DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)

Classics Revisited Book Group (Posting 7)

Doctor Zhivago directed by David Lean
or
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

I had never seen Lean’s famous film or read Pasternak’s famous novel before my book group, so I had my work cut out for me that month. After reading and viewing, I find myself a little partial to the book, as I don’t think the film version compares with some of Lean’s other great films. There actually is a more recent television mini-series of Doctor Zhivago that gives the viewer more on the relationship between Zhivago and the love interest Lara. Of course, I would never say a television production could be superior to a David Lean film for fear of being smote by the cinematic gods.

Book or movie? I do think it’s okay to pick Pasternak’s novel here, using much of the same criteria I just used in choosing Gone With the Wind (novel) over Gone With the Wind (movie).