Doctor Zhivago is the masterpiece of Boris Pasternak, winner of the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature. Compared to works by Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, this book possesses a more poetic quality, though its narrative, characterization, and psychological depth are relatively weaker. Possibly due to translation issues, the reading experience feels somewhat disjointed. Lack of familiarity with Russian history also hinders comprehension of the narrative's historical context.
The protagonist, Doctor Zhivago, is a man brimming with idealistic aspirations for life. Passionate about writing, he yearns for a tranquil pastoral existence. Yet the nation and era in which he lives render this dream unattainable. Against the backdrop of revolution, he flees with his family to Siberia to avoid persecution, witnessing along the way how people's lives are transformed by the upheaval. Shortly after arriving in Siberia, he is conscripted as a military doctor, witnessing the brutality and futility of war. Post-war, his life offers no security, and he is separated from his family, yet he persists in writing numerous poems. Though Doctor Zhivago meets a tragic end, his experiences and works vividly convey the tumultuous and ruthless nature of that era.
Doctor Zhivago's emotional life was richly layered, reflecting his attitudes toward reality. His marriage to Tonya represented passive acceptance of life's arrangements—lacking passion yet tolerable. His affair with Lara stemmed from dissatisfaction with existence, a desire to break free from constraints and pursue passion and release from pressure. The companionship with Marina in his final days signified a state of hopelessness, where he merely passively endured without emotional attachment.
This epic work allows readers to understand an era through its protagonist. For ordinary people, Russia's revolutionary period was largely a catastrophe. The book depicts the fates of numerous characters, many more tragic than Doctor Zhivago's. Represented by Zhivago, Russian intellectuals harbored discontent yet felt powerless, expressing their inner journeys only through poetry and other literary creations.