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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Took a long time to finish, but well worth it! Fantastic work.
There's a lot of stuff in here that I didn't expect, and the translation is nice, which is what I expect from Pevear and Volokhonsky. The footnotes are not only informative, but since they sometimes refer to Nabokov's lectures on Russian Literature, they bring up some really interesting uses of Russian. Otherwise...I won't give away any spoilers - for the exact reason that this is one of those books that has been talked about endlessly. Anything unspoiled (unspoilered?) I'll leave alone.
On the other hand, I had to knock off a star since I got bored. There's about 50 pages that could be cut out of this book and everything would still be retained. I still managed to read it over five days, but if I had a working computer at home (read: a good distraction), it might have taken me several weeks.
On the other hand, I had to knock off a star since I got bored. There's about 50 pages that could be cut out of this book and everything would still be retained. I still managed to read it over five days, but if I had a working computer at home (read: a good distraction), it might have taken me several weeks.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
Un chef d’œuvre. Une fois rentré dans l'histoire, il devient difficile de s'arrêter et d'interrompre sa lecture, comme bien souvent avec Tolstoï. On se retrouve plongé dans des intrigues au fond sans grands enjeux mais qui sont rendues passionnantes par la plume de l'auteur. Difficile de trouver des défauts à ce livre magistral, qui permet un aperçu de la haute société russe de l'époque de Tolstoï à travers de nombreux renversements de situations, dénouements, et renouements.
Impossible de passer à côté.
Impossible de passer à côté.
slow-paced
Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is a sweeping novel that intricately weaves the lives of its tragic titular heroine, Anna, alongside Alexei Vronsky and Konstantin Levin. Shifting between multiple points of view, the novel offers deep psychological insight not only into its main characters but also into secondary figures such as Stiva Oblonsky, Kitty Scherbatsky, and Alexei Karenin.
At its core, Anna Karenina explores themes of passion versus duty, the joys and struggles of family life, the complexity of human emotions, and the rigid expectations placed upon women in 19th-century Russian society. Tolstoy’s dual narrative structure juxtaposes Anna’s doomed pursuit of love and independence with Levin’s philosophical and agricultural journey. However, as the novel progresses, Anna’s storyline fades, allowing Levin to take center stage. His dismissive attitude toward Kitty—reprimanding her for taking their child into the woods without his consent—reinforces the notion that a father’s judgment outweighs a mother’s. Additionally, Levin’s religious enlightenment remains a solitary experience, one he deliberately withholds from his wife, assuming she would not comprehend it. No female character in the novel experiences similar philosophical awakenings; instead, their lives are shaped by domestic responsibilities and motherhood. Even Anna, despite the depth with which Tolstoy portrays her struggles, is ultimately reduced to an object of condemnation. The novel’s final word on Anna is left to Countess Vronsky, who dismisses her as lowly and mean—a sentiment left unchallenged, as if Tolstoy himself condemns her pursuit of passion and autonomy despite previously inviting readers to sympathize with her plight.
Despite being written in the 19th century, Anna Karenina remains strikingly relevant. One particularly compelling parallel can be drawn from Levin’s efforts to uplift impoverished farmers trapped in a cycle of debt. His attempts to educate them and introduce more efficient agricultural techniques reflect modern struggles faced by farmers today. Even with opportunities for progress, many farmers prioritize working the land and repaying debts over investing in education and innovation, highlighting the ongoing challenges of financial hardship in rural communities.
Overall, Anna Karenina is a masterfully written novel that offers a profound meditation on love, morality, and societal constraints. While its treatment of female autonomy may leave contemporary readers conflicted, its insights into human nature and social inequality remain timeless. 4 out of 5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
slow-paced
I do not care what happens half way through this. I'm bored. DNF. Whatever trouble they have, I don't want to know how it will go anymore. The characters exhausted me.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
challenging
dark
emotional