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A review by lit_laugh_luv
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
5.0
There's truly no way to review or summarize a book of this length and scope. Tolstoy captures everything about the human experience - envy, lust, greed, love, loss, purpose, fulfillment, identity, obligation and ambition. We see how characters connect to political upheaval, war, religion, affairs, parenthood, and each other in so many facets. The book speaks so well to the timelessness of the human experience; despite this taking place in the 1870s in a culture I have no personal connection to, these characters are so complex and the issues they face still closely resemble what we experience today.
Anna Karenina herself is such a complex and nuanced character at the heart of this novel. She's in some ways morally grey and an anti-hero; I still don't know entirely how I feel about her by the end of this. The limitations she experiences as a woman are central to her character, yet her actions are hard to justify nonetheless. Dolly and Kitty are both such stars in this novel I couldn't help but love; everyone raves about Levin (who I also enjoyed), but they definitely stole my heart.
I completely understand why this novel is heralded as the best of all time. The symbolism and parallels Tolstoy creates are magnificent and satisfying as a reader. Every character is so deep and complex, and the intricate web of connections that span over these 800+ pages was a pleasure to read from start to finish. While it may not be my absolute favourite novel ever, there's no denying that this is a literary masterpiece and shows how artistic a skilled writer can be.
While reading Anna Karenina is certainly a commitment, I don't regret it in the slightest. This novel is absolutely beautiful and encapsulates the human experience in a way I've never read before. This book will definitely stay with me indefinitely and I am so glad to check this off my literary bucket list after years of being intimidated by it!
Anna Karenina herself is such a complex and nuanced character at the heart of this novel. She's in some ways morally grey and an anti-hero; I still don't know entirely how I feel about her by the end of this. The limitations she experiences as a woman are central to her character, yet her actions are hard to justify nonetheless. Dolly and Kitty are both such stars in this novel I couldn't help but love; everyone raves about Levin (who I also enjoyed), but they definitely stole my heart.
I completely understand why this novel is heralded as the best of all time. The symbolism and parallels Tolstoy creates are magnificent and satisfying as a reader. Every character is so deep and complex, and the intricate web of connections that span over these 800+ pages was a pleasure to read from start to finish. While it may not be my absolute favourite novel ever, there's no denying that this is a literary masterpiece and shows how artistic a skilled writer can be.
While reading Anna Karenina is certainly a commitment, I don't regret it in the slightest. This novel is absolutely beautiful and encapsulates the human experience in a way I've never read before. This book will definitely stay with me indefinitely and I am so glad to check this off my literary bucket list after years of being intimidated by it!