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isasai's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I don't think I'll read more Tolstoy in a while ... Dostoyevsky I miss you... altogether a good read though.
nadaoi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Worth it.
A beautifully written exploration of human nature, choices, and societal ecxpectations. Anna’s tragic downfall and Levin’s search for meaning, offer rich reflections on love, morality, and faith. Though long and complex, it is deeply rewarding.
A beautifully written exploration of human nature, choices, and societal ecxpectations. Anna’s tragic downfall and Levin’s search for meaning, offer rich reflections on love, morality, and faith. Though long and complex, it is deeply rewarding.
mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition
5.0
Skip the epilogue for it is about the most boring character Levins internal dialogues on religion. Levin almost blew this book for me. The stars are the women and their individual tragedies in a society where only the work of men, cads, cheaters, dishonest politicalitaking jerks are the only ones who can effect change, usually negative. If that was Tolstoy framing his beliefs bravo because I will admit as some parts the stories of the muzhiks kept me engaged but it's the women that made me finish. Kitty, Dolly, Princess, and the tragic Anna.
sadiya's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
makalakm's review against another edition
5.0
I don't think I would have liked it near as much as I did if we hadn't read it in class. I tend to like books much more when we discuss them because that is the only way I am able to recognize symbolism and all the little details that makes a book amazing. With that being said, this book is considered one of the greatest books of all time for a reason. I found it easy to love, and I really enjoyed. 10/10. Would recommend. I will be reading this again one day.
rrr18's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Firstly the Title does not cover it all or doesn't fit in my opinion.
And Secondly, It's not Love Story it's story of desire. A person's Desire to be happy and loved
It has so many themes and distinctivly different from eachother like politics, War, Religion, Faith, Depression, Ment l Health, Romance...etc.
It's sometime feel like excessive description of certain themes but emotions are portrayed really strongly.....we can feel the emotions of character....i was more invested in Levin's story but there is too many introspection and internal mussing about politics or religion for my liking that made the story boring. anna's story has all together different feel about it...it is more emotionally developed and explores various kind of feelings.
Lastly, Sometimes tedious and Boring But still marvelous experience... definitely read at least once in a lifetime.
Really interesting book 📚
And Secondly, It's not Love Story it's story of desire. A person's Desire to be happy and loved
It has so many themes and distinctivly different from eachother like politics, War, Religion, Faith, Depression, Ment l Health, Romance...etc.
It's sometime feel like excessive description of certain themes but emotions are portrayed really strongly.....we can feel the emotions of character....i was more invested in Levin's story but there is too many introspection and internal mussing about politics or religion for my liking that made the story boring. anna's story has all together different feel about it...it is more emotionally developed and explores various kind of feelings.
Lastly, Sometimes tedious and Boring But still marvelous experience... definitely read at least once in a lifetime.
Really interesting book 📚
yara_x's review against another edition
2.0
for a book named after anna karenina, she hardly seemed to be in the story. i really tried to finish the book and suffered a lot in doing so. a lot of chapters were unnecessarily dragged out and i’m not keeping track of the 540 characters and their storylines. the only interesting part was how her and her husband dealt with her situation. i found the end (of her story) very underwhelming. just 1,400 pages of pure boredom.
madeleinesbookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
thechaliceofaries's review against another edition
5.0
I have to admit, despite all the raving reviews and the fact that this is dubbed "the greatest novel ever written" by many, I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. Maybe that's because the synopsis was underwhelming, hinting that this book is about family life and marriage, which I guess I don't consider the most interesting topics in the world. However, coming up with a synopsis that really does all its contents justice is a near-impossible task when a novel is as lengthy as this one. So in that vein, yes, Anna Karenina is a book about family life and marriage, but it's also so much more that that.
"You look at me," she said, "and think, can she be happy in her situation? Well, and what? It's embarrassing to admit, but I... I'm unforgivably happy. Something magical has happened to me, like a dream."
Anna Karenina contains some of the most intricate character studies I have ever read. At the beginning of this novel, I was skeptical and indifferent about many of the characters. But as I progressed from chapter to chapter, each and every one of them grew more familiar to me, I became more intimately involved in their inner worlds and complex personalities. Their worries and concerns became my own, their joys made me happy, their sadness and strife broke my heart. Even side-characters that only appeared once or twice, like the artist that Vronsky and Anna visited abroad, are given distinct and memorable personalities. Anna and Levin have to be two of my favourite characters ever. Reading their contrasting stories side by side created a powerful experience in appreciating what a complete and clever portrayal of 19th century Russian society this novel is. I was especially stunned by the way the author described Anna's fall from grace, and the last few chapters about her are just so well-written and profound that I had to go back and read them several times over.
Because of how attached I became to the characters, even the boring parts of this novel became bearable. Yes, the lengthy chapters about farming were a struggle to get through, but I didn't mind because I love Levin and wanted him to be happy. There were some points, as is inevitable in books this long, where it felt like nothing at all was happening, but even these are enjoyable because as the action lapses, we get to really delve into the thought processes churning through characters' minds.
Overall, reading this was such a great experience. I love how immersive the story was, how as a reader I wasn't meant to take any sides or play favourites with characters, because each and every one of them was so gorgeously flawed in their own way. I am still so blown away by how much I loved following their lives the way I got to with this novel - it was absolutely incredible. ♡
"You look at me," she said, "and think, can she be happy in her situation? Well, and what? It's embarrassing to admit, but I... I'm unforgivably happy. Something magical has happened to me, like a dream."
Anna Karenina contains some of the most intricate character studies I have ever read. At the beginning of this novel, I was skeptical and indifferent about many of the characters. But as I progressed from chapter to chapter, each and every one of them grew more familiar to me, I became more intimately involved in their inner worlds and complex personalities. Their worries and concerns became my own, their joys made me happy, their sadness and strife broke my heart. Even side-characters that only appeared once or twice, like the artist that Vronsky and Anna visited abroad, are given distinct and memorable personalities. Anna and Levin have to be two of my favourite characters ever. Reading their contrasting stories side by side created a powerful experience in appreciating what a complete and clever portrayal of 19th century Russian society this novel is. I was especially stunned by the way the author described Anna's fall from grace, and the last few chapters about her are just so well-written and profound that I had to go back and read them several times over.
Because of how attached I became to the characters, even the boring parts of this novel became bearable. Yes, the lengthy chapters about farming were a struggle to get through, but I didn't mind because I love Levin and wanted him to be happy. There were some points, as is inevitable in books this long, where it felt like nothing at all was happening, but even these are enjoyable because as the action lapses, we get to really delve into the thought processes churning through characters' minds.
Overall, reading this was such a great experience. I love how immersive the story was, how as a reader I wasn't meant to take any sides or play favourites with characters, because each and every one of them was so gorgeously flawed in their own way. I am still so blown away by how much I loved following their lives the way I got to with this novel - it was absolutely incredible. ♡