Pasternak's poetry is better than his prose. Why he is still often better known for the latter baffles me. I suggest this or any of his collected poems to the reader looking for creative, quality poetry. Pasternak certainly ranks as one of the greatest amongst the group of very talented Russian poets that emerged during the first quarter of the 20th centuary. His poems deserve just as much (if not more) recognition as his novels.

While Pasternak is known in the United States mainly for his novel "Dr. Zhivago" - or, more to the point, the film based on "Dr. Zhivago" - he was quite an accomplished poet. A better poet, I think, than he was a novelist. Although I've never read Mr. Rudman's translation - or, for that matter, any translation at all - "Sister of Mine-Life" keeps to its bosom a host of beautiful poems.

Rather than try to explain Pasternak's incredible gift for metaphor and detail, his absolute love of words - he was a decent translator of Shakespeare and others - I'll roughly approximate my favorite poem, from it's original Russian. It is untitled.

***

My friend, you ask, who ordered
That the holy idiot's speech should blaze?

***

Let us trickle words
As the garden drips amber and lemon
Absently and generous,
Gently, gently, gently.

And there's no need to explain
Why there is such ceremony
Of madder and of lemon
Scattering on leaves.

Who made pine needles rush
On a long stick, like music
Through the locks of Venetian blinds,
To the bookcase.

Who reddened the rug of mountain ash
Rippling beyond the door,
Written through with beautiful,
Quivering cursives.

You ask, who orders
That August be great
To whom nothing is small
Who lives in the finishing

Of maple leaves;
Who, since the days of the Ecclesiastes,
Hasn't left his post
And is hewing alabaster?

You ask, who orders,
That the September lips of asters and dahlias
Shall suffer?
That leaves
Should fall from stone caryatids
To the damp gravestones
Of autumn hospitals?

You ask, who orders?
--Omnipotent God of details,
Omnipotent God of love,
Of Yaigails and Yaidvigas.

I don't know, was it decided,
The riddle of the road to the afterlife,
But life, like the stillness
Of autumn -- is details.

I can't quite transmit the pine needles rushing through the Venetian blinds as boats through a sluice, but I'm sure Mr. Rudman could. Even through my approximate translation, it's possible to see what a man of detail Pasternak was. In my edition, the introduction begins: "With Pasternak, you must hurt" -- as great ideas are, the editor notes, painful.

Pasternak certainly took painful care of his words, his thoughts, his beauty. And "Sister of Mine-Life," one of his earlier collections - (the summer of 1917) - is beautiful, detailed and pained.

***

As a post script, I prefer "Sister of Mine-Life," to "My Sister-Life" because the construction "sistra maya" - rather than "maya sistra" stresses that she's my sister.

Also, because life and sister are both female in gender, "my sister" and "my life" are dually coupled in Pasternak's title. "My" could refer solely to sister, or it could be my life, as well.

I AM UKRAINIAN BUT ALSO I SPEAKE RUSSIAN. THE BOOK PRACTICALLY STRESSED ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG. NOW I AM THINKING ABOUT THE BEST TRANSLATION OF B.PASTERNAK'S POETRY GIVEN IN THIS BOOK, ESPECIALLY BICOUSE OF THE COMING SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY! IF SOMEBODY KNOWS GOOD TRANSLATION OF PASTERNAK'S "HAMLET" AND "SHAKESPEARE" PLEASE DO NOT HESISTATE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME. ALSO I TRY TO TRANSLATE PASTERNAK'S POETRY INTO UKRAINIAN

This book goes into great detail about "Doctor Zhivago" by Pasternak. It is NOT obvious in the Amazon documentation that this is not the actual novel by Pasternak. DO NOT buy this book if you need to purchase the original novel.

I have always wondered what Boris Pasternak's life was like and this book more than adequately answered that wonderment. The passionate feelings between two family members and their views of life, specifically and in general, to the events unfolding around them in pre- and post-revolutionary Russia are astounding. It is like being transported back to a time and place where you feel as if you were part of the times, travelling, seeing, doing and feeling what Boris and Olga did. How sad that they were unable to visit with each more frequently during their lives, and that in the end, he was unable to attend her funeral for as much as he loved her. This book is very poignant and teaches timeless lessons and gives us dramatic reminders for our day.

If you thought you knew all there was to know about Charles Darwin and his evolutionary hypothesis, but you haven't read this book, then think again. Eiseley's research is impeccable, but his findings strike to the very heart of the Darwin legend, revealing a deeply flawed and basically dishonest seeker after self-aggrandisement. No wonder it's out of print! Despite his findings Eiseley remained a Darwinist and an evolutionist to his dying day. This book is no slice of creationist propoganda, it is a carefully written, highly readable review of the facts. If you have any interest in the history of evolutionism - pro or con - this book should be very near the top of your reading list.

