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A review by ehops
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
3.0
I’m incredibly on the fence with this novel. I felt it started off well, and I was intrigued by the character connections and layout of the writing (small sections, jumping between characters). However I kept waiting for something to happen... and it took so long ... and still didn’t hit the high note I was hoping for.
Tolstoy does a great job of characterisation however I couldn’t stand Levin (I think more time was spent on Levin than Anna which makes me ? the book’s title), especially the pages and pages of drawn out thoughts that didn’t quite result in much until perhaps the very end.
In my opinion, the book also does a good job of showing how the patriarchy ultimately plays a large role in Anna’s death. It seems as a woman she is cast out of society because of her and Vronsky’s choices and he is allowed to continue accessing and enjoying society while she is left trapped, alone and of course and understandably, then deteriorates. Tolstoy also shows this parallel to her brother’s affair, to which he again as a male has very little consequences and continues to do as he pleases; spending heaps of money, affairs, minimal responsibilities. He has freedom. After Anna’s death, Vronsky is obviously impacted, but he ultimately returns to what he was doing before her - fulfilling the role of a soldier. He wasn’t cast out of society.
This book really made me think, so I would recommend reading it, but it isn’t my favourite book.
Tolstoy does a great job of characterisation however I couldn’t stand Levin (I think more time was spent on Levin than Anna which makes me ? the book’s title), especially the pages and pages of drawn out thoughts that didn’t quite result in much until perhaps the very end.
In my opinion, the book also does a good job of showing how the patriarchy ultimately plays a large role in Anna’s death. It seems as a woman she is cast out of society because of her and Vronsky’s choices and he is allowed to continue accessing and enjoying society while she is left trapped, alone and of course and understandably, then deteriorates. Tolstoy also shows this parallel to her brother’s affair, to which he again as a male has very little consequences and continues to do as he pleases; spending heaps of money, affairs, minimal responsibilities. He has freedom. After Anna’s death, Vronsky is obviously impacted, but he ultimately returns to what he was doing before her - fulfilling the role of a soldier. He wasn’t cast out of society.
This book really made me think, so I would recommend reading it, but it isn’t my favourite book.