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Where is my anticipated 5-star, gushing review?

My expectations were way too high.

For decades I’ve looked forward to reading this classic, and on the whole it has let me down.

I accept Doctor Zhivago has won awards and accolades, and many ŷ������ users have joined in with this. I truly wish I could do the same, but this novel left me quite confused and cold.

I googled Boris Pasternak and his novel to help me fully realise what I did and didn’t understand in the plot. I plan to watch the acclaimed David Lean movie adaptation and this may give me a better perspective and lighten my misgivings.

And here’s my main concern: the famous love triangle at the centre of this book was unconvincing. What have I missed?

At times, I also found the politics and revolutionary ideology difficult to follow. Sadly, some of the dialogue was ‘clunky�� and strange. Perhaps this is a result of deficits in translation?

Seven minutes could be told over more than one page and yet seven years fleetingly within one paragraph. I usually respond well to this style of time jumps, but for some reason it baffled me within this text.

There is no doubt Boris Pasternak offers some remarkable, poetic narrative, such as the sweeping pastoral and desolate landscapes, often adding to a sense of loneliness, and bringing the fierce Russian winters to the fore. These aspects worked well for me and are worthy of praise, however disappointingly not enough to elevate it to a higher rating.

There is a part of me that believes (and hopes) a re-read may yield a different appraisal.