Doktor Zhivago was rejected by the Soviet journal Novyi Mir so it was published in Russian in Milan in 1957, after being smuggled abroad. Only some poetical excerpts appeared in Moscow. The book was banned in the USSR for three decades - for "nonacceptance of the socialist revolution"...
It's one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and to fully realize it, you should read it in Russian. It's one of the most moving novels about the meaning of life.

Words have tremendous power, and reading the letters written from one person to another often helps us to know that person far more intimately than anythng else ever could.

During the summer of 1926, three extraordinary poets (two Russian and one German) began a correxpondence of the highest order. These three extraordinary people were Boris Pasternak, Marina Tsvetayeva and Ranier Maria Rilke. Rilke, who is revered as a god by both Pasternak and Tsvetayeva, is seen by them as the very essence of poetry, itself.

None of these three correspondents is having a good year: Pasternak is still living in Moscow, attempting to reconcile his life to the Bolshevik regime; Tsvetayeva has been exiled to France with her husband and children and is living in the direst financial straits, with each day presenting a new hurdle in the struggle to simply "get by;" Rilke's situation is perhaps the worst of all...he is dying of leukemia in Switzerland.

Pasternak and Tsvetayeva have already exchanged years of letters filled with the passion and romance of poetry, itself. Although Pasternak saw Rilke briefly in 1900, Tsvetayeva has never laid eyes on her idol. These three poets are, however, connected by a bond far stronger than the physical. They are kindred spirits, and each find repetitions and echoes of himself in the other.

Tsvetayeva quickly becomes the driving force of this trio. This is not surprising given her character. She's the most outrageous of the three, the boldest, the neediest, the one most likely to bare her inner soul to its very depths. Tsvetayeva's exuberance, however, eventually has disatrous effects.

Although Pasternak and Tsvetayeva consider Rilke their superior by far, these are not the letters of acolyte to mentor, but an exchange of thoughts and ideas among equals. If you've ever read the sappy, sentimental "Letters to a Young Poet," you'll find a very different Rilke in this book. Gone is the grandiose, condescending Rilke. In his place we find an enthusiastic Rilke, one filled with an almost overwhelming "joie de vivre," despite his sad circumstances.

As Susan Sontag says in her preface, these letters are definitely love letters of the highest order. The poets seek to possess and consume one another as only lovers can. But even these lovers haven't suspected that one of their trio is fatally ill. Pasternak and Tsvetayeva are both shocked and devastated when Rilke dies.

Love, many people will argue, is best expressed when the people involved are able to spend time together. There is, however, something to be said for separateness, for there is much that can only come to the surface when the lover is separated from the beloved.

These letters can teach us much about Rilke, Pasternak and Tsvetayeva. They can also teach us much about the very depths of the soul...both its anguish and those sublime, angelic heights...areas not often explored by anyone, anywhere, at any time.

A lesser-known book that strikes a perfect balance between fiction and reality. Krotkov brings us through a journey through the life of Boris Pasternak after he wins the Nobel Prize in literature for "Dr. Zhivago" with real-life characters and events. "The Nobel Prize" reveals much about the Dr. Zhivago in Pasternak and how this man is trapped by history and his own beliefs. Touching and fascinating.

THIS BOOK WAS GIVEN TO ME AS A GIFT A VERY LONG TIME AGO, BACK IN 1975. THE POETRY WAS WONDERFUL AND BEING IN LOVE WITH A VERY SPECIAL PERSON AT THE TIME AND SHARING "THE POEMS OF DR. ZHIVAGO" WITH HIM......MADE ME BELIEVE THIS BOOK WAS MADE FOR "LOVERS"!

"Translation," as Vladimir Nabokov said, "is a form of betrayal." As such, poetry in a foreign tongue is seldom worth reading in translation -- one usually finds the fire and beauty of the word trapped behind the translator's teeth. Fortunately, for the English reader, George L. Kline has the smile of a jack-o'-lantern. Not merely content to convey the meaning and ambiguities of Pasternak's poems, Kline closely mimics the rhythms and sonorous melodies of the Nobel Prize laureate's Dylan Thomas-esque lines. Compare the following stanzas from "Lessons in English." The first is from Merrill Sparks' competent translation; the second is a morsel from Kline's breathtaking translation:

When it came time to sing for Desdemona And she began -- her song, restraining, The darkest demon saved for her dark day A psalm of stream-beds, weeping, flowing.

