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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Trying to read this book made me also want to be hit by an oncoming train ngl
I love the concept of the story, but after 800 pages, there is only so much interest I can feign on the Russian government.
I love the concept of the story, but after 800 pages, there is only so much interest I can feign on the Russian government.
This book is so chaotic and dramatic, I adore it! So much existential dread packed into many punches here.
The pace is plenty fast and this helped the story a lot. Since it's really long, it was good that things consistently move forward in the story.
The dialogue is also well-written.
So are the characters! I like a book with some unlikable characters. I enjoy seeing how flawed they can be, even though I wouldn't want to be their friends if they were real people.
Anna really grated on me, I felt bad for her because of how men got to get away with affairs while women for all the severely harsh consequences. Unfair for being so unbalanced, but at the same time, she was 100% responsible for all of her own unhappiness. She knew what the consequences of all of her actions would be and she still chose to do them all anyway. It was hard to feel sorry for her after a while.
I also thought Vronsky was insufferable. His arrogance and coldness was great for the story, though in real people, it's way too much.
The pace is plenty fast and this helped the story a lot. Since it's really long, it was good that things consistently move forward in the story.
The dialogue is also well-written.
So are the characters! I like a book with some unlikable characters. I enjoy seeing how flawed they can be, even though I wouldn't want to be their friends if they were real people.
Anna really grated on me, I felt bad for her because of how men got to get away with affairs while women for all the severely harsh consequences. Unfair for being so unbalanced, but at the same time, she was 100% responsible for all of her own unhappiness. She knew what the consequences of all of her actions would be and she still chose to do them all anyway. It was hard to feel sorry for her after a while.
I also thought Vronsky was insufferable. His arrogance and coldness was great for the story, though in real people, it's way too much.
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
AMAZING ๐๐๐
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
If you think that reading Anna Karenina will be a daunting task, you are right. It is an extremely challenging read, and you need plenty of patience to get through it (Spoiler: 3 chapters on cutting grass. Seriously). With that aside, it is one of the most realistic books I have ever read. Leo Tolstoy uses vivid imagery and creates complex characters to bring his world to life. It is well thought out and his exposition has none of the "not like other girls/guys" we see so much today. His characters are very much flawed, very much human, and very much real.
Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina invites you to immerse yourself in 1870's Russia and the complexity of family life, social order, and romance in the culture.
Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina invites you to immerse yourself in 1870's Russia and the complexity of family life, social order, and romance in the culture.
Fantastic. Which comes as no surprise if you know me.
The common characterization of Anna Karenina as a saucy romantic affair drama is limited and frankly, inaccurate. This is not a plot-driven narrative by any means. The majority of the story is actually about our other protagonist, Levin, and his struggled search for meaning and purpose.
The shining star of Anna Karenina and the reason I think it deserves every accolade it has is Tolstoy's immeasurable ability to write characters, nailing everything from their anxious thought spirals to their paltry social observations so well that you'll think "Damn, how did a 200-year old Russian man get inside my head?" I was in love with every character for how complex and flawed they all are. There is no cartoonishly stark distinction between good and evil here -- nearly everyone is morally ambiguous, a perfect reflection of true human-ness. The realism of his characters makes for the perfect framework upon which to perform a thorough, well-rounded exploration of some of the existential questions that Levin, a representation of Tolstoy himself, struggles with.
Here are some of the themes that stuck out to me. I don't agree with the protagonist's conclusions on any of them, but there is plenty of back-and-forth discussion on these topics including well-developed opposing perspectives:
The common characterization of Anna Karenina as a saucy romantic affair drama is limited and frankly, inaccurate. This is not a plot-driven narrative by any means. The majority of the story is actually about our other protagonist, Levin, and his struggled search for meaning and purpose.
The shining star of Anna Karenina and the reason I think it deserves every accolade it has is Tolstoy's immeasurable ability to write characters, nailing everything from their anxious thought spirals to their paltry social observations so well that you'll think "Damn, how did a 200-year old Russian man get inside my head?" I was in love with every character for how complex and flawed they all are. There is no cartoonishly stark distinction between good and evil here -- nearly everyone is morally ambiguous, a perfect reflection of true human-ness. The realism of his characters makes for the perfect framework upon which to perform a thorough, well-rounded exploration of some of the existential questions that Levin, a representation of Tolstoy himself, struggles with.
Here are some of the themes that stuck out to me. I don't agree with the protagonist's conclusions on any of them, but there is plenty of back-and-forth discussion on these topics including well-developed opposing perspectives:
- Relationship between work and purpose What kind of work can provide meaning to the worker? Levin sees the bureaucratic government positions held by many of his peers to be removed from any tangible result, while his own farm was the perfect workplace where everyone, landlord and peasant alike, can feel fulfilled by physically reaping the fruits of their labor. No, this did not inspire me to quit my corporate job and start an online candle business, but I found the discussion fascinating and meaningful, some of it even to my own life.
