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Lara
Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago | Anna Pasternak
10 posts | 6 read | 20 to read
The heartbreaking story of the love affair between Boris Pasternak, the author of Doctor Zhivago, and Olga Ivinskayathe true tragedy behind the timeless classic When Stalin came into power in 1924, the Communist government began persecuting dissident writers. Though Stalin spared the life of Boris Pasternakwhose novel-in-progress, Doctor Zhivago, was suspected of being anti-Soviethe persecuted Boriss mistress, typist, and literary muse, Olga Ivinskaya. Boriss affair with Olga devastated the straitlaced Pasternaks, and they were keen to disavow Olgas role in Boriss writing process. Twice Olga was sentenced to work in Siberian labor camps, where she was interrogated about the book Boris was writing, but she refused to betray the man she loved. When Olga was released from the gulags, she assumed that Boris would leave his wife for her but, trapped by his familys expectations and his own weak will, he never did. Drawing on previously neglected family sources and original interviews, Anna Pasternak explores this hidden act of moral compromise by her great-uncle, and restores to history the passionate affair that inspired and animated Doctor Zhivago. Devastated that Olga suffered on his behalf and frustrated that he could not match her loyalty to him, Boris instead channeled his thwarted passion for Olga into the love story in Doctor Zhivago. Filled with the rich detail of Boriss secret life, Lara unearths a moving love story of courage, loyalty, suffering, drama, and loss, and casts a new light on the legacy of Doctor Zhivago.
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TheBookHippie
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#DECEMBERCHILL

Picked this up at the library for this weekend. I‘ve wanted to read it for awhile.

BarbaraBB That is the perfect book for you now! 2y
TheBookHippie @BarbaraBB 🤞🏻🤞🏻it‘s good! 2y
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this book 2y
See All 8 Comments
Cinfhen So curious about this one!!! 2y
TheBookHippie @Cinfhen so far it‘s good! 🤞🏻 2y
slategreyskies I‘m not sure if you use a Kindle or not, or if you‘d like to own your own copy, but this is on sale today for $1.99. Just thought I‘d let you know in case. :) 2y
TheBookHippie @slategreyskies oh yay!!! Thanks!!!! I do kindle a lot at night when I have insomnia!! 2y
slategreyskies I do the same thing, and I just picked up a copy of this today too! :) 2y
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review
Cathythoughts
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Pickpick

Finally finished this on this morning‘s walk 🎧. Thanks @Simona for posting this one. A fascinating story of Pasternak and his love for Olga. I learned a lot from this book & am looking even more forward now to our DZ read in December ( Dec ? I think ). ‘ What else is DZ only a long love letter to Olga‘ An insight into Pasternak‘s beautiful & troubled life.

‘ To live your life is not as simple as to cross a field ‘
Russian proverb.

squirrelbrain Lovely review Cathy! 3y
Cathythoughts @squirrelbrain Thanks Helen !! It‘s great to be writing a review, it‘s feels so long sinse I finished a book 😆 3y
LeahBergen What a great review! 3y
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thankyou my lovely friend ❤️ 3y
55 likes4 comments
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Cathythoughts
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Getting into the groove on audible on my morning walks. Thankyou @Simona for posting this book 💫it‘s a great introduction to the story.

So excited for #DrZ

BarbaraBB That might come in useful 3y
Cinfhen I read a fictional story about Lara & Boris and I loved it 3y
Cathythoughts @Cinfhen I have that one on kindle… I didn‘t know it was about them .. I will definitely be reading too 👍🏻😍 3y
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Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB Only started , seems good 👍🏻 ❄️ 3y
Cinfhen I think you‘d really like Secrets @rubyslippersreads 3y
JazzFeathers I didn't know it was inspire by a true story. 3y
Cathythoughts @JazzFeathers neither did I … Are you going to read it ? (edited) 3y
Simona Mainly it is a nice look into Olga and Pasternak life and his writing process. I hope you liked it! (edited) 3y
Cathythoughts @Simona I‘m still listening on my walks ( I walk early & have got sidetracked by the Covid news for some time , Delta is very contagious in our country now ) but , I‘m listening again & it‘s really good & very informative.. looking forward to DrZ .. this book is a great education 👍🏻 Thankyou X 3y
Simona I‘m too very excited to finally read this big book! 3y
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review
Simona
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Pickpick

The author reveals the intimate story of Boris Pasternak and his lover Olga Ivanskaya, her role and influence on the creation of Lara in Doctor Zhivago. While Boris was protected by fame, Olga paid her dedication with the deportation to the Gulag ... twice. A well-researched book, which the main source are letters/talks/memories of the family, is not just a love story, but it is also a story about creating ...

