Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago is Marco Carrera’s favorite book, a recurring reference that connects his professional choice to his love for Luisa Lattes. The novel first draws Luisa into his attention as a fellow reader; later, Marco’s recollection of choosing ophthalmology because of the book reveals how deeply it has entered his personal history.

A Favorite Book and a Choice of Profession

Marco’s attachment to the novel extends beyond reading. When he considers the circumstances of his daughter Adele’s pregnancy, the narration recalls that he chose ophthalmology because of Doctor Zhivago, although he had never told anyone. The detail appears alongside his reflections on Adele’s decisions, quietly disclosing a private influence behind his career.

The Book and Luisa

The novel also marks the beginning of Marco’s love for Luisa. Two years before he invites her to dinner, he sees her sitting on the sand with her back against a beach hut, reading Doctor Zhivago. He is struck by the sight of her with his favorite book, and the moment becomes the starting point of his long anticipation of their relationship.

Shared Memory and Meaning

At Baratti, before Marco and Luisa’s first night together, the remembered image of Luisa reading gathers force within the history she has carried since childhood. For Marco, the book is both a personal literary attachment and part of the encounter that makes Luisa’s presence feel singular. Its recurrence links an unspoken element of his identity to a shared point of recognition between them.