I don't have a lot to say about this book. I think it could have been much better if someone took to the manuscript with some gardening shears and trimmed a bunch of wasted characters and scenes that had nothing to do with the central characters or storyline. This almost prevented me from reading it.
I'll be honest. The only reason, I stuck with it (doing a ton of skimming) was because my mom and Grandma told me there was a love triangle and I read the summary which sounded interesting.
We just finished watching a docu/drama about Rasputin and the last czars so this time period was already fresh in my mind too.
There were some poetic passages but I never felt connected to the characters. I felt like I should feel connected to them but I didn't. Kind of like when you meet someone who you apparently have a lot in common with (eccentric, overthinking, narcissistic, and romantic) - me and Dr. Zhivago - but you don't have much to talk about for some reason. Oh - maybe it's because of the worse offense of all - lack of humor. Granted - humor when you're describing poverty, war, betrayal - yes - because it is what makes life bearable.
There was something about this that reminded me of Victor Hugo's Les Miz - rife with coincidences and people encountering one another years later and having serendipitous influence like that creepy "benefactor" - k.....sky - sorry the Russian names all sort of blend together in my mind and I just pay attention the last syllables to distinguish them one from another. Kind of like part numbers in my John Deere world. Of course there are the other parallels: revolution, intellectual idealists, hunger...
I felt bad for the women in Z's life that were not Lara. His first wife who always seemed to be waiting in the wings - but who had more of a sister vibe (maybe part of the problem?) Of course - circumstance and tragedy separating families and then throwing them together with others - well of course biology is going to kick in. Then there was his housekeeper who became his "third wife" towards the end of the book and with whom he had two kids. Then one day he decides to reinvent himself and just moves out leaving her with some money for a babysitter. Wha ho?
Somehow Lara (the main love interest) manages to maintain this mystique even while she's cleaning, organizing, nursing, and making borscht. (oh that's polish my bad) Now that's a true woman. She's got that special something. She's a mother, she's an intellectual. She finds time to read in the middle of a revolution. (I like her!) But I still don't feel close to her somehow. Pasternak portrays these characters - but he doesn't get you inside their psyche - you're watchin it all unfold, but you're far away - you're not really feeling it. He says they are madly in love and you have to take his word for it. Reminds me of some couples you're with when the wife says "We just fell in love and here we are after all these years" and you look over at the husband and he's got this glazed look in his eyes - oooh - or that facebook post (again usually the woman "my best friend" - with the husband and it sort of smacks of overcompensating for something... Ok, enough of my romantic idealism rant. Because there are those couples who have that special something - and you feel it - you see it - and they don't have to talk about it. It's just palpable.
I wonder if it's because he got so carried away in describing the scenes, the side characters and accurately portraying a historical period? Maybe he was trying to be a Tolstoy - but not really fully succeeding? Anyway.... there you have it. I slogged through. I do want to watch the movie with - what's his name with the intense eyes......