Simona ... writing and how dangerous literature can be in the hand of the politics. Some parts of the story are narrated too melodramatic for my taste, but overall, it is a interesting look at ‘behind the scene‘. #Nonfiction2021 - about love. 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa So interesting, I found myself equally fascinated when I read The Black Count, the story behind the story of the Count of Monte Cristo. 3y
Simona @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Thank you for recommendation, I don‘t know absolutely nothing about this 🤗 3y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Simona I didn‘t either until someone on Litsy recommended it to me when I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Alexander Dumas‘s father was born from slaves and rose to be a very high count and military man well before anyone until the modern era, and many of his real life adventures inspired things in Dumas‘s writing from The Three Musketeers to The Count of Monte Cristo, and what was so interesting to me was that the fictional works have⤵️ (edited) 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ carried on, but the true story (which was equally fascinating) was pretty much lost to history. 3y
Simona Same as in Lara and the fate of Olga Ivanskaya 😔 3y
Cathythoughts How interesting! Hadn‘t heard of this one. I just got it on Audible… will be good to listen before reading DrZ. Thankyou 👍🏻❤️ 3y
46 likes1 stack add7 comments
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EadieB
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Day 17 - #Inspiration #SelfImprovementSept

A heartbreaking story of the love affair between Boris Pasternak, the author of Doctor Zhivago, and Olga Ivinskaya. A true tragedy behind the timeless classic. A harrowing look at how the Russian government has treated
dissidents. Rich detail of Boris‘s secret life. Lara unearths a moving love story of courage, loyalty, suffering, drama, and loss, and casts a new light on the legacy of Doctor Zhivago.

LapReader Gorgeous cover. 5y
EadieB @LapReader I can use it for my:

#7Days7Covers #CoverCrush Day 7

Lots of people have been tagged so:

How about you? Care to join? Post covers that you love for 7 days with no explanation. Tag someone new each day.

@Andrew65 @julesG @gradcat @Librarybelle
5y
See All 13 Comments
Librarybelle This one sounds good 5y
EadieB @Librarybelle I want to read it too! 5y
gradcat Lovely cover and an absolutely great movie! 👍♥️ 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds interesting!! 📚 5y
EadieB @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘m sure it is! 5y
OriginalCyn620 Pretty cover! 5y
Andrew65 This looks great! 😊 5y
EadieB @Andrew65 Thanks! 5y
Nute It would be interesting to know the story behind the story! 5y
EadieB @Nute I agree! 5y
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review
quirkyreader
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Pickpick

I put up a full review for this book on goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2141769285

@shawnmooney I think you might like this one.

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quirkyreader
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I blame getting this one on @shawnmooney . I went to my local to find "The Zhivago Affair". My local doesn't have it, but can get an inter-loan from the Michigan State University library. But this one popped up. So I will be reading another book about Olga.

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BooksCatsMaine
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#TBRtemptation I found this AWESOME sounding book in McNally Jackson today. The love story that inspired Dr. Zhivage.
Dr. Zhivago is one of my all time favourite books and films, so I have to have this!

#TBR

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Graciouswarriorprincess
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As seen in the "O" magazine Reading Room. I love Doctor Zhivago. Any other fans out there? Beautiful picture.

BookishTrish I am!!! 7y
Graciouswarriorprincess @BookishTrish I saw the movie when I was 7 and read the book when I was 11. Still one of my favorites, especially his poetry! 7y
Graciouswarriorprincess @BookishTrish Thanks! I just added that!❤ 7y
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SheReadsAndWrites
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After a celebratory dinner with The Hubby, I wandered into the bookstore to see if there's anything I HAD to have. And I found this.... I'm named after this character. #freakedout #socool #characters #story #names #momlife #writinglife #books #read #amreading #bubbly #celebrate