Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoy

Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. While previous versions have softened the robust, and sometimes shocking, quality of Tolstoy's writing, Pevear and Volokhonsky have produced a translation true to his powerful voice. This award-winning team's authoritative edition also includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory notes. Beautiful, vigorous, and eminently readable, this Anna Karenina will be the definitive text for generations to come.

Anna Karenina

Leo Tolstoy

One of the greatest novels ever written, Anna Karenina is the story of a beautiful woman whose passionate love for a handsome officer sweeps aside all other ties. This major translation conveys Tolstoy's precision of meaning and emotional accuracy in an English version that is highly readable and stylistically faithful.

rachel

“I’ll come when you get married,” said Varenka.

“Well, then I’ll get married only for that.”

lara anand

I suppose you think you discovered something new? It was just the same-it was decided by the eyes, by smiles .." 

Kay so Queso

‘No, I won't tell her,’ he thought, as she walked on ahead of him. ‘It's a secret that’s necessary and important for me alone and inexpressible in words.’

In infinite time, in the infinity of matter, in infinite space, a bubble-organism separates itself, and that bubble holds out for a while and then bursts, and that bubble is – me.

The ending contemplations of this book are so darn good.

He could not admit that he had known the truth then and was now mistaken, because as soon as he began to think calmly about it, the whole thing fell to pieces; nor could he admit that he had been mistaken then, because he cherished his state of soul of that time, and by admitting that it had been due to weakness he would have profaned those moments.

‘What was he looking for in me? Not love so much as the satisfaction of his vanity.’

And death presented itself to her clearly and vividly as the only way to restore the love for her in his heart, to punish him and to be victorious the struggle that the evil spirit lodged in her heart was waging with him.

Darya Alexandrovna found it strange to hear how calmly in the right he was, there at his own table. She remembered Levin, who thought the opposite, being just as resolute in his opinions at his own table.

His educators complained that he did not want to learn, yet his soul was overflowing with a thirst for knowledge.

He understood not only that she was close to him, but that he no longer knew where she ended and he began.

“We won't be friends, you know that yourself. And whether we will be the happiest or the unhappiest of people — is in your power.”

Iris van der zanden

It is dreadful that one cannot tear out the past by the roots.

renni

" [...] não consigo imaginar uma situação em que a vida não seja um tormento, todos nós fomos criados para atormentar a nós mesmos, todos sabemos disso e todos estamos sempre inventando maneiras de nos enganar. Mas, e quando a pessoa vê a verdade, o que há de fazer?"

Anna read and understood, but it was unpleasant to read, that is to say, to follow the reflection of other people's lives. She was too eager to live herself.

Lev N. Tolstoj

Roman

里森

Ins Hotel Angleterre oder in die Eremitage? Das ist mir gleich. »Na, dann ins Angleterre, sagte Stepan Arkadjitsch; er wählte dieses Restaurant, weil er dort größere Schulden hatte als in der Eremitage. Aus diesem Grund hielt er es für unpassend, dieses Hotel zu meiden.

Er duzte sich mit allen, mit denen er Champagner getrunken hatte, und allen, Champagner trank er mit allen und jedem. 

Stepan Arkadjitsch war nun schon länger als zwei Jahre Direktor ciner Verwaltungsbehörde in Moskau und hatte sich in dieser Zeit die Liebe und Achtung seiner Kollegen, Untergebenen und Vorgesetzten und aller, die mit ihm zu tun hatten, crworben. Die Haupteigenschaften von Stepan Arkadjitsch, die ihm diese allgemeine Achtung in seiner Behörde gewonnen hatten, waren erstens seine außerordent- liche Nachsicht, die auf dem Bewußtsein seiner eigenen Mängel beruhte, zweitens seine durchaus liberale Gesin- nung, nicht die, von der er in den Zeitungen las, sondern eine andere, die ihm im Blut steckte und bewirkte, daß er alle Menschen ohne Rücksicht auf Stand und Beruf völlig gleich und unparteisch behandelte, drittens und das war die Hauptsache seine vollständige Gleichgültigkeit der Sache gegenüber, mit der er sich beschäftigte, so daß er sich nie hinreißen ließ und keine Fchler machte.

