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Doctor Zhivago Audiobook
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(3.00) - 30,738 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
Orphaned as a small boy after his father committed suicide and his mother died, Yurii Zhivago was left to the guardianship of his uncle, Nikolai, who was a free-thinking individual who previously had been in the priesthood.
As Yurii grew older, Uncle Nikolai left to live in Petersburg, leaving Yurii to live with other relatives, the Gromekos. Their daughter, Tonia, and Yurii became friends, and, along with Yurii's classmate, Misha, went into adolescence and early adulthood as a happy trio.
In the background, historical events were in progress. Revolution was building and growing ever closer to their own horizons. Such factors brought Mme. Guishar to live in Moscow with her daughter, Lara. Her lover, an attorney named Komarovsky had been a friend of her late husband, and he set his eyes on only on the widow, but upon Lara as well.
Yurii studied medicine and felt a huge devotion to the family who brought him up. He became engaged and eventually married Tonia, largely to fulfill her mother's dying wish.
Over time, rumors and revolutionary forces mounted. Geographic locations changed frequently for various characters within the novel, putting distance between Yurii and Tonia, as well as allowing Yurii and Lara chance for an illicit love affair. Forces continually beyond these characters' control intervened, causing actions and reactions, as they do in any war-torn environment, no matter the setting or era.
The novel becomes a glorious celebration of the human spirit and of the will to survive, endure and give way to new worlds, new lives and future generations.
Author Boris Pasternak lived from 1890 to 1960. He was a Russian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958, but declined it for personal and political reasons. He had been best known in Russia as a translator of Shakespearean works from English into Russian.
Highly sensitive and aware of the political ideologies and unrest in prerevolutionary Russia, he was able to bring to a worldwide audience some of the complex issues involved in his country.
Through his deeply complex characters, his superb descriptions and his depth of understanding, he has enabled millions of readers to understand the human condition, especially during times of severe adversity and persecution.
"Dark but beautiful and just as wonderful of a read the second time around. I come back for the stunning descriptions and "fun" Russian politics - not so much for the love story because I just can't seem to conjure up that much sympathy for Lara or Zhivago... "
— Sara (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
Boris Pasternak’s widely acclaimed novel comes gloriously to life in a magnificent new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the award-winning translators of War and Peace and Anna Karenina, and to whom, The New York Review of Books declared, “the English-speaking world is indebted.” First published in Italy in 1957 amid international controversy—the novel was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988, and Pasternak declined the Nobel Prize a year later under intense pressure from Soviet authorities—Doctor Zhivago is the story of the life and loves of a poet-physician during the turmoil of the Russian Revolution. Taking his family from Moscow to what he hopes will be shelter in the Ural Mountains, Zhivago finds himself instead embroiled in the battle between the Whites and the Reds. Set against this backdrop of cruelty and strife is Zhivago’s love for the tender and beautiful Lara: pursued, found, and lost again, Lara is the very embodiment of the pain and chaos of those cataclysmic times. Stunningly rendered in the spirit of Pasternak’s original—resurrecting his style, rhythms, voicings, and tone—and including an introduction, textual annotations, and a translators’ note, this edition of Doctor Zhivago is destined to become the definitive English translation of our time.
