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dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
How can I explain the brilliance of this book. I went in skeptical given its length. Trent Horn recommended it alongside The Brother’s Karamazov and Dracula, as books every Christian should read. While Dracula is my favorite novel, I couldn’t get through Brothers K because of the density. Since Anna Karenina is also by a Russian author around the same time period, I thought it would be more like the former than the latter. I was wrong. This book was engrossing from the first page to the last. I was invested in every single character’s plot line - yes I even thought the long sequences of farming and politics added to the story. Everyone is a foil for everyone else. I want to take a university class on this book now.The way that Anna is driven to madness and suicide because of her choices and Levin is driven to faith because of his is such a cool juxtaposition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Racism, Gaslighting
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
CRIED TEARSSSSSS😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💖
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This story was my first introduction to Leo Tolstoy and I absolutely loved it. Highly descriptive, tons of backgrounds information, complex characters and relationships, historical. I listened to the audio version narrated by Maggie Gyllenhall, and her voice was pure perfection. Highly recommend listening to that version!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall I really enjoyed this one, it felt like a different eras version of something like 'Sex in the City'. Sensational at points, frustrating at points, and nobody knew how to make good decisions, literally if their life depended on it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
It's a foundational piece of modern literature for a reason. It was fascinating and I'm glad to have a personal understanding of AK, but it's definitely not a classic that I think everyone needs to read. The story was interesting and self propelling, it did hold my interest, but it is also a book so clearly, painfully written by a man. It's anachronistic, but I couldn't shake the thought that Tolstoy was an incel.
The book is centered around a woman and the slippery slope of her tragic life after she veers off the path that a "good" woman would take. She is juxtaposed against the goodness, grace, and purity of the protagonist's love interest. Knowing that Tolstoy identified strongly with this protagonist makes it so much more cringe.
ok there is a bit in a sanatorium and I would love to find some lesbian fanfic about Kitty and her friend there bc they had more chemistry than any other pairing in the book, that's all.
The book is centered around a woman and the slippery slope of her tragic life after she veers off the path that a "good" woman would take. She is juxtaposed against the goodness, grace, and purity of the protagonist's love interest. Knowing that Tolstoy identified strongly with this protagonist makes it so much more cringe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Pregnancy, War
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
New favourite. The amount of feelings that I have felt with this book solidified it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Alcohol
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, Pregnancy
Minor: Death, War
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whilst I have greatly enjoyed "Anna Karenina" [1878], with Tolstoy's expertise of societal structures, complex relationships, and political exploration being some of the most intriguing features of the novel, there were still some glaring issues which caused much discontentment in my reading process; most noticeably, the novel's editing (or lack thereof). Throughout the course of the eight-part novel [Part Five being my personal favourite], I realised there were many chapters that could have been removed and nothing significant would have changed. Many of the more meandering scenes that either detailed an arguably unneeded philosophical debate or contemporary [19th Century Russian] social issues/historical events, that whilst truly interesting to read, became so overdone. So much so that certain sections of the novel (most often Levin's Farm) felt more like a trial than a treat!
Overall, I think I have learnt more about Russian Agriculture than I would have ever imagined...
Overall, I think I have learnt more about Russian Agriculture than I would have ever imagined...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Racial slurs, Blood, Medical content
This book is obviously a product of its time and era, written by a Christian-Pacifist [Anarchist] in 1870s Russia. There will be ideologies and characters that some may find regressive or even insulting. However, Tolstoy was still a master of his craft (although it must be stated that he had a lot of help from his wife and others x) and should be appreciated appropriately...