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macliffe 's review for:
Anna Karenina
by Leo Tolstoy
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