TRANSLATED BY LOUISE AND AYLMER MAUDE Anna is a beautiful, intelligent woman whose passionate affair with the dashing Count Vronsky leads her to ruin. But her story is also about a search for meaning, and by twinning it with that of Levin, an awkward idealist whose happy marriage and domestic trials form the backdrop for a similar quest, Tolstoy creates a rich and complex masterpiece that has captured the imagination of readers for decades. The Vintage Classic Russians Series- Published for the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Russian Revolution, these are must-have, beautifully designed editions of six epic masterpieces that have survived controversy, censorship and suppression to influence decades of thought and artistic expression.

Karla 

"Y los demás se se empeñan en enseñarnos a vivir. No tienen idea de lo que es la felicidad, ignoran que fuera de este amor no existe ni ventura ni desventura, porque no existe ni siquiera vida".

Constance Garnett

""The novel's first words threaten to dissolve all "happy families" into a sea of uninteresting sameness, while unhappy families are unique, intriguing, even romantic. But if the opening line is a universal truth, it is also a challenge Tolstoy sets himself: to shine light on the damnable tragedy that gives unhappiness its luster, and commend the unsung glories of an ordinary life." -From Sean Johnson's Introduction. Anna Karenina is the wife of a prestigious official, a devoted mother, and one of the handsomest ladies in the high society of St. Petersburg, Russia. She seems to have it all, but when she meets the dashingly handsome Count Vronsky, she makes fateful choices that will bring misery to everyone around her. This novel is brought to vivid life by the classic translation of Constance Garnett. This Canon Classic is an exciting drama that shows us both the consequences of human sin and what true love looks like when the flames of passion die"--

Dany

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

fira

He looked at her as a man looks at a faded flower he has gathered, with difficulty recognizing in it the beauty for which he picked and ruined it. And in spite of this he felt that then, when his love was stronger, he could, if he had greatly wished it, have torn that love out of his heart; but now, when as at that moment it seemed to him he felt no love for her, he knew that what bound him to her could not be broken.

“I cared for him, and he cared for me; but his mother did not wish it, and he married another girl. He’s living now not far from us, and I see him sometimes. You didn’t think I had a love story too,” she said, and there was a faint gleam in her handsome face of that fire which Kitty felt must once have glowed all over her.

“I didn’t think so? Why, if I were a man, I could never care for anyone else after knowing you. Only I can’t understand how he could, to please his mother, forget you and make you unhappy; he had no heart.”

“Well, then, I shall be married simply for that. Mind now, remember your promise,” said Kitty.

He prescribed more physical exercise as far as possible, and as far as possible less mental strain, and above all no worry—in other words, just what was as much out of Alexey Alexandrovitch’s power as abstaining from breathing.

dana

“i didn’t know you were going. what are you coming for?” she said, letting fall the hand with which she has grasped the door post. and irrepressible delight and eagerness shone in her face. 

“what am i coming for?” he repeated, looking straight into her eyes. “you know that i have come to be where you are,” he said; “i cant help it.”

A new translation of the classic nineteenth-century Russian novel in which a young woman is destroyed when she attempts to live outside the moral law of her society.

A Novel in Eight Parts

Maureen

"He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking."

"He understood not only that she was close to him, but that he no longer knew where she ended and he began."

***

The greatest undertaking of my literary career thus far! Also my first venture into Russian literature. 

The size of the book intimidated me—this is why I put off reading Tolstoy’s works for so long. But then I thought during summer break, ‘if not now, when?’ Safe to say that I do not regret my decision. Tolstoy tackles significant themes in his book—social class, women’s subjugation, politics, religion, the meaning of life… the list goes on. But of course, the central theme is love. While it is a given that Anna is a fallen woman due to her affair, readers won't get a sense that she is being condemned by the author. Tolstoy presents her situation plainly as it is—leaving it to readers to decide whose side they want to be on. It is remarkable how he humanizes all his characters so well: from the passionate and jealous Anna, the seemingly stoic and ‘magnanimous’ Alexei Alexandrovich, to the unbelieving yet compassionate Levin. Not one of them is perfect, yet readers can't help but sympathize for their respective plights. Regardless of the fact that they belong to Russian high society—at the end of the day, they are all human who cannot help but give in to their emotions. Tolstoy’s depiction of jealousy, in particular, is one of the best I've come across in writing.

