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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
do you want to read about child grooming, Christianity, medicine, the Russian Civil War, and a guy who produced children with a long-standing extramarital romantic partner not once, but twice, whilst never getting divorced from his first wife, ever? boy do i have the book for you
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Part of the joys of StoryGraph is that I essentially never write these before midnight. Much like the titular character, I am only ever writing for my own pleasure when I should actually be doing other things, mostly getting ready for bed.
And that, I think, describes my general feelings on this novel: brimming with sentimentality, care, and emotion, but just a little distracted from other important matters.
I think Pasternak does a great job at actually writing the story of Doctor Zhivago, and I think it is especially skillful the way he will connect previous plot points that the reader has likely forgotten and properly tie them off. To my memory, there is not a single (important) plot thread that does not have a beginning and an end. And there are a lot of them.
And, to that end, I think what Pasternak really achieved with Doctor Zhivago is a mood piece comparable to Anna Karenina in scope and ambition. Doctor Zhivago is, without coming off as glib, a novel that genuinely succeeds at making the reader feel like they too are experiencing the Russian Revolutionary period in its entirety, from the moments of cathartic, ecstatic peace and hope to the crushing despair that drive some characters to horrific acts.
And I think something that Pasternak also succeeds at is conveying the humanity of each character, flaws and all: Lara, for example, and her tendency towards passivity until it is too late or otherwise the wrong time to do so. Similarly for characters like Pasha, whose desire to feel powerful and in control is certainly no help to him. Above all, I think he does a great job showing their individual strength of character in simply trying to carry on through such a tumultuous time.
Unfortunately, being set in such a tumultuous time kind of makes parts of the Revolution feel too abrupt or otherwise plot convenient. While no event feels logically inconsistent or otherwise out of place, many important plot beats certainly feel as though they were added as a way to continue the story rather than as a natural progression building on prior events and known character motivations.
Which also leads me to the motivations of the main character, Yuri Zhivago, who unfortunately was the weakest part of this novel for me. Something about his character just lacks charm to me, even though on paper he seems to be an interesting character: too prone to love, slightly neurotic, yet certainly courageous and determined. There's simply an air about him that does not appeal to me.
In short, Doctor Zhivago is a novel that delivers on the emotional turmoil of one of the most consequential events of the last half millennium, while unfortunately making its main character compelling for me while delivering a narrative that feels more reliant on conveniences than may be permissible.
Pasternak certainly wrote some good poems at the end, though.
And that, I think, describes my general feelings on this novel: brimming with sentimentality, care, and emotion, but just a little distracted from other important matters.
I think Pasternak does a great job at actually writing the story of Doctor Zhivago, and I think it is especially skillful the way he will connect previous plot points that the reader has likely forgotten and properly tie them off. To my memory, there is not a single (important) plot thread that does not have a beginning and an end. And there are a lot of them.
And, to that end, I think what Pasternak really achieved with Doctor Zhivago is a mood piece comparable to Anna Karenina in scope and ambition. Doctor Zhivago is, without coming off as glib, a novel that genuinely succeeds at making the reader feel like they too are experiencing the Russian Revolutionary period in its entirety, from the moments of cathartic, ecstatic peace and hope to the crushing despair that drive some characters to horrific acts.
And I think something that Pasternak also succeeds at is conveying the humanity of each character, flaws and all: Lara, for example, and her tendency towards passivity until it is too late or otherwise the wrong time to do so. Similarly for characters like Pasha, whose desire to feel powerful and in control is certainly no help to him. Above all, I think he does a great job showing their individual strength of character in simply trying to carry on through such a tumultuous time.
Unfortunately, being set in such a tumultuous time kind of makes parts of the Revolution feel too abrupt or otherwise plot convenient. While no event feels logically inconsistent or otherwise out of place, many important plot beats certainly feel as though they were added as a way to continue the story rather than as a natural progression building on prior events and known character motivations.
Which also leads me to the motivations of the main character, Yuri Zhivago, who unfortunately was the weakest part of this novel for me. Something about his character just lacks charm to me, even though on paper he seems to be an interesting character: too prone to love, slightly neurotic, yet certainly courageous and determined. There's simply an air about him that does not appeal to me.
In short, Doctor Zhivago is a novel that delivers on the emotional turmoil of one of the most consequential events of the last half millennium, while unfortunately making its main character compelling for me while delivering a narrative that feels more reliant on conveniences than may be permissible.
