Around the World discussion

I'd like to join the reading of Dr. Zhivago even though the title is unlisted right now.

I'm reading A Fine Balance in July, I suppose, but I always read more than one book at a time, so I really don't mind.

Russia to Germany should be about two weeks, through Kaliningrad area, which shares a border with Poland which, in turn, shares a border with Germany. Or even one week, if you go by sea ;)

I'm totally in for Dr. Z. October is fine, or what about February??

Barry, thanks for folding. D)

Let me know which route you plan to take and when you plan to get to Russia. I'll check the calendar to make sure that we aren't overlapping with any other group reads.

Kristen wrote: "I'm totally in for Dr. Z. October is fine, or what about February??"

Kristen, folder "Calendar for Group Reads?" Jenny's message 26 has a pretty much up-to-date yearly schedule.

Asmah wrote: "Kristen wrote: "I'm totally in for Dr. Z. October is fine, or what about February??"

Kristen, folder "Calendar for Group Reads?" Jenny's message 26 has a pretty much up-to-date yearly schedule."

Asmah, got it, thanks!

Great. Thank you Barry D)). Hope that works for everyone.

Perfect! And duly noted on my personal list. :D

I get a Doctor Zhivago group read for my birthday. *amused*

Oh good. How fitting that we're starting our Russian group read on your birth day.

Ending. My birthday is January the 31st.

Okay, well that still works.

I changed the date in the calendar. I also figured out I could list something daily on repeat until a group read was over, so when we have books that are less nebulous like this, I can do that kind of thing.

I like to read Dr. Zhivago and Anna Karenina in the heat of summer. You guys are crazy to read it in the winter. Brrrrr!

Hey, I'm Siberian. All those middle-pale (as Russians call the Moscow and Europe side areas) are mild as far as we're concerned.

Genia wrote: "Hey, I'm Siberian. All those middle-pale (as Russians call the Moscow and Europe side areas) are mild as far as we're concerned."
Brr... you win.... brr....

I think I'll join this read since there's that new translation (Doctor Zhivago) I'd like to try. This is one of my favorite books ever and I think this'd be my third time reading it.

The only thing is I can't count it in the challenge because I've already read it. Still... Maybe the new translation counts. Nah, but it's still worth a reread.

Ok, my sisters and I are in for January and we are adjusting our itinerary to fit it in.

Picked up my copy from the library and ready to go.

I'll actually be finished this weekend - I started at the beginning of the month - and be all ready for discussion.

Barry, I finished the book about 2 weeks ago. I have to say that I didn't notice anything about eyes or the other senses. Glad you noticed and that you're enjoying the book so much.

I've finished the books two days ast. To be honest, I was not enthralled by it, I think because Yuri had no personality, Lara had very little and the first half of the book had no scene to its name, much. It picked up once WWI and the revolution kicked in, but I got tired of the extremely metaphysical philosophical digressions.

I had the same the same experience as you, Genia.

I love the movie, am contemplating whether to get the book or not. :-)

I have the book; saw the movie ages ago. Considering whether to read it (for Russia) or The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou (for USA). Probably can do both in sequence, right?

The book was, for me, a slog of a read. The movie is very different. It takes the love story from the book and blows it up, Hollywood style, leaving out a lot of the minor characters, side plots and digressions.

I discovered that MI6 and the CIA, together, submitted the book to the Nobel Committee:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Z...

Still waiting to get my hands on a copy, but I love the movie and the recent stage show. Costume and props were fabulous.

Day 3 and only 40 pages in... I need to pick up the pace!

Took me a while to understand the patronymic name system used. Now (90 pages in) I've got a grip on the characters.

Just got the book, I'm running late!!

Thank, Barry. I didn't want to let on how disappointed I was in the book when you had only read 100 pages. I guess others are still reading. It will be interesting to hear from them.

I had a chat about Pasternak with my parents and grandparents yesterday at my birthday dinner. I mentioned to them that I've read it, and that I found it to be, how shall I say? Not bad, of course, but also not great.

Generally, their reaction was pretty much concurrent with the trend here - except neither they, nor I, watched the films. My grandmother said that Pasternak's big achievement, of course, is his poems, which are wonderful to listen to, but his prose... Not so much. She also noted that the language of the book is somehow archaic, stilted and awkward, and she thinks Pasternak knew that his prose is much too self-conscious when he wrote it.

We also agreed that Yuri hasn't much of a personality, and that the philosophical digressions the book is filled with are awkward. My grandmother summed it up saying "Well, it's not terribly engaging. It's not like The Master and Margarita, which is like a bolt of lightning."

I pretty much agree.

I've made it to page 135... I'm behind but I will finish.

OK, I'm quitting even before I started. Thanks Anne. I can't deal with a not-so-good book right now when I have amazing ones lining my shelf.

Genia wrote: "I had a chat about Pasternak with my parents and grandparents yesterday at my birthday dinner. I mentioned to them that I've read it, and that I found it to be, how shall I say? Not bad, of course,..."

I agree with everything said at your birthday dinner, except the part about TM&M which I haven't read yet. Also, I haven't read anything else by Pasternak. Interesting that he won the Noble Prize for this book. Clearly political.

Pragya wrote: "OK, I'm quitting even before I started. Thanks Anne. I can't deal with a not-so-good book right now when I have amazing ones lining my shelf."

Pragya, I don't blame you. I think you are wise to skip it.

I am glad then, Anne and Barry. :D

Anne wrote: "I agree with everything said at your birthday dinner, except the part about TM&M which I haven't read yet. Also, I haven't read anything else by Pasternak. Interesting that he won the Noble Prize for this book. Clearly political. "

Gasp! Read it!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't find the book that engaging - it's actually really dragging and I've been seriously considering to just put it down for good....
I can't really relate to the characters - they keep being rather stiff and without much personality and the language is stilted and boring. I think it could be a bad translation I'm reading, there's an awful lack of editing, no explanations and some really weird ways of putting words together - might be easier and more engaging in Russian.
Still, I hate not finishing books, especially classics like this. Hmmm, I'll sleep over it.