Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Anna Karenina

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Anna Karenina by Amy Mandelker, Leo Tolstoy

66 reviews

p_ttyb_tch's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Content Warnings

anna_catherine73's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.25

I absolutely adored this book, Anna and Vronsky’s tragedy was captivating. However I found most of Levin’s passages (particularly about farming) very mundane and dull - its a pity Tolstoy did not have an editor!

Content Warnings

madddiebear's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional inspiring 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? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

One of my favorite books I read this fall. I truly think if you are going to choose a longer Tolstoy work that this is the one to go with. It's all about love, god, and truly one of the most insane breakdowns I've ever seen in my life. While the farming parts are oh-so-slow, I have to admit they are masterfully done. Take your time and try to chunk it out!

Content Warnings

edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Content Warnings

katybradley888's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

pejahanako's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was incredibly surprising to me. I found that the pacing, despite the length of the book, was fairly fast and the romantic plotline was contemporary and relatable. I really enjoyed some of the philosophical reflections of the character Levin, as well as the overall social commentary on upper class society and marriage. However, I do think that some of the commentary- especially on Russia in this specific era- was lost on me, and many of the political discussions were extremely confusing. I think that some of the flaws of this book are to be found in its sheer length and its tangents. While some of the reflections are important and thoughtful, many are repetitive and could be cut out for a more enjoyable read. I also feel that some of the internal monologues detracted from the plotline and character development and seemed to be there for the personal reflection of Tolstoy- rather than the education of the reader. Overall- a deserved classic, with some obvious flaws.

Content Warnings

tortugacomegalletas's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

rokinjaguar's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.0

It’s hard for me to pay very close attention when I listen to an audiobook, so I’m sure I missed some stuff.
Anna’s affair was really well-written, especially

the toxicity and insecurity in the relationship

. I’ve experienced something similar (in a very minor way) and it felt very familiar.
Levin’s story was a bit hit or miss with me. Often nothing was really happening, but I do like his complicated character, and

the ending was very sweet and wholesome with him finding God and seeing the world through new eyes

.
Very very slow, pace yourself, but an interesting journey into people’s psychology.

Content Warnings

winterisvague's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

‘Anna Karenina’ is a literary masterpiece, and it is one of the greatest realistic novels out there. It raises questions about life and what it means to be human, leaving a lasting impression on the reader. The story, the characters, their choices, and their preoccupations — they stay with you for a long time, infecting you with fresh ideas and perspectives about life, people, and the human experience. Furthermore, it is timeless. It presents human conditions and issues in society that are still relevant to this day.

Tolstoy writes about the mundane details of everyday life in a way that makes them seem so fascinating. He portrays life experiences and fleeting moments with such detail and accuracy. Tolstoy describes ordinary thinking in such an intricate and insightful fashion, that after reading the book, you feel that you now have a deeper understanding of the human experience. It takes someone with a great understanding of the human mind—a master of human observation—to be able to write different kinds of characters who are so true to life and to do so in a way that is so raw, vivid, and real.

Tolstoy is fantastic at creating characters who are complex and flawed — we find ourselves loving them, hating them, condemning them, and then empathizing with them. Our perceptions of these characters keep shifting as we discover more about them and the multiple facets of their personalities. Tolstoy dives deep into the human psyche, allowing us to explore the rich internal worlds of his characters. That's where the beauty of this work lies, in its nuanced view of human emotions.

I am simply in awe at how well Tolstoy can articulate the thoughts and feelings of his characters. He writes detailed expressions in a way that brings these characters to life. It takes someone who is perceptive, with great attention to detail, to be able to write about the human mind so realistically and beautifully. It is impossible not to feel compassion towards these characters because Tolstoy breathed so much life into them. They no longer felt like characters to me; they felt like real, breathing people, and for that reason, I was able to empathize and connect with them even when they made choices that had me shaking my head in disappointment. Tolstoy effectively showed me their desires, weaknesses, motivations, and thought processes. I got to know these characters so deeply and intimately, that it almost feels like I know them even better than I know my own self.

The book explores the light and shadow aspects of human nature, blurring the lines between good and evil. This book tugged at my heartstrings so many times. The way Tolstoy writes about death, grief, and the downward spiral during a mental breakdown is so astonishingly realistic and heart-wrenching that you just want to take pause and breathe.

A lot of the complaints I see are about Levin’s repetitive philosophical rants. Indeed, it was obvious that Tolstoy was projecting his own thoughts through Levin, but personally, I see nothing wrong about an author injecting his character with a part of his own philosophies. Besides, I loved reading about these thoughts of his. Haven’t we also pondered upon similar questions about life and death? I know I have. What is the meaning of life? What happens after death? If death is inevitable, why live at all? I have ruminated over these questions myself, so following Levin’s quest to find his answers to these questions was fascinating to me. The ending was beautiful and enlightening.

Don’t expect this book to focus solely on Anna and her story. The plot of this book isn’t linear; it goes off on tangents and explores other themes like religion, politics, spirituality, farming, philosophy, etc. People who aren’t interested in these subjects may get bored as those parts do drag out, but this was something that I enjoyed personally because it brought about a sense of passing time. It’s just like ordinary life, filled with slow days and mundane moments. Tolstoy really put his heart and soul into this novel. It’s crafted with so much love and attention, and it deserves no less than 5 stars.

Content Warnings

mothie_girlie's review against another edition

Go to review page

sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

Content Warnings

More...