If there is one thing to look forward to in this novel, it would be the characters’ internal monologues (especially Anna's toward the end!). Tolstoy fleshed them out so well that it is impossible not to feel an affinity for them all.

dont know how to rate this!!!! it was a ride - took me almost 6 months to finish. at times i loved it at others it was meh (im guilty of skimming the stuff about the horses and the races lol). i also didn’t have the energy/will until the end to really engage deeply with the moral political philosophical and religious debates Tolstoy explores in this novel, so i should probably reread for that sake. but mainly i wish i had read this when i was 17 and madly in love for the first time 

No home library is complete without the classics! Anna Karenina is a keepsake to be read and treasured. First published in the late 19th century, Anna Karenina, by famed Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels of all time. Chronicling the turbulent affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky, Tolstoy weaves a parallel plot of self-discovery and a turn to religion by character Konstantin Levin that is thought to be autobiographical. The result is a tale of jealousy, faith, hypocrisy, passion and progress set amidst the social change occurring in Russia in the 1870s. Now available as part of the Word Cloud Classics series, the novel is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers. About the Word Cloud Classics series: Classic works of literature with a clean, modern aesthetic! Perfect for both old and new literature fans, the Word Cloud Classics series from Canterbury Classics provides a chic and inexpensive introduction to timeless tales. With a higher production value, including heat burnished covers and foil stamping, these eye-catching, easy-to-hold editions are the perfect gift for students and fans of literature everywhere.

Gelaine Trinidad

4.5/5 

Wow. What an epic story.

A chef's kiss to the romance, tragedy, and social commentary about the dying aristocratic culture in Russia paving the way towards modernization through changing labour laws in the advent of the rise of capitalism and industrial revolution. I also really enjoyed the themes surrounding marriage, relationships, and Tolstoy's empathic way of writing well-thought-out female characters as proven by their perspectives and streams of consciousness.

Could it be shorter? Sure. However, I think there's a lot to unpack on the day-to-day lives of these characters, their constant internal debates with themselves, and their conversations with others. Everyone in this book is flawed; Tolstoy leaves no stone unturned when it comes their hypocritical actions and words (especially Anna *sigh*).

I adored reading about the characters and analyzing them while also learning about the current Russian society at that time (I may have Google'd certain things for further context). To be honest, I can read about Levin's farming and agricultural pursuits any day. It was interesting to compare and contrast Levin and Kitty's relationship with that of Anna and Vronsky. It really speaks to how important communication is (both verbal and physical).

I praise Tolstoy for his strong criticism on the unfair laws surrounding divorce at that time and how it affected a woman's place in society—which impacted Anna in the end and one of the factors that led to her downfall. Many of Tolstoy's thoughts and values are reflected in this book. One being Levin's spiritual journey and another regarding whether or not Russia should adapt the rising Western views on democracy, liberalism, social change, and technological innovations.

Certain opinions in this book don't necessarily fully align with my current beliefs and values, but it is definitely interesting to understand them as it can give insight and further context to our actions and beliefs today.

P.S. Highly recommend reading this with the audiobook narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal

Favourite quotes: 

“All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.” 

"Kitty, in a spasm of emotion, realizes that she lives by her heart and that she can’t deceive those around her. Although she seems to blame Varenka at first, Kitty is actually only speaking about herself. Her father’s cynical view of her friends at the spa has made Kitty realize she must lead her own life, not imitate another’s, and that not everyone will love her. "

“One must do one of the two things: either admit that the existing order of society is just, and then stick up for one’s rights in it; or acknowledge that you are enjoying unjust privileges, as I do, and then enjoy them and be satisfied.”

“I don’t want to prove anything; I merely want to live, to do no one harm but myself. I have the right to do that, haven’t I?”

a novel in eight parts

What a freaking masterpiece. Anna Karenina is basically 838 pages of brilliance. This took me a whole month (or more) to finish but I loved slowly savoring every page. 

I will always be in awe of how this novel was able to explore the human condition in so many aspects: religion, politics, love, life, and at the very end an intricate detail of philosophical consciousness by Levin (who is btw, my favorite character).

Also, I’d like to share one of my favorite lines, out of so many, from the book:

“Sometimes she did not know what she feared, what she desired: whether she feared or desired what had been or what would be, and precisely what she desired, she did not know.”