Pasternak certainly wrote some good poems at the end, though.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
"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.
By all possible means, by repetitions, by parallelisms, it holds back the course of the gradually developing content. At a certain limit, it suddenly opens itself all at once and astounds us. Restraining itself, mastering itself, an anguished force expresses itself in this way. It is a mad attempt to stop time with words."
So, this book! What can I say about this book? It was frustrating, difficult, and glorious. I was challenged. It made me think. Pasternak's writing style is more philosophical and less character driven and not at all what I expected. As my library-edition says on the cover: Pasternak meant every word that he has written.
I decided to read this book because I wanted a love story with a winter theme. I remembered watching the movie a million years ago and since I hadn't read the book, and I was recently discussing Russian authors on Goodreads with Jim, borrowed Doctor Zhivago from the library. I was about 50 pages in when I had a WTF moment. WTF is going on? Who are all these characters with numerous names = formal names, patronymics, and nicknames -- and I mean that in the plural sense, as in, numerous nicknames. So, I had a moment of choice where I could take the book back to the library or begin again. I began again. BUT, I took pen to paper and made copious notes on everyone. I felt as though I were back in University but it helped a lot. I also had to give myself a crash course on the Russian Civil War. I thought about getting a book from the library but did it the lazy way by googling everything and anything I could find. That also helped in my understanding and am so grateful I did this. (I also watched the movie last night after finishing the book. Just 'cuz.)
I am not so arrogantly stating that I understand this period of Russian history in any way shape or form but at least I can appreciate (superficially) where Pasternak is coming from. The chapters on life in Moscow at the beginning of the Revolution and the family's train passage to the Urals was incredible. I don't want to spoil anything, but I cannot imagine being confined to your home because of bullets (stray or otherwise) flying everywhere.
The writing is beautiful and poetic and although it was not the love story I supposed, I relished my time with Yuri and Lara. I plan to keep my notes and to read this book again in the not-so-distant future. It deserves a second read-through but I need something a bit less academic for a little while. Reading a novel while checking your notes every other sentence was certainly a different experience. The usual flow wasn't there and I would like to experience the novel that way. This may take numerous reads but I am up for the challenge
By all possible means, by repetitions, by parallelisms, it holds back the course of the gradually developing content. At a certain limit, it suddenly opens itself all at once and astounds us. Restraining itself, mastering itself, an anguished force expresses itself in this way. It is a mad attempt to stop time with words."
So, this book! What can I say about this book? It was frustrating, difficult, and glorious. I was challenged. It made me think. Pasternak's writing style is more philosophical and less character driven and not at all what I expected. As my library-edition says on the cover: Pasternak meant every word that he has written.
I decided to read this book because I wanted a love story with a winter theme. I remembered watching the movie a million years ago and since I hadn't read the book, and I was recently discussing Russian authors on Goodreads with Jim, borrowed Doctor Zhivago from the library. I was about 50 pages in when I had a WTF moment. WTF is going on? Who are all these characters with numerous names = formal names, patronymics, and nicknames -- and I mean that in the plural sense, as in, numerous nicknames. So, I had a moment of choice where I could take the book back to the library or begin again. I began again. BUT, I took pen to paper and made copious notes on everyone. I felt as though I were back in University but it helped a lot. I also had to give myself a crash course on the Russian Civil War. I thought about getting a book from the library but did it the lazy way by googling everything and anything I could find. That also helped in my understanding and am so grateful I did this. (I also watched the movie last night after finishing the book. Just 'cuz.)
I am not so arrogantly stating that I understand this period of Russian history in any way shape or form but at least I can appreciate (superficially) where Pasternak is coming from. The chapters on life in Moscow at the beginning of the Revolution and the family's train passage to the Urals was incredible. I don't want to spoil anything, but I cannot imagine being confined to your home because of bullets (stray or otherwise) flying everywhere.
The writing is beautiful and poetic and although it was not the love story I supposed, I relished my time with Yuri and Lara. I plan to keep my notes and to read this book again in the not-so-distant future. It deserves a second read-through but I need something a bit less academic for a little while. Reading a novel while checking your notes every other sentence was certainly a different experience. The usual flow wasn't there and I would like to experience the novel that way. This may take numerous reads but I am up for the challenge
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
dr zhivago is such a knob
just read the sparknotes summary, it’s 3 paragraphs and just as good.
just read the sparknotes summary, it’s 3 paragraphs and just as good.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated