Customer Reviews
A classic worth reading 
2008-09-15
This is a sophisticated story. Yes like many of the classic it may be corny by todays vinacular. After reading many classics is still not easy, not to snicker when the author uses the word gay. Much beyond that you have to read this story beyond the mere words, you need to imagine a different time and different society. In many ways it is ironic that many of the situations the characters in this story are in are situations that still challenge people today. If you allow yourself this story can cause you to question many of your values, espically social values. It is long, it is corny, and it can be good.
Indifference? NOT HERE! 
2008-08-29
I haven't had/made time to read other translations of this Great work, but IMHO, Anna Karenina 'Must Be' in the top five list of all-time Greatest Romances...
(trying NOT to be selfish): Reading Anna Karenina has enriched my life; It has INCREASED my love, devotion, & respect for-to my wife, my respect & care for my children & grand-children.
I hope it does the same for you & your family...
Masterful 2008-08-28
Leo Tolstoy's immortal novel about love and morality is an intricate, flawlessly conceived work of literary realism. Tolstoy's magnificent application of temporality imbues this epic with an almost unparalleled sense of verisimilitude. Using a dialectic between Anna and Vronsky, and Levin and Kitty, Tolstoy unfolds one of the most remarkable novels about human relationships in the canon. Anna is a beautiful but doomed woman, whose love affair with Count Vronsky sets her life into a chain of inevitable disasters. Tolstoy's blend of politics, social satire, and quiet meditations on country life in 19th century Russia mark this novel as one of the richest and most eternal of works of art. Tolstoy sought to use art as a vessel for his moral opinions about life, death, and Christianity, but fortunately his art triumphed over his message in this incomparable masterpiece.
Ehhhh.. 
2008-07-31
I just finished this book, in a weeks time. The first, maybe 300 pages, were extremely intriguing and I couldn't put the book down. But this was mainly because I loved the story between Anna and Vronosky. I must admit, the main reason I purchased this book was because it was said to be one of the greatest love stories of all time, and I highly enjoy reading love stories. After awhile, I realized that this book didn't revolve around Anna, like I had thought. And one of the greatest love stories of all times? Absolutely not. Actually, I barely saw any kind of "love story" in this entire novel. There was Anna and Vronosky, but could you even consider what they had to be a love story? Maybe for about 50 pages, but after that, it was annoying. To be honest, I don't think love even existed between the two of them, more like infatuation turned into obsession. Anna constantly complaining about how she felt unloved. She convinced herself that he no longer loved her, which drove her to insanity. And the way she left her son, completely unforgivable.
Then we had Levin and Kitty's love story. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to feel the love between them when Levin wasn't even her first choice. It seemed to me that she settled for Levin because she was unwanted. However, I felt she did come to love him eventually, after they had married, which made their story enjoyable.
As many others have stated, I think Stiva was the most enjoyable character in this entire book, and yet he wasn't any better than the rest.
I enjoyed Alexia Karenina, and I feel as if he was actually a good man that was unable to express his emotions. Notice the pattern; Anna was "repulsed" by him, felt as if he didn't care about her and no longer loved her. After a little while with Vronosky, she felt the same exact way towards him. The problem wasn't with these two men, it was Anna's own insecurities. Which is ironic, because such a "beauty" as she was, being envied by all, she was so strangely insecure.
Should I mention Levin and the hundreds of pages wasted on his thoughts about farming, hunting, and philosophy? I admit, some of it was interesting. But after awhile, it became repetitive and I struggled to get through it.
But even despite my negative opinions, I still gave the book 3 stars. Why? Because there were parts of the book that were entertaining, that did keep me turning the page, and for the most part, it was an easy read. I'd recommend it, but definitely not to someone whose looking for a love story or a fun read.
A deeply human book that repays many re-readings 2008-07-28
Why on earth would anyone bother to write another review of so famous and exhaustively-studied a book as "Anna Karenina"?
The world has changed immensely since the book was written in the late 19th century.
Reviews have probably also changed over the years, reflecting the times in which they were written - and the changing nature of reviews themselves. In fact, it would be an interesting academic exercise to read how reviews of the book have changed since its publication.
Each new review provides new interpretations, new insights to add to those of former times.
Sometimes we are put off from reading classic writers such as Tolstoy because we think their works must be too intellectual, too boring, - or set in social and political contexts that have long-vanished and become difficult for modern readers to empathise with.
I have often felt that way myself, and have put off reading "Anna Karenina" until now. Yet I can say, after reading Tolstoy's masterpiece, that the book is enjoyable and accessible to modern readers.
Of course, only the greatest of literature survives the passage of time. The world of pre-revolutionary Russia has been swept away, but "Anna Karenina" tells us of fundamental human drives that will always engage the human spirit and imagination.
Tolstoy's human portraits and his psychological insights are the outstanding features of this book. One of the pleasures of such excellent characterisations lies in reflecting on one's own life and motivations, one's dreams and failures.
Tolstoy's characters also remind us of people we know - and of ourselves. It is very pleasant to slide into reflections of this nature as one reads passages in the book. The book becomes a trigger for our own reveries. It is a deeply human book.
Not only is Tolstoy an excellent depicter of character, he is also gifted in his descriptions of country life, farming and nature. Passages describing cutting hay and the rural life of Russian peasants are simply beautiful.
There is a wonderful episode in which Levin finally gets a "Yes" from the girl he loves (but had tried to ignore following an earlier rejection). Levin goes about in a daze, all is wonderful in the world, everyone he meets is intelligent and kind, even strangers seem to know all about his acceptance (so he thinks in his fog of joy) and he feels they vie with one another to be kind to him! Every man who has ever loved deeply and won his lady will instantly empathise with the situation that Tolstoy describes so well and wittily.
There are wonderful portrayals of family life. Not in a cloying, saccharine sense, but in a very natural and moving way and in a deeply human sense, as true today as in Tolstoy's time.
There are so many beautiful scenes in this book. Every reader will have their own favourites. Some can be read many times with equal enjoyment.
For the philosophical and spiritual reader, there are many passages that have an almost religious significance, as if this were a holy book and not a work of fiction.
Time is not explicitly spelt out and one has no precise idea of the exact timescale of the book while one is reading. Durations and periods of elapsed time are given, but there is a certain timelessness and agelessness about the book that is very apt.
Read this book. You will not be disappointed and will find much to love.
Human emotions and relationships -- a literary masterpiece! 2008-06-29
Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. While previous versions have softened the robust, and sometimes shocking, quality of Tolstoy's writing, Pevear and Volokhonsky have produced a translation true to his powerful voice. This award-winning team's authoritative edition also includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory notes. Beautiful, vigorous, and eminently readable, this
Anna Karenina will be the definitive text for generations to come.
An affair to remember! (...and much more) 2008-06-25
This is world-class literature and a story, albeit an older one, which teaches us much about life. I would HIGHLY recommend this book as a gift to any young adult. Yes, it is lengthy but here Tolstoy has yielded us one of the finest tales ever written.
Anna Karenina is pure female Homo sapiens. She is both good and bad (it's not really a spoiler to note that she falls prey to drugs -- morphine), but most of all, human. When I first began reading this terrific story I anticipated that I would eventually be disappointed by having guessed at what was about to happen -- I BELIEVED that Tolstoy was going to tell me