This eBook features the unabridged text of ‘Anna Karenina’ from the bestselling edition of ‘The Complete Works of Leo Tolstoy’. Having established their name as the leading publisher of classic literature and art, Delphi Classics produce publications that are individually crafted with superior formatting, while introducing many rare texts for the first time in digital print. The Delphi Classics edition of Tolstoy includes original annotations and illustrations relating to the life and works of the author, as well as individual tables of contents, allowing you to navigate eBooks quickly and easily. eBook features: * The complete unabridged text of ‘Anna Karenina’ * Beautifully illustrated with images related to Tolstoy’s works * Individual contents table, allowing easy navigation around the eBook * Excellent formatting of the textPlease visit www.delphiclassics.com to learn more about our wide range of titles

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)

What a disgusting novel. I don't know if this books meant to be a love story or what but I loathe Anna, she is such a deceitful and spiteful and just disgusting woman and the only person wh understands this is Kitty. Anna is a liar and a cheater and a gaslighter. Poor alexei alexandrovitch because this woman put him through hell and back I swear. I could not care less for her and Vronsky's love becausr Anna lies to her husbabd, STAYS MARRIED TO HIM, RUNS AWAY, LEAVES HER SON AND IM JUST LIKE WTF. on a positive note, i adore Levin and Kitty and they are just adorable together and I just love the way they proposed with the chall and everything and oh my god Levin is such a nervous wreck I love him. If yall looking for a man find yourself a Levin. I enjoyed their story alot more than Anna's disgusting tale of adultery. Leo tolstoy is a powerful writer, i do wish he gave Levin his own book. I guess Anna's story is a right person, wrong time story. Leo can write but god does the man love to go off on a tangent. Shorten your books down bestie. 

surtified™

What a disgusting novel. I don't know if this books meant to be a love story or what but I loathe Anna, she is such a deceitful and spiteful and just disgusting woman and the only person wh understands this is Kitty. Anna is a liar and a cheater and a gaslighter. Poor alexei alexandrovitch because this woman put him through hell and back I swear. I could not care less for her and Vronsky's love becausr Anna lies to her husbabd, STAYS MARRIED TO HIM, RUNS AWAY, LEAVES HER SON AND IM JUST LIKE WTF. on a positive note, i adore Levin and Kitty and they are just adorable together and I just love the way they proposed with the chall and everything and oh my god Levin is such a nervous wreck I love him. If yall looking for a man find yourself a Levin. I enjoyed their story alot more than Anna's disgusting tale of adultery. Leo tolstoy is a powerful writer, i do wish he gave Levin his own book. I guess Anna's story is a right person, wrong time story. Leo can write but god does the man love to go off on a tangent. Shorten your books down bestie. 



A beautiful, passionate Russian woman escapes the restrictions and boredom of her marriage through a love affair with a charming soldier

Ditipriya Acharya

Kattia

I’m between 3 1/2 - 4 stars. Beautiful story, wonderful details but just so long.

Huge help on how to live life. Konstantin Levin lives absolutely rent free on my mind. 

Ines Camacho Rodrigues Dias Ferreira

elizabeth

There's probably nothing I can say about this novel that hasn't already been said. It's way too long, and I learned way too much about farming methods and art criticism and horse racing and the inner workings of Alexei Karenin's mind. I still loved it. I won't try to explain why it's so good, but I will explain a few reasons why I liked it so much.

Like Austen in Pride and Prejudice, Tolstoy explores the politics of love and family. If a book does this, it automatically piques my interest.

Like Wharton in The Age of Innocence, Tolstoy paints a decadent, detailed portrait (heh) of the society surrounding the lovers and families. (Joe Wright's 2012 film adaptation of Anna Karenina felt especially near to Wharton's work in its rather explicit focus on the novel's motif of social performance.) 

Like Cormac McCarthy in All the Pretty Horses, Tolstoy doesn't shy away from heavy use of symbols (including, notably, horses and the natural world) to foreshadow and to elucidate characters' attitudes toward each other and the expectations placed upon them. (This comparison might seem like a big stretch because I'm constantly looking for reasons to bring up McCarthy, but it's truly not a stretch at all.)

Lastly, Levin. I liked Levin.

Steffi'sBookShelve

Echt een goed boek om te lezen, het boek leest heel vlot. 
Een echt tijdloos verhaal over meerdere liefdes perikelen en dit vormt dan ook de basis voor een innemend verhaal die je door het boek jagen. Het is ook een boek dat heel vlot leest en dat vind ik toch belangrijk. Er zitten ook meerdere verhaallijnen in en dit vind ik echt heel interessant.

