Doctor Zhivago

De: Boris Pasternak, Larissa Volokhonsky - translator, Richard Pevear - translator

Narrado por: John Lee

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of its original publication, here is a new translation of the classic 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.

©1957 Boris Pasternak (P)2011 Random House

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is for the first time based on the authentic original text, reflects the present, deeper level of understanding of the great masterpiece of 20th century Russian literature and conveys its whole artistic richness with all its complexities and subtleties that had escaped the attention of the earlier translators and readers." (Lazar Fleishman, Professor of Russian Literature, Stanford University)

"Without a doubt, their version will become the standard translation of the novel for years to come." (Barry Scherr, Mandel Family Professor of Russian, Dartmouth College)

THE RUSSIAN novel and history lesson for the world

This recounting of all that was Russia should be mandatory reading throughout the world. At all levels it challenges the spirit and makes us questions all that we are,
.This new translation touches the fiber of humanity.

I think the movie is better

Drags on a bit too much. I found the book boring in parts. John Lee narration is to blame for this although he is an excellent narrator.

Exceptional a masterpiece

One of my favorite novels of all time. If you enjoy history, philosophy,a love story, and very flowing g descriptive language this book is for you. It is a committment to read yet beautifully written. I have read this novel several times as well as seen the movie many times. The richness of the language is not to be missed if you enjoy its use to create beauty.

I tried again, then watched the movie

Russian novels are fiercely difficult, mostly because following the names of the characters is just too difficult. Pasternak was even more difficult than Dostoevsky!

Why a British reader?

Why not a native Russian actor? Would have made so much more sense to hear the story told with a Russian accent. Really annoying when the British actor would simulate a lower class character by doing a cockney or Northern English accent. Really took me out of the story and feeling of bring in Russia. We should be doing better now. A Russian actor could have used different Russian accent and made it much more authentic. I think listeners would have understood the class/ educational differences while keeping it authentic and in the proper setting.
Also, if you love the film, be for a lot of talk of politics, war and Russian history. The romance only really starts in the last 6 hrs. Still worth the listen, just be prepared. The film, as many films of Russian novels do, boils down to the characters and their journey; Giving just the basic ideas of the background history/politics/lifestyle/agriculture etc. I’ll be watching the film yet again now that I’ve finished the book, perhaps with a deeper appreciation for the atmosphere.

A Satisfying Performance

I so enjoyed the many hours I spent wythis audiobook. It goes without saying that Pasternak was an artist. I think John Lee deserves every plaudit. His reading is always eloquent. I like the pace and the occasional dramatic readings. But his poise well represents the omniscient voice of this epic.

John Lee makes this come alive, a classic

narrator amazing, a classic story with historical references a must read for Russian history buffs

Well, it’s all there

A quite tedious, yet yet yet important book. Not much to say say say except good luck! Bwahahaha

Epic

Great narration, lovely, tragic story. Long but captivating. Feelings of love and sadness and confusion of what is going on around the main characters just as it must have been

Not My Cup Of Tea

I really struggled to get through this one. I read The Secrets We Kept, which is basically premised on the life of Boris and Laura and the underground distribution of Dr. Zhivago, against Russian authorities. So, after reading that, of course I had to read Dr. Zhivago to see what the big scandal was. Honestly, no scandal here. It just didn't interest me, even though historical fiction is my jam. I kept listening, struggling to stay focused on the storyline. I don't know if it would have been the same if I'd physically read the book or not. I found Anna Karenina more interesting than this, so it's not the writing style that's necessarily the issue. It was descriptive of the hardships of that time, but I found myself rolling my eyes when he was justifying his affair. Pasternak must have been extremely full of himself in real life to justify his personal choices. Overall, it just wasn't a page turner for me but something I can say that I read.