivago is a must-read for those who appreciate classic literature, rich historical drama, and timeless love stories set against the backdrop of revolution and unrest.