Truly a wonderful book. What can I say about it that hasn’t already been said?

Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. Rosamund Bartlett's new translation conveys Tolstoy's precision of meaning and emotional accuracy in an English version that is highly readable and stylistically faithful.

It was quite dense and slow sometimes, it's a book to read only when you're chill. But it was really emotional and beautiful.

LIMEKI 

Ned Summers 

A book written to pass time, so unfortunately not perfect for during the term when I hardly have enough time to start with (hence it taking 7 months to read). However, though I can't describe why since any description of the contents sounds quite boring, I loved it whenever I picked it up. Glad to have read it.

Kendall McClain

BEAUTIFUL!!! I love everyone but Levin. The beginning and the end is truly the epitome of literature, but the middle lost me a bit. Nonetheless I love Tolstoy and Kitty and Anna so dearly this book is awesome and amazing and I’m going write an essay on it soon yay!

“He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.”
--------------------
A heart-breaking tale that touches the very essence of human desire and fear: What if what you have always wanted doesn't bring you the happiness you imagined? What happens once that happiness isn't enough any longer?
Tolstoy has once again written masterfully and with striking force, conveying such raw emotions about betrayal, passion, self-doubt, selfishness, hypocrisy, and jealousy, that has given me emotional whiplash throughout the story. Full of characters that I loved to hate (yes, I said it, and I'm not even sorry), I have never been so frustrated and entertained while reading a classic.
Come for the scandalous 18th century Russian aristocracy. Stay for the opinions on the Russian land reform and the emotional roller coaster.

jack

hard to overstate how amazing this is. it’s easy to forget that more than about people, life, faith, and love, this is about russia. captures perfectly how the most human events in life feel. i could read levin’s portions forever

hileahrious

Too long for what it’s worth, yet still enjoyable. Somehow it remains gripping throughout, probably because Tolstoy’s style is unlike anything I’ve read before. Despite the ridiculous drama of the characters and lengthy descriptions, I never really lost interest. It’s hard to explain, but I guess that’s part of what makes it considered one of the greatest novels ever written?

Francesca

Laura Mauler

Loved everything except the last chapter. He absolutely could have left the last part off and left us a masterpiece.

Lev Nikolaevic Tolstoj

“Qual è il vero peccato di Anna, quello che non si può perdonare e che la fa consegnare alla vendetta divina? È la sua prorompente vitalità, che cogliamo in lei fin dal primo momento, da quando è appena scesa dal treno di Pietroburgo, il suo bisogno d’amore, che è anche inevitabilmente repressa sensualità; è questo il suo vero, imperdonabile peccato. Una scoperta allusione alla sotterranea presenza nel suo inconscio della propria colpevolezza è il sogno, minaccioso come un incubo che ritorna spesso nel sonno o nelle veglie angosciose, del vecchio contadino che rovista in un sacco borbottando, con l’erre moscia, certe sconnesse parole in francese: Il faut le battre le fer, le broyer, le pétrir [...]. Il ferro che il vecchio contadino vuole battere, frantumare, lavorare, cioè distruggere, è la stessa vitalità, il desiderio sessuale, l’amore colpevole e scandaloso di Anna; e così essa lo sente e lo intende come la colpa che la condanna[...]. Ed è quel vecchio a farle improvvisamente comprendere cosa deve fare: distruggere quella vitalità, e cioè distruggere se stessa per espiare la sua colpa.” Dalla Postfazione di Gianlorenzo Pacini

Valeria M

** spoiler alert **
           Devo dire che avevo aspettative molto alte e sono rimasta un po' delusa. Ho trovato alcune parti prolisse e a mio parere non fondamentali per la narrazione. Trovo molto riuscita la descrizione della realtà russa dell'epoca però avrei preferito che ci fosse una descrizione più approfondita di alcuni personaggi per esempio Anna. Nonostante tutto, è un classico che va assolutamente letto.

Easyread Super Large 24pt Edition

I did it. And cried all throughout the last 100 pages i swear.

Klára Kováčiková 

Hannah Yang

There is nothing I can say about Anna Karenina that hasn't already been said, but I am so, so glad I read this book. It is a novel that I think everyone should read in its entirety at least once in their lives. I am especially glad that I did not stop reading after Anna's death, but continued to the ending, which is profoundly hopeful and beautiful-and also touched me personally, as I have for a time felt confused about my own faith.


