Marcel Pagnol and Boris Pasternak Overview

Marcel Pagnol's father was a renowned painter.

Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago begins with the main character's wedding.

Boris Pasternak was forced to renounce the Nobel Prize he had received.

The main character of Doctor Zhivago has a daughter named Tanya.

Pasternak's work was primarily in poetry throughout his career.

Marcel Pagnol

Writer, director, and screenwriter
Father was a teacher (known for autobiographical works, memories of childhood)
Novel: Living Water
Jean de Florette (1986) - Trailer on YouTube

Boris Pasternak

Russian author, started as a poet (influenced by futurism)
Family background; artistic family (father was a painter, mother was a pianist)
Persecuted by the regime after WWII - his wife was sent to Siberia.
Forced to renounce the Nobel Prize
Won the Nobel Prize later given to his son
Translated works of Shakespeare, Goethe, and Verlaine

Pasternak's Novel Doctor Zhivago

Reflects major political events in Russia (1905 revolution, WWI, Russian Revolutions of 1917)
Main character: Yuri Zhivago
Story begins with the death of Yuri's mother
Raised by foster parents, studies medicine
Meets Lara during the war; they fall in love, but are separated
Yuri lives through turmoil, heartbreak, and separation from his wife and child
The novel contemplates meaning of life, art, and the Russian society
Published abroad, leading to controversy and a forced refusal of the Nobel Prize.

Explore the lives and works of notable writers Marcel Pagnol and Boris Pasternak. This quiz delves into Pagnol's autobiographical themes and Pasternak's remarkable novel 'Doctor Zhivago', highlighting their impact on literature and the challenges they faced. Test your knowledge on their influential works and personal histories.