Zhivago’s Life, Love, and Hopes

This is a review on the novel “Doctor Zhivago” authored by Boris Pasternak, which  was first

published in Italy and was prohibited to distribute in Rusia, since it is considered as that opposing the socialism value. The book is very interesting since it shows us the historical and romantic story of the one witnessing and affected by war and revolution in 20s century, in the Soviet. The way in which each actor survive and deal with the problem of lives is that deserved to be respected and learned. It illustrates mainly Zhivago’s life, including his relation with other during the era affected by the war and revolution.

Of course nothing is sadder than war stories causing people suffering from death, sorrow, and bereavement of those whom they love. Some even may undergo part of the body lost. The war indeed has put Yuri Zhivago into several problems he had to face and deal with. The process of overcoming the problem is that becoming the exploration object by Paternak. He expected, in my opinion, the readers to witness Zhivago’s experiences of sorrow and even to feel it, and finally take the lesson from it. I my self indeed found it full of learnings. One scene that has put me into sadness and led my tear to well up is when Zhivago received a letter from his wife, Tonya, in Lara’s house after coming back from the war zone, in almost two years, as he was kidnaped by Liberius army and was forced to be a doctor in the group, saying that she was sad knowing the fact that they will never meet again. Their daughter was always in tear when talking about her father. Lara and the daughter had to move out of Russia to France in favor of better life, and this led them to separately live, until finally Zhivago moved to Moscow and died there, after marrying another woman and having a kid. Nothing is sadder than this.

Meanwhile, I notice that several review contended that the author’s exploration of Zhivago’s life indicates the disagreement of socialism and exposes individualism value. It seemed like the Soviet noticed this, hence its publication was prohibited. However, I personally believe that we can learn from how Zhivago and each actor survived, apart from this ancient dispute between socialism and capitalism.

In this respect, we learn that war and conflict have colored our world and affected human’s lives. Political instability has led people to suffering from lives uncertainty. However, Zhivago has shown us the never ended love and hopes in his life.