Suzanne123 Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 (edited) I would really like to read this over the summer, but I have heard that it is very difficult and hard to understand! Has anyone had this experience? What are people thoughts of the book? Edited July 19, 2009 by Chrissy Have brought duplicate threads together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Can I dissent with the popular opinion re: "Zhivago", i.e. that it is one of the greatest love stories ever written, and opine that it is a chauvinistic, detestable tale? Zhivago has not one but two women who'd die for him, the devoted wife and mother of his children and the devoted lover, yet he cannot choose between him because he's a wuss - either that or he quite simply likes to have his cake and eat it too. When he got conscripted and he and his lover lost sight of each other for so long I was hoping things would pick up with a tear-jerking, "you are the one I've always loved, how could I have been so foolish" kind of finale, yet the actual ending is depressingly anticlimatic. I found him a terrible human specimen, the women in his life far too forgiving, and the whole thing devoid of the kind of passion that defies right and wrong - Zhivago is no Heatcliff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCee Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Can I dissent with the popular opinion re: "Zhivago", i.e. that it is one of the greatest love stories ever written, and opine that it is a chauvinistic, detestable tale? Zhivago has not one but two women who'd die for him, the devoted wife and mother of his children and the devoted lover, yet he cannot choose between him because he's a wuss - either that or he quite simply likes to have his cake and eat it too. When he got conscripted and he and his lover lost sight of each other for so long I was hoping things would pick up with a tear-jerking, "you are the one I've always loved, how could I have been so foolish" kind of finale, yet the actual ending is depressingly anticlimatic. That made me laugh Bookjumper - it is certainly one way to look at it! I read this as an idealistic and romantic 19 year old and loved it. I am woondering if I wouldn't feel like this now almost 20 years later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 (edited) Maybe the criticism has merit looking back. He does rather loll himself through some situations in the midst of his suffering and be gently treated as I recall, but I did enjoy the book when it first came out many years ago, in a vastly different time and age (and country). Perhaps one can read it as both sign of the culture as well as a broad (and critical) view of historical events. It certainly has a heart-breaking ending. I have lately been thinking of rereading it myself. Give it a try, if you don't think your modern sensibilities will interfere too much. Edited July 20, 2009 by Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I don't think it's so a matter of modern sensibilities for me - I'm a devourer of classics, especially 19th century Russian and French: Dostoevskij and Hugo are two of my all-time favourite authors, and I've never had any problems relating to the mindset they were evoking. I've heard brilliant things about Pasternak as an author and I'm completely willing to give his other work a chance; just in this particular instance I didn't find the main character likeable or forgiveable in any way. The ending of Doestoevskij's "White Nights" enraged me to no end, but that was just symptomatic of how much I cared for the characters' happiness; the welfare of Zhivago couldn't leave me colder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 It sounds like I really should reread it. Many thanks for the reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I loved this book and the movie is one of my all time favourites. Perhaps because it's set against the sweeping Russian landscape and the turbulent overthrow of the monarchy, but I found it enthralling. I didn't so much look at Zhivago as a weak character, as someone trying to choose between the woman he loved and the woman he was married to. He chose to stay with his wife and children as the 'right thing' to do. I imagine that would be the harder choice and the least selfish one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 I don't know if I could read the book, but I have seen the movie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Some of you may may know that this is my very favourite reading genre and for me Zhivago was one of the best books to come out of the Revolution. Pasternak makes no apologies for making Zhivago a real man in a real world. He may be detestable to some but he was a solid character. We can't all read about pure, white knights in shining armour. That's what makes this such a great read - against a backdrop that was actually happening in Pasternak's time (and he came up against a lot of criticism during the Stalin era - it was quite amazing that he wasn't shipped off to the Gulags like so many other writers). I think it is a must read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Allow me to clarify - I do think it's a good book well written, which is why I'm willing to give the rest of Pasternak's work a go. What I don't think it is is "one of the greatest love stories ever written", a title which in my opinion would better apply to Doestoevskij's "White Nights" (much as I disapproved of the ending) or Jane Austen's "Persuasion". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 What I don't think it is is "one of the greatest love stories ever written", a title which in my opinion would better apply to Doestoevskij's "White Nights" (much as I disapproved of the ending) or Jane Austen's "Persuasion". I quite agree with you there BookJumper. I think it was the fault of the movie that made it appear to be the greatest love story every written unfortunately. I never saw/read the book in that light, more a story of survival and finding human kindness and love in a world that was ripped apart by revolution, civil war followed by dreadful hardship. I stupidly sent the book to a charity shop some years back and have since reordered on Amazon:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soros Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 I Wonder have somebody readen any book of this author? Recently i've been reading "Doctor Jivago". To be honest it didn't impress me. Have somebody different opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 This is one of my favourite books of all time! I think a lot of course depends on the translation and the Hayward/Harari one of 1958 is reckon to be the best. Some other translations are very clunky and don't do justice to Pasternak's poetic style of writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Hi Soros, there's a thread all about it here --> http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/4280-dr-zhivago-by-boris-pasternak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Thanks Chesil. I've merged the threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggle not Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I loved this book and the movie is one of my all time favourites. Perhaps because it's set against the sweeping Russian landscape and the turbulent overthrow of the monarchy, but I found it enthralling. I didn't so much look at Zhivago as a weak character, as someone trying to choose between the woman he loved and the woman he was married to. He chose to stay with his wife and children as the 'right thing' to do. I imagine that would be the harder choice and the least selfish one. I also loved both the book and the movie. It is one of those movies that I will remember forever, and, for me ranks very high on my list of favorites. kinda a little off-topic, I bought my wife a small music box that plays Laura's Theme when you lift the lid, what a wonderful song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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