Friday 16 March 2012

The forest in spring

And now to spring in Russia.

"He reflected again that he thought of history, of what is called the course of history, not in the accepted way, but in the form of images taken from the vegetable kingdom. In winter, under the snow, the deciduous wood are thin and poor... But in only a few days in spring the forest is transformed, it reaches the clouds and you can hide or lose yourself in a leafy maze. During this transformation the forest moves with a speed greater than that of animals, for animals do not grow as fast as plants; yet this movement can be observed. The forest does not change its place, cannot lie in wait for it and catch it in the act of moving. However much we look at it we see it as motionless. And such is the immobility to our eyes of the eternally growing, ceaselessly changing life of society, of history moving as invisibly in its incessant transformation as the forest in spring." Boris Pasternak Dr. Zhivago

forest


This passage is almost poetry in the way I don't quite understand it but feel it.

6 comments:

  1. This is quite lovely and I think that I do understand it and that the metaphor of the changing forest which you cannot visibly SEE changing works really well.

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  2. Cathy - Glad you like the quote. Happy springtime to you.

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  3. This is nice. I'd like to read Doctor Zhivago soon since I'm getting more into Russian authors this year.

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    1. Hello Carolyn, Lovely to 'see' you again. I read Dr. Zhivago for a read along last year & loved it. Which Russian authors are you reading this year?

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  4. I read this when I was about 11. I seriously think I'm getting more stupid as I get older.

    Peaked around 15 I think.

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  5. S&B Ha! Do read it again as an adult Anna, and then tell us how it differed to when you read it at 11.

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Ooh how lovely more stripes on the page...
Thank you for taking the time.