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Doctor Zhivago Listener Reviews
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Xiaoyong He, 2/18/2023
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" Wonderful, Hugo-esque novel of the Russian Revolution. I have a great respect for the screenwriter of the movie as he was able to preserve so many details in the movie from the book. Loved it as much as the movie. "
— Stuart, 2/16/2014 -
" One of my favorite books of all time.... "
— Deena, 2/12/2014 -
" This book didn't live up to my expectations. I was really looking forward to a spectacular love story, and I really didn't find that at all. For starters it takes forever to get going, there are moments where the story moves with a bit of pace, but for the majority I felt that it dragged. This was probably because I am not a huge fan of extended description, and Pasternak loves to do that. But the love story didn't even really start until about 300 pages into the book, and even then, I didn't feel the passion that many others have raved about. I struggled through and finished it, but I wouldn't pick it up again unfortunately. "
— Erin, 2/8/2014 -
" The ending just doesn't work. "
— Sophia, 1/30/2014 -
" A terrific Russian novel with descriptive, metaphysical writing telling a love story that is haunting and tragic while capturing the Russian revolution. "
— Chuck, 1/20/2014 -
" awfully boring!!! couldn't keep up! "
— â¦â™¥â„±Î±Ñ‚ḯღα♄♥â¦, 1/18/2014 -
" I adore this movie and have seen it many times, but I just couldn't finish the book. Why do you suppose this is? It's usually the other way 'round for me. The story is epic and full of everything I usually enjoy. Maybe I need to get my head into a different space before tackling this one again. "
— Deodand, 1/10/2014 -
" Some of his descriptive paragraphs are quite stunning. Later on in the book, those give way to his philosophy on his country's system, which, while not as stunning to read, still are poignant, only in a different fashion. "
— Vivian, 1/6/2014 -
" I enjoyed the book for the most part but did not like Dr Zhivago's decision at the end of the book with regards to his wife and Lara. "
— Kristi, 11/28/2013 -
" I just like it. :) "
— Zaiga, 11/28/2013 -
" That was an easy, wonderful and thoughtful reading. "
— Ahdelina, 11/11/2013 -
" Translation is so important, and I'm not sure I had a good one of Doctor Zhivago, but I still liked it and would be up to try it again in a recommended translation. "
— EvaDestruction, 9/17/2012 -
" The book seemed more substantial than the films and subsequent screenplays "
— Ice, 9/16/2012 -
" Prolisso e dettagliatissimo romanzo di vita. Un classicissimo da seguire con attenzione. "
— Pasquale, 7/13/2012 -
" Well I read it! It took me a long time mainly because it had a soporific effect on me and would enduce sleep before I could read to much! Never slept so well! "
— Jenni, 5/19/2012 -
" translated from Russian. It is long read with a slow plot line. I gave up after reading 70% of it. "
— Daniel, 2/21/2012 -
" Set against the backdrop of the Russian Civil War this epic love story follows Dr. Zhivago across Russia facing a variety of hardships and struggling between the love of two women. "
— Freya, 12/27/2011 -
" AHHHHHHHHHHHH. My favorite of all times. "
— Isabella, 10/14/2011 -
" One of my all time favs! "
— Kristie, 10/11/2011 -
" I had never read this book although I have heard about it for decades. I just re-read War and Peace and Anna K. This book has an intro by John Bayley who poses comparisons with Tolstoy, Dostoievski, and Pasternak and their spiritual and political views. "
— Elizabeth, 10/8/2011 -
" An unreal experience to read through this epic novel. I loved it. "
— Michael, 8/10/2011 -
" Julie Christie and Omar Sharif were really good in this book. "
— Steve, 6/26/2011 -
" While the entirely epic life story of Yurii was intriguing, I found the most enjoyment from the philosophical conversations among the main characters. "
— Mike, 6/22/2011 -
" I don't do favourite books, but if I did this would possibly be it. What 's not to like? Historical romance set in revolutionary Russia, based on Pasternak's own life plus his poems, which are spine-tingling even in translation. "
— Carolyn, 6/20/2011 -
" A story regarding human nature. I don't wish to give spoilers, but tell me... would you not react the same? A historical and literary masterpiece; read it and learn. "
— Shams, 6/1/2011 -
" I never finished this book still on pg 262. It was too hard but I tried! :) "
— Allie, 5/29/2011 -
" Yes, I concur with Nabokov on this one. Trite, sentimental, and far too Christian for my taste, with an inflated sense of its own importance and a painful lack of actually developed human beings. Sorry, but it irritated me. "
— Rachel, 5/18/2011 -
" I read it long time back, I recall it to be very moving story in true Russian tradition "
— Rajendra, 5/14/2011 -
" This book must be given the highest rating. There is no question about it. It is a book one hopes will continue to be read for a very long time, as long as there are books. "
— Matt, 5/2/2011
About Boris Pasternak
Boris Pasternak’s work became internationally known with the publication of Doctor Zhivago in 1957, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958—although official political pressure forced him to renounce the award. Doctor Zhivago was published for the first time in Russia in 1987.
About John Lee
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.