Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

Anna Karenina by Amy Mandelker, Leo Tolstoy

19 reviews

celery's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Misogyny, Child death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Toxic friendship, War, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Medical content, Racial slurs, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide, Xenophobia, Self harm, Sexism, and Violence

peeled_grape's review against another edition

WOOOWWWW. I was trying to figure out what the pleasure of Anna Karenina was, but I think it is just a pleasure to be reading it. Loved this, so much.

I will say I disliked Levin quite a bit (which is funnier considering he’s Tolstoy’s self-insert). God, the Russian farming sections. Struggled through that. I wonder what made Tolstoy name the book after Anna when Levin is featured more heavily. He seems to be the main protagonist here. Sections 2 and 3 are slow, but 8 is the disappointing one. So much happens between 7 and 8 we don’t get to see and should!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Minor: Antisemitism

thedandybrambler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, War, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Grief, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Gun violence

knenigans's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I did not love the story or the overarching message but I did very much enjoy the writing and it is clear why this remains so popular.

I wish I had read this novel when I was 15, I think that would've been the perfect age for me to fully appreciate it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Infidelity, Suicide, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Drug use, Grief, Classism, Death, Antisemitism, Child death, and Addiction

reebeee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

4.75

What can I say about this novel that hasn't already been said? The slow pace and long page count pay off in the moving, detailed, realist prose and narrative. Much of the historical and social context went over my head, and I wish I had read this in a class or guided reading group to fully gasp its intricacies. While it's one of the best books I've read this year, it wasn't one that I always enjoyed reading, thus the slightly docked rating. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Antisemitism and Racism

madddiebear's review against another edition

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

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

Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, and War

Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism

bookish_bry's review against another edition

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

4.0

Overall I enjoyed Anna Karenina. It had a lot of interesting and complex characters. I found each of them being my favorite at different points in the novel (except Vronsky whom I did not particularly like) and I found myself annoyed with them at different times. 

The foreshadowing was done great. I especially liked how

trains were constantly mentioned throughout the book foreshadowing Anna's eventual suicide. The horse metaphor was also pretty well done.

 

It did drag in some places, though really what can you expect from a book of this length, and while I understood the strategy behind the last part

after Anna's suicide, Levin's revelation wasn't particularly interesting to me. I actually disagree with the choice to not share his spiritual thoughts with Kitty and think that could have been a more satisfying ending to me personally.

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Classism and Grief

Minor: Antisemitism, War, and Sexism

Most of this book revolves around adultery and suicidal thoughts and actions.

uss_mary_shelley's review against another edition

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

4.75

I have been meaning to read this for a long time and I am glad I finally have and that I gave myself the time to enjoy it. Right up my street with a tightly woven story involving so much of my favourite things. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Antisemitism

novelyon's review against another edition

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

3.5

anna's narrative slapped but levin was so boring, and worse, a landlord.........the peasants should've killed him the way the serfs did fyodor dostoevsky's dad :/

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, and Infidelity

Moderate: Pregnancy, Drug use, and Classism

Minor: Antisemitism, Child death, War, Racism, and Sexual content

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 .

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Grief

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