Doctor Zhivago
Boris Pasternak
📚 Genre
Historical Fiction / Russian Literature
🏢 Publisher
International Collectors Library (ICL)
📅 Publication Year
Circa 1960
🔢 ISBN
None (Pre-ISBN/Subscription Edition)
About This Book
An epic novel set during the Russian Revolution and Civil War, centering on the life of physician-poet Yuri Zhivago and his love for Lara Antipova. The book explores themes of personal freedom, the brutality of the state, and the enduring power of art. The cover features a burgundy faux-leather binding with 24k gold-stamped scrollwork and a silk ribbon marker.
Book Details
Language
English (Translated from Russian by Max Hayward and Manya Harari)
Pages
450-550 pages
Edition
Subscription Book Club Edition (Hardcover)
Series
Part of the International Collectors Library series
Target Audience
Adult / Readers of Classic Literature
Collector Information
Condition
Good to Very Good. Some minor bumping and wear is visible at the head and foot of the spine, with slight dulling of the gold gilt in high-contact areas.
Estimated Value
$15-$30
Rarity
Common. International Collectors Library books were produced in very high volumes for mail-order subscribers and are frequently found on the secondary market.
Historical Significance
Boris Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1958 for this work, which was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988. It was famously smuggled out of the USSR to be published in the West.
Collector Notes
ICL editions are valued more for their decorative 'shelf appeal' than for archival or investment rarity. Collectors should check for the presence of the original insert card often included with these editions. To preserve, keep out of direct sunlight as the faux-leather/cloth can fade or become brittle over time.
Similar Books
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
Notable Features
Faux-leather binding, 24k gold stamping, built-in silk ribbon bookmark, and decorative endpapers typical of ICL editions.