Boris Pasternak
1957
Around 600 pages
Before I checked this one off, this was the most "classic-y" novel I haven't read. Now that I've finished Doctor Zhivago, The Fountainhead snags that illustrious title. I expect that classic to retain the title for the remainder of my lifetime.
It's been awhile since I read a Russian novel, where everybody is named Andrei, Ivan, and Nikolai. It definitely gets confusing, as Pasternak refers to a character by multiple names, without making it clear that he is talking about the same person. Our protagonist is Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet caught up in the tumultuous time between the Russian Revolution in 1905 and World War II. It's crazy to think that a country endured so many traumas in such a short time.
The main thread of this novel is the relationship between Lara and Yuri, and it's probably one of the most romantic novels we've had on this List. As with most romantic stories, the characters behave in an over the top manner, but they are mostly in reactive mode due to the insane political climate of the time. Pasternak was very brave for his stance on socialism. Apparently when he handed the manuscript in, Pasternak said, "You are hereby invited to watch me face the firing squad." We'll add him to our hall of Bad Asses, with Erskine Childers and Romain Gary.
This is a fascinating setting for a story, but I didn't really connect to the characters. I don't think he portrayed women realistically. Still, I would agree that this is an essential read.
RATING: ****-
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature the year after publication, an event that embarrassed and enraged the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Part of the Russian curriculum for high schoolers since 2003.
UP NEXT: Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov
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