When it was Desdemona's hour to sing, When her voice steadied and grew strong, Black day, a demon blacker far, sent up A psalm for her of wailing river-runs.

So fine are these seven translations that one wallows for more of Kline's touch. To best know the beauty of Pasternak, short of learning Russian, seek out this glorious (but all too brief) book.

The events of the novel revolve around a doctor and poet by the name of Yurii Andreievich Zhivago whom we first meet at a crucial point in his life. From the day of his mother's funeral to the day of his own, we follow Zhivago on his travels throughout Russia. He travels to the warfront, flees to Siberia, and is drafted into the Red Army before making his way back to Moscow. Over the course of these two decades, Zhivago repeatedly encounters a beautiful woman who essence fills his thoughts and heart. He is loyal to his wife Tonia and his little son Sasha, but he cannot help falling in love with the lovely Larisa Feodorovna Antipov, who is also already married to a famous war general. It is these chance encounters that allow the plot to progress and lead to their eventual love affair.

Even with such a complex plot, "Doctor Zhivago" remains a primarily character-based novel, as can be seen from the vast number of names and people we become familiar with throughout the story. Even the minor characters become dear to us, once we have figured out who they actually are and how they are connected to the main story. It is a challenging process to sort through the long list of characters, who may have any number of pseudonyms or nicknames along with their original Russian forenames. It is rewarding to recognize that Pavel Pavlovich, Pasha, Antipov, and Strelnikov are, in fact, the same person. We are also given several glimpses into the views and opinions of minor characters. Each person we meet along the way has a detailed history and a certain point of view to establish. Even if a character is only remotely connected to the main plot, Pasternak educates us on his family history and his role in the revolution.

The detail the author includes in the story extends to the scenery and land of Russia itself. With lengthy and occasionally tedious descriptions, Pasternak implores us to imagine the rough and beautiful wilderness of his home land and notes the striking contrast of the destruction caused by the war. He adds to his descriptions by making religious and philosophical allusions. These views alone are interesting but in the context of a greater story that should be told without interruption, they often slow down the more stirring moments in the plot. Some of these images, however, do create a startling picture of the devastation that swept Russia, such as the scenery at the warfront and during the uprising. Others, though educational, disrupt the plot to a greater extent.

With the combination of all these elements, "Doctor Zhivago" tells a compelling story while simultaneously describing the events of the early 1900's that shaped history. But unfortunately, I did not gain as much from reading this novel as many reviewers have expressed. I enjoyed the moments when the plot neatly coincided with Pasternak's poetic descriptions of the countryside or his unnerving depictions of the revolution, but these were too sparse throughout the novel for it to be engaging. The main plot was interrupted too often by philosophic commentary from either the author or one of the characters. It often took a great effort to get through monotonous passages and descriptions that did not contribute effectively to the plot or scenery of the novel. Many have expressed their frustration at the number of long, complex names Pasternak uses to refer to each of his characters, and I would agree that this they are difficult to keep straight. But once I finally understood the names, it was rewarding to get to know the minor characters and learn of their experiences during the revolution. But despite these disappointments in the writing and the excessive commentary on the story, I enjoyed reading the novel's depiction of life during such decisive times in Russia's history. The setting and the characters were equally important in telling the story of Yurii and Lara. Though not a masterpiece in my opinion, it was certainly an interesting novel that was worth the slow read in the end. I must recommend this novel to all those who are interested in a deeply illustrated account of Russian history and an exploration of the themes inherent in that era.

This is a worthwhile read. After plodding through the beginning, I, too, fell in love with Lara. I could not put the book down any time her character and her relationship with Zhivago was discussed. The more high brow and intellectually challenging parts of the book that focus on the foredoomed defeat of a poetic free spirit by politics (and not necessarily Soviet politics)were, I felt, too tedious and plodding to qualify the novel among the genuine Russian classics. There is no real plot. The lingering impression is of a beautiful love story, set against a less beautiful and compelling but still profound philosophical and political background. The soap opera wins out.

As far as Russian literature in this last century goes, this is the best work I have seen. Doctor Zhivago does for the Communist Revolution what War and Peace did for Napoleon's invasion. There can be many comparisons made between the two books. Zhivago's story starts with the suicide of his father, who squandered the family fortune, and moves on from there to the revolution. No punches are pulled here: we see many shockinge effects of that event. Zhivago and his family leave Moscow to avoid the bloodshed and needless deaths, but he heads to more of the same, eventually becoming conscripted into the Red Army against his will to help with medicine. There is also Lara, Zhivago's love, who brings Zhivago to carry on. The decision to release this book was a gutsy one by Pasternak, but it paid off. This is the definitive epic of Soviet literature, and it comes highly recommended by me.