In the great tradition of the epic novel, Pasternak's masterpiece brings to life the drama and immensity of the Russian Revolution through the story of the gifted physicain, Zhivago, and revolutionary, Strlnikov, and Lara, the passionate woman they both love. First published in Italy in 1957, Doctor Zhivago was not allowed to appear in the Soviet Union until 1987, twenty-seven years after the author's death.