A review by lucymethum
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Anna Karenina is the first Russian Lit. that I have had the opportunity to read and it was beautifully done. Leo Tolstoy's writing style and ability to story-tell is incredible. Many of the characters that I did not like at the beginning of the book, I ended up liking and vice-versa, with Levin being a consistent favorite. I love that Tolstoy focused not only on themes of love and relationships, but also on themes such as country v. city life, social classes, politics, and religion. I do wish I had a greater understanding of Russian politics to find the chapters on Russian society and politics more engaging than I did. Overall, this book must be read with great discernment from a Christian perspective. Tolstoy writes in a way where you find yourself tempted to root for sin. It was good practice to step back from the book from time to time to ponder the characters and plot and look at the book through a Christian worldview.