- Individualism vs. collectivism As someone from a more collectivist Eastern culture living in the most individualistic country on the planet, this is obviously something I think about a LOT. This quote by Levin really touched me, not because I agree with the message, but because it was so illuminating for me into the American capitalist mind
...this ability to act for the common good, of which he felt himself completely deprived, was perhaps not a virtue but, on the contrary, a lack of something - not a lack of good, honest and noble desires and tastes, but a lack of life force, of what is known as heart, of that yearning which makes a man choose one out of all the countless paths in life presented to him and desire that one alone
It made me think about how the concept of the American dream, "heart" as Levin calls it, is really used as a marketing device of capitalism by keeping people focused on themselves and their own (money-making) dreams rather than on the common good of the people, systems of protection, etc. - Are you there, God? It's me, Levin I have been an atheist since birth. As a child I used to think that God was a thing that everyone pretended to believe in as some sort of collective charade to keep up appearances. Because of this staunch, innate non-belief, I've had a lifelong fascination with people who believe in God. The "When your child is in the hospital, then you'll pray to God" argument never worked for me because -- okay, so God is meant just as a coping mechanism for people with trauma? Which is why I audibly groaned when our very logical boy Levin suddenly called out to God during a life-changing moment later on in his character arc. Like, seriously? You can't deus ex machina your way out of this one Tolstoy. Tell me more. And he did indeed tell me more. I loved Part 8, where we are walked through Levin's final internal monologue, where he ultimately reaches the conclusion that he does believe in God but that "God" is actually just his own conscience.
Oh, I jest. Levin and I are besties now, I can do that. I loved it. The perfect ending to the whole thing.
I would also like to highlight that the most heartbreaking part of the whole thing for me was Dolly's monologue in the carriage, where she compares her life to that of the disgraced Anna, finding herself surprisingly envious of Anna, forced to reckon with the fact that she wasn't brave in the same way, and that maybe she had given up too much of herself for her unfaithful husband and their 5 children. I just found this to be a really relatable albeit taboo feeling. Women are meant to be wives and mothers, servants to others, and to admit you might want to be anything else would be selfish and disgraceful. The men of course, can do whatever they want. The raging sexism is obvious in Anna's story as well.
In conclusion: Excellent multi-layered character writing, fascinating moral conundrums left and right, and oh yeah it's FUNNY too. 10/10. I'm already looking forward to reading it all over again at some point and picking up on all the things I missed last time. With a book like this, you could do that infinite times before getting bored.
I felt the story got bogged down at times with commentary about Russia's politics and Levin's tendency to romanticize the toil of the farm laborers.
However, I was impressed by Tolstoy's modern treatment of internal monologues and character perspectives, which are frequently painfully honest and realistic. All the inconsistencies and vulnerabilities of these people are on display for us to witness and consider. Tolstoy presents their frailties with such candor that it's hard to judge them without realizing that we are also judging ourselves and those we love.
I was slightly dissatisfied with the incomplete resolution for certain characters, but, overall, I found Anna Karenina to be an engaging and thought-provoking narrative. Despite the length of the novel, Tolstoy's choice of late 19th century Russian society serves as a surprisingly accurate rendering of the human condition. This microcosm strikes a careful balance by giving the reader enough distance to hear the clarity of Tolstoy's message while still providing enough intimacy to sympathize with and hear the distinct voice of each character.
However, I was impressed by Tolstoy's modern treatment of internal monologues and character perspectives, which are frequently painfully honest and realistic. All the inconsistencies and vulnerabilities of these people are on display for us to witness and consider. Tolstoy presents their frailties with such candor that it's hard to judge them without realizing that we are also judging ourselves and those we love.
I was slightly dissatisfied with the incomplete resolution for certain characters, but, overall, I found Anna Karenina to be an engaging and thought-provoking narrative. Despite the length of the novel, Tolstoy's choice of late 19th century Russian society serves as a surprisingly accurate rendering of the human condition. This microcosm strikes a careful balance by giving the reader enough distance to hear the clarity of Tolstoy's message while still providing enough intimacy to sympathize with and hear the distinct voice of each character.
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love reading classics. I actually found the writing quite nice and easy to read. I didnโt like Anna at all. Sheโs unloyal, mean to her husband, abandons her child and commits sewer slide which is very unchristian of her. Kitty is probably my favourite character, she is sweet and kind.