Boris Pasternak 2 Volume Paperback Set: A Literary Biography

by Christopher Barnes

The definitive biography of Boris Pasternak, a major twentieth-century Russian author and the creator of Dr Zhivago, is now available for the first time as a two-volume set in paperback. Drawing on archive material (including the Pasternak family archive), eyewitness accounts and a huge range of biographical and background information, Christopher Barnes brings to light many aspects of Pasternak's personality and private life, while illuminating his relations with the Communist régime and the literary establishment. There is a detailed discussion of Pasternak's original writing (with ample quotation in English translation), and his translations of Goethe, Shakespeare and others. Barnes traces the origins and development of Dr Zhivago, and explores the personal and political implications of the novel's controversial publication. The biography concludes with a discussion of Pasternak's Nobel Prize award, Final Years and Death, and with a brief account of his posthumous and artistic legacy.

1036 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2004

Reviews

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough, detailed, "life and times" approach to one of Russia's most famous authors. Favorable to Pasternak, but does not shy away from the unflattering aspects of his compromises with Stalinism and relationships with women. A fascinating read!