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Overview
The novel Doctor Zhivago is the masterpiece of Russian poet and novelist Boris Pasternak that was first published in 1957
. Pasternak was among the many writers and artists persecuted under the Soviet regime, which led to the novel first being published in Italy in 1957 amidst international controversy. Doctor Zhivago tells the story of its title character, a poet and physician, and his great love, Lara, as they are buffeted by the turmoil of World War I and the Russian Revolution and the aftermath. The novel describes the pain and chaos of those cataclysmic times—including army revolts, irrational killings, starvation, epidemics, and Communist Party inquisitions—while at the same time remaining fundamentally a love story. The 1965 film adaptation of Doctor Zhivago directed by David Lean won multiple Academy Awards.Read the full book summary, a complete list of character descriptions, and mini-essays about key topics form Doctor Zhivago.
