Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Nina Berberova

73 reviews

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective relaxing sad 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

4.25

I have finally finished this tome! I found it to be surprisingly easy to read, full of drama and scandal, with richly developed characters and interpersonal relationships. I loved being able to see how the characters, their worldview and their relationships with the other characters changed over the course of the novel, in such a vivid manner that you could feel impending disaster just from the way they spoke. All the main characters were weirdly loveable despite their actions, and it was especially interesting to see Tolstoy’s own life mirrored in the story of Levin.

Having said this, I did find the interspersed verbiage about a collection of political, religious, and societal issues of the time to be somewhat tedious, and they often killed the momentum. It did give opportunities to delve deeper into each character’s psyche, but I was ultimately not engrossed. 
When significant events occurred, the writing was enthralling, humorous and utterly enjoyable.
I would say this is definitely worth the read, not only to say you’ve read it, but as a whole experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Racism and War

demo's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

An excellent book occasionally spoiled by Tolsoy's tendency towards the driest didacticism .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Antisemitism

holliebye's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Infidelity and Suicidal thoughts

nostalgiareader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

shewhoknows10kthings's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Infidelity

bosermoki's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity

mrkat's review against another edition

challenging informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was slightly disappointed in this book. For a book titled Anna Karenina, it has very little to do with the woman herself, and more to do with the society in which she lives. I realise that it is a "classic" and it shows a lot about the time and place in which it was written, but I was bored while reading it. The story felt as if it was like Moby Dick in terms of unnecessary tangents about anything from politics to farming methods and like Gone With the Wind in terms of character development or lack thereof. None of the characters grew, nobody learned anything, and nobody changed

(maybe with the exception of Anna Karenina herself, who went crazy and jumped in front of a train).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

satansbraten's review against another edition

sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

Minor: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death and Death of parent

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm glad I finally got around to reading this book.  It is so much more than a romance.  I suggest that you read it as an ebook if you aren't fluent in French.  The translation had many French phrases which you need to comprehend in order to understand the conversations between the characters.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content and War