Anna Karenina is a book I’ve been meaning to read for years but just got around to this year. I’ve previously read War and Peace and loved it, so I believed I’d love Anna Karenina too since there are many who consider it better than War and Peace. I’m not going to talk about whether or not either book is better. I love both, but for different reasons.

Anna Karenina is the kind of book that hooks you right from the start. The portrayal of aristocratic drama, family ties, and relationships reminded me of the Peace sections from War and Peace, but heightened, the emotions tenser and explored more in-depth. By the end of the novel, you get the feeling that you know the characters very well.

The characters are varied. They can be tragic, comic, placid, and even annoying, but not boring. More importantly, they feel real. It’s incredible how a novel from and set in 19th century Russia could feel so relevant and have characters that appear relatable, but it does.

I come from a country that does not have a divorce law, only expensive and strict annulment laws. There are many advocates and activists pushing for a divorce law, but it appears difficult to pass. This is why, even as I’m sometimes frustrated and annoyed by Anna, especially as she makes some bad decisions, I understand her. She is a woman trapped by society and her own mind, offered a way out she refused to take because it would be dishonest. I don’t like Anna as a character. I think she’s vain and selfish, but I understand her. Her predicament isn’t unique and even though she is privileged fictional aristocrat, you can see how she’s similar to the myriad of Filipino women trapped in marriages that no longer work.

While there is the criticism of societal norms that didn’t allow Anna to divorce, I don’t think her story is some grand romance with Vronsky either. Because Anna was trapped, she had no choice but to rely on Vronsky. Had she other choices, she wouldn’t have spiralled like that. It is a toxic, destructive love affair and portrayed as such in contrast with Kitty & Levin’s relationship- not perfect, but they communicate and fix their misunderstandings.

Because Anna Karenina is such a sweeping novel, you can’t really reduce it to the love affair or Anna’s inability to get a divorce. It covers so many topics from agriculture to faith, to politics, and the ideal family life. It’s the kind of book that deserves multiple re-reads which I can see myself doing in the future.

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