So I wanted to talk to you about a book which I finished reading a few months ago- the Russian Novel set between the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the Second World War, Doctor Zhivago, written by Boris Pasternak.
Starting this book was a daunting task- a heavy, thick hardback with microscopic writing, and indeed, the book was at times a chore to read. I found myself at many points in the book re-reading the same page numerous times, as well as being confused beyond belief by a seemingly endless number of complex Russian names, all of which are intrinsically linked into a plot which will take you many chapters to understand, should you ever understand it.
Though this book may sound draconiously difficult to read, it is certainly worth a read, as it has a rich, complex plot which entwines the numerous characters in the book, beginning as young children, who struggle their way through life, experiencing deceit, murder, love, loss, hardship and war, contemplating politics, philosophy, humanity and loyalty in the long monologues and strings of thought of Yury Zhivago, his affairs with Tonya Gromeko and Larissa Feodorovna Guishar, and his experiences of war, hardship and loneliness.
The ending can be seen to some as peaceful and perhaps even happy, but I, and many others I am sure, could not spare a thought to this interpretation through all the tears.
Should you manage to finish this book, let alone begin it, I assure you it is a book which will stay with you long after the last page.
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