"The original of 'Doctor Zhivago' is considered one of the finest works of contemporary Soviet literature, portraying the ideals, hopes, frustrations, and disappointments of an intellectual before and after the October Revolution. The work begins in 1902 and concludes in 1929 with an epilogue that extends to the end of World War II, spanning roughly half a century.

Despite just winning the Nobel Prize in Literature, the book was banned for nearly thirty years. The work depicts an epic love story set amidst the turbulent times.

Author Boris Pasternak refused the award due to threats of exile, and he later died of depression."