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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Oh my god there are so many characters I don't even what is going on
What is it about Russians and great novels? They just do not miss. An epic, sweeping tale of love, life, death, philosophy, history and fate from one end of Russia to another, one horrendous and immersively depicted war after another. There's so much vitality and grandeur in this tale that I found myself forgiving the flaws and stranger choices.
As ever with these novels, there is a relatively extensive list of dramatis personae to keep track of, and Pasternak rather unhelpfully alternates between diminutives, first name/patronymic combinations, and surnames when referring to the same character. It takes a little getting used to, especially those unfamiliar with Russian naming conventions.
The other characteristically Pasternakian quirks include peppering the speech of less educated people with strange idioms (no doubt somewhat accurately, though it hinders the translatability at times), and what is probably the main conceit of the novel, the preposterous and borderline magical sequence of coincidences that create a tangled web of connections between different character, people constantly happening to be in exactly the right place in the right time, in the largest country in the world, for certain plot elements to develop. This is probably a bit of a divisive device, but I think it's done here with a nod to a romantic, almost mythological conception of fate (also riffed on by Grossman in another epic Russian war novel).
There are times when the translation is stilted, but others where it absolutely sings. Some of the metaphors and a lot of the reflection on religion (esp. on coming of Christ) and ideology is just fantastic. Lara is inconsistently depicted and an odd character, definitely a male writer's character, but still filled with soul. Zhivago himself becomes less noble and more morally fragmented over time, the trauma of his experiences never directly alluded to but bubbling under the surface. The ending was in some ways strange, in others superb, not sure what the epilogue was about.
As ever with these novels, there is a relatively extensive list of dramatis personae to keep track of, and Pasternak rather unhelpfully alternates between diminutives, first name/patronymic combinations, and surnames when referring to the same character. It takes a little getting used to, especially those unfamiliar with Russian naming conventions.
The other characteristically Pasternakian quirks include peppering the speech of less educated people with strange idioms (no doubt somewhat accurately, though it hinders the translatability at times), and what is probably the main conceit of the novel, the preposterous and borderline magical sequence of coincidences that create a tangled web of connections between different character, people constantly happening to be in exactly the right place in the right time, in the largest country in the world, for certain plot elements to develop. This is probably a bit of a divisive device, but I think it's done here with a nod to a romantic, almost mythological conception of fate (also riffed on by Grossman in another epic Russian war novel).
There are times when the translation is stilted, but others where it absolutely sings. Some of the metaphors and a lot of the reflection on religion (esp. on coming of Christ) and ideology is just fantastic. Lara is inconsistently depicted and an odd character, definitely a male writer's character, but still filled with soul. Zhivago himself becomes less noble and more morally fragmented over time, the trauma of his experiences never directly alluded to but bubbling under the surface. The ending was in some ways strange, in others superb, not sure what the epilogue was about.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dense but beautiful, I’m also biased towards Russian Classics
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I admit that the storyline of this book left me ambivalent, but the glimpse that it provides into the history of Russia at that time is fascinating. Add to that the controversy that the publication of the book itself caused (it had to be smuggled out of Russia in order to be published at all and then Pasternak was forced to decline acceptance of the Nobel Prize by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union) and I think it's definitely worth a read. I also have not watched the movie yet, but plan to do so soon, now that I've finished the book.
As for the storyline itself, the book begins by heading in the direction of a 'star-crossed lovers' trope for at least the first half, but then just kind of wanders off in a different direction without much in the way of warning or explanation. During this transition, it becomes increasingly suspicious that the voice and history of the real-life Pasternak are coming through the Zhivago character, who starts out as hard-working and dedicated to doing 'the right thing,' but by the end... well, you start to really think to yourself that this guy is a bit of a jerk (to put it mildly; although I feel this is really only a problem for the romantic hero trope, not as much of an issue if you take the book as a historical fiction instead of a romance). Ultimately, his relationship with Lara ends up looking less like she's his 'true-love' and more like his 'muse.' This might be because the Lara character was allegedly based on Pasternak's real-life mistress Olga Ivinskaya, according to Anna Pasternak's book "Lara," which I am adding to my wish list for future reading.
As for the storyline itself, the book begins by heading in the direction of a 'star-crossed lovers' trope for at least the first half, but then just kind of wanders off in a different direction without much in the way of warning or explanation. During this transition, it becomes increasingly suspicious that the voice and history of the real-life Pasternak are coming through the Zhivago character, who starts out as hard-working and dedicated to doing 'the right thing,' but by the end... well, you start to really think to yourself that this guy is a bit of a jerk (to put it mildly; although I feel this is really only a problem for the romantic hero trope, not as much of an issue if you take the book as a historical fiction instead of a romance). Ultimately, his relationship with Lara ends up looking less like she's his 'true-love' and more like his 'muse.' This might be because the Lara character was allegedly based on Pasternak's real-life mistress Olga Ivinskaya, according to Anna Pasternak's book "Lara," which I am adding to my wish list for future reading.
My favourite book since I first read it at the age of 12. I used to have an editiomn that included the poems of Dr. Zhivago, by Pasternak, at the back. Still on the hunt for a replacement.