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A review by lekakis
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
3.0
5 stars to me for finishing this novel. 3.5 for the novel.
I don't doubt that I will read this again one day but here's the thing: It's a good book, but it needs to be read in small portions that helps you digest and not get bored with how repetitive really is.
There's a lot of drama, that somewhat is justified by Anna's final act. There's a marvelous scene about the horse race and Vronsky. There's a lot of commentary about Russian high society that seems to be at crossroads. At times it was funny. And yes, women are treated badly now, and they were treated badly then.
But for the most part it was tiring with some brilliant moments, not focused. I understand that 1800's books are usually like that.
And at the end after 900 pages? Levin discovers God/Spirituality. Or that you best apply yourself when you are going on a spiritual quest for goodness. I get it, it's beautiful, and the 900 pages helped me understand Levin's struggle but I could do without it.
I promise I will read it again.
Oh and Tolstoy, ok great psychologists and he has lived a 1000 lives ... he is not a dog, he doesn't know what the dog thinks. I would love if we could skip the part that performs a mini psychoanalysis of Laska (Levin's dog).
I don't doubt that I will read this again one day but here's the thing: It's a good book, but it needs to be read in small portions that helps you digest and not get bored with how repetitive really is.
There's a lot of drama, that somewhat is justified by Anna's final act. There's a marvelous scene about the horse race and Vronsky. There's a lot of commentary about Russian high society that seems to be at crossroads. At times it was funny. And yes, women are treated badly now, and they were treated badly then.
But for the most part it was tiring with some brilliant moments, not focused. I understand that 1800's books are usually like that.
And at the end after 900 pages? Levin discovers God/Spirituality. Or that you best apply yourself when you are going on a spiritual quest for goodness. I get it, it's beautiful, and the 900 pages helped me understand Levin's struggle but I could do without it.
I promise I will read it again.
Oh and Tolstoy, ok great psychologists and he has lived a 1000 lives ... he is not a dog, he doesn't know what the dog thinks. I would love if we could skip the part that performs a mini psychoanalysis of Laska (Levin's dog).