"Doctor Zhivago" is the representative work of Boris Pasternak, the Nobel Prize winner in Literature in 1958. Compared to the works of Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, this book appears more poetic, but the narrative, character development, and psychological portrayal are relatively weaker. It may be due to the translation that it does not read smoothly, and unfamiliarity with Russian history can also affect the understanding of the story's background.
The protagonist, Doctor Zhivago, is a person full of idealistic aspirations for life, who enjoys writing and hopes to live a peaceful pastoral life, but the country and era he is in prevent him from realizing this wish. Against the backdrop of revolution, to avoid being harmed, he escapes with his family to Siberia, witnessing various changes in people's lives under the revolution along the way. Shortly after arriving in Siberia, he is forced to become a military doctor, witnessing the bloodshed and meaninglessness of war. After the war, his life is completely insecure, and he is separated from his family, yet he continues to create a large body of poetry. Although Doctor Zhivago dies a rather tragic death, his experiences and works allow people to feel the ups and downs and the ruthless nature of that era.
Doctor Zhivago's emotional life is very rich, reflecting his attitude towards real life. His relationship with his wife, Tonya, is one of compliance with life's arrangements, lacking much passion but still acceptable. His affair with Lara represents dissatisfaction with life, a desire to break free from constraints, and a pursuit of passion and release from pressure. In the final stage of his life, his companionship with Marina signifies a loss of hope in life, merely accepting passively, without any real emotions.
This epic work allows readers to understand an era through the protagonist. The revolutionary period in Russia was largely a disaster for ordinary people, and the book depicts the fates of many characters, many of whom are even more tragic than Doctor Zhivago. Russian intellectuals, represented by Doctor Zhivago, feel discontent yet powerless, only able to express their inner journeys through poetry and other literary creations.