PASTERNAK, Boris.

First Russian edition. Publication April or May 1959. The hand-written date on the f.e.p. may even refer to the publication date. Original pale green paper-covered boards, lettered in black with publisher's mark in black to spine, echoed on dust-wrapper. 'Prima edizione in lingua italiana:novembre 1957... ' to half-title verso. Ampelio Tettamanti illustrated dust-wrapper (c.f. Feltrinelli 1957 Italian edition). Price of 42s. net. to front flap. Contents list numbered p.567. Inscribed "To Nina with much love Wanda, 1959". Book in very good condition. Fragile dust-wrapper very neatly reinforced inside edges and folds. Usual browning of paper-edges and off-setting to endpapers. Significant publication. First published in this form at the end of April 1959 or beginning of May. Much has been published on the early editions of Dr Zhivago as the accuracy of the text caused much dispute as well as the legalities of publication. Although Feltrinelli had a contract with Pasternak to be the first to publish the Russian edition (after the Italian translation in 1957), there exists both an unauthorised earlier Mouton edition published The Hague, 1958, and a 1959 'Michigan' edition published only after a wrangle with Feltrinelli. Even after Feltrinelli's eventual publication in April or May 1959 many questions raised remained unanswered. Needless to say, the London-based publisher, Alex Flegon also published his own editions.