  I shall still lose my temper with Ivan the coachman, I shall still embark on useless discussions and express my opinions inopportunely; there will still be the same wall between the sanctuary of my inmost soul and other people, even my wife; I shall probably go on scolding her in my anxiety and repenting of it afterwards; I shall still be as unable to understand with my reason why I pray, and I shall still go on praying - but my life now, my whole life, independently of anything that can happen to me, every minute of it is no longer meaningless as it was before, but has a positive meaning of goodness with which I have the power to invest it.

Though tragic, Anna Karenina absolutely celebrates humanity at its best and worst. Since reading it I have raved incessantly about how beautifully Tolstoy describes his characters and their emotions. Anna is a remarkable character whose actions most would disapprove of, but whom I could not help adoring. Her undoing is devastating but it is written so incredibly, as we see Anna become increasingly jealous and insecure over time. Every character is a delight to understand, to peek into their thoughts; and what is most commendable is that although the novel deals with many moral questions and complex social situations, and none of the characters is innocent in their behavior, I felt that I could understand all of their motivations and I truly could not hate any of them. 

I was worried going into Anna Karenina that I would not be able to appreciate it or that it would be difficult to read (both due to language and due to my lack of any knowledge of Russian society), since it is an intimidating brick of a book, but that is not the case at all: the book is deliciously readable and I loved becoming wrapped up in Russian high society, political debates (although some ideas were a bit hard for me to follow), and life in the country. The dialogues are delightful, and every scene feels elegant but at the same time intensely real. 

I absolutely loved it. I'll be thinking about Anna Karenina for a long, long time.

Patricia Nelson

I just finished this book as part of a summer read-together with friends via zoom. We broke the story up into five Zoom chats based on the parts of the book, and it was a great way to work our way through the story. This book has a lot of things to discuss, and fostered great conversations and insights. From my perspective, I'm so glad I read it. It is a story rich in detail and depth, with characters that I enjoyed reading about, even if I didn't always like them very much. This is a book that I will hold on to to read again sometime in the future. There is so much that I likely missed the first time through. For anyone who feels that this book isn't accessible to them, please give it a shot. I read the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky and the writing is so good. The fact that the writing is a translation makes it even more impressive. Be prepared to like this more than you thought you might, and to need to take reading it a little slower than normal. It's a great book.

Andrew John Kinney

Anna Karenina is a great book. I do not give it five stars only because it is not as readable as it could be, because this is a 19th Century novel with a different pace from what we expect today, but it explores basic themes of life, and explores them deeply. ***SPOILER ALERT*** Basically everything that follows is a spoiler, so that said, obviously the story of Anna and Vronsky is meant as a moral example without moralizing. Tolstoy says, here, you may choose to go down this path, but understand the cost, which is catastrophic for Anna and everyone close to her. As for Stiva and Dolly, Stiva is the pleasing, pleasure-loving society darling, who gradually destroys his family with his spending, his absence as a father, and his affairs. His is the story of degradation by a thousand cuts. Levin's brother, Sergei, is the intellectual who cannot commit to real life, and passes up his chance to marry Varenka, even though he feels she would make him happy. Nikolay is the brother who succumbs to addiction.

And finally, Kitty and Levin, whom we get to know the best, are the exemplars of married love. Tolstoy's realism in showing marriage as it is, with petty jealousies and quarrels, is realistic, though it whitewashes what Tolstoy actually experienced in his turbulent marriage. Levin ultimately finds God, or his version of God, but I could not relate to Levin's fear of death, which drove his need for belief. At one point, Levin thinks something like, "I must either find belief and meaning, or else hang myself". His point is, why do we endure all the hardships and pains of life, if there is no greater reason or purpose? Personally, I have never felt that way, so I had a bit of trouble relating to this part. But I agreed with his implicit message that God, if it exists, reveals its existence in the good deeds of people, and I loved Levin's love of the land and the outdoors.

Tolstoy's drawing of character, and revelation of their thoughts is superb and believable. The only part of the book that dragged a bit, for me, was the country idyll of Kitty and Levin just after their marriage. Most parts of the book moved right along and held my interest.

A great classic.

Anna Karenina

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