Compounding the confusion is the fact that each character has at least three names, and Pasternak uses them all interchangeably. My edition (from Everyman’s Library) has a list of characters in the front, with brief explanations of their relationships, but it covers probably less than a quarter of the people in the story. Even more frustrating, however, is the enormous cast of characters Pasternak employs to tell his epic story. More than a few times I had to consult Wikipedia just to keep track of which war I was in.
For starters, it presupposes an encyclopedic knowledge of Russian history, for the lack of which I blame myself, not Pasternak. Russian literature in general is a tough nut for outsiders to crack, and Boris Pasternak’s 1957 novel is more impenetrable than most. This monumental work of art makes Anna Karenina seem like light beach reading. I consider myself a voracious reader, and rarely am I intimidated by a challenging work of literature, but Doctor Zhivago may just be the most difficult work of fiction I’ve ever tackled.
0 kommentar(er)
