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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
I read this via DailyLit (http://www.dailylit.com/), It was supposed to take me 430 days, but I finished it in just 9 months, so clearly I was sneaking some extra reading in there. All of this is to say, Anna Karenina is good! I am so happy that I read it - and that I discovered DailyLit, which broke it down into manageable chunks for me and made it seem less intimidating. One less book on the "I should really read this someday" list.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Notes:
- Too much to say about this that wouldn't fit but my favourite thing about this book was how real and tangible the characters all felt to me, and how captivated and invested I was in their lives.
- Anna and Vronksy's relationship was so interesting to read — the passion shifting to destruction, the complexity of Anna being a woman stuck in a system that views her and the role of wives overall in an oppressive way, the fact of her infidelity. Makes her a fascinating character even if she is not a likeable one necessarily.
- Levin and Kitty's slowburn was definitely my favourite plotline though of the whole bookand the scene where they write to each other on the table and when he comes to propose! I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest I love them :')
- Yes, there are a lot of pages dedicated to 1860s Russian agricultural practices. It's not too bad though.
- Too much to say about this that wouldn't fit but my favourite thing about this book was how real and tangible the characters all felt to me, and how captivated and invested I was in their lives.
- Anna and Vronksy's relationship was so interesting to read — the passion shifting to destruction, the complexity of Anna being a woman stuck in a system that views her and the role of wives overall in an oppressive way, the fact of her infidelity. Makes her a fascinating character even if she is not a likeable one necessarily.
- Levin and Kitty's slowburn was definitely my favourite plotline though of the whole book
- Yes, there are a lot of pages dedicated to 1860s Russian agricultural practices. It's not too bad though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked some parts, but there were far too many parts that were a complete slog.
challenging
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Wow, what a brick of a book. I was surprised how engaged I was most of the time. Wavered in and out some, but over all was invested in the story. The biggest surprise for me was Tolstoy’s writing about Russia in the spring. And just nature in general. That’s when I was the most moved. That, and the phrase “living for the soul” are some of the most beautiful things I’ve read in my life.
emotional
reflective
sad
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
Anna Karenina is a beautifully written book that has so many life lessons to teach from the meaning of life and love, isolation and depression, and the double standard. There is a lot of drama and pettiness throughout the novel that is entertaining, but we also get to see contrast by comparing Anna and Vronsky's relationship vs Kitty and Levin's relationship. Tolstoy pacts so much detail and develops characters. It is such a tragic read and is worth the length. You can read it over and over and still get more out of it.
You’re telling me this manic (borderline schizophrenic) chick cheated on her (possibly autistic) husband and publicly cuckholded him while abandoning her son and we’re suppose to see her as a heroine?? If you ask me crazy lady deserved to get run over by a train!
Aside from Cuckoo-Cachoo Anna K, this novel is fucking EPIC. What a ride. So many thoughts, but I’ll just say that my favorite chapters revolve around the story’s co-protag, Levin, who may just be one of the greatest characters in all of literature, so much so that I’m sure everyone who reads Tolstoy’s epic romance comes away with the same thought: I AM Levin.
Aside from Cuckoo-Cachoo Anna K, this novel is fucking EPIC. What a ride. So many thoughts, but I’ll just say that my favorite chapters revolve around the story’s co-protag, Levin, who may just be one of the greatest characters in all of literature, so much so that I’m sure everyone who reads Tolstoy’s epic romance comes away with the same thought: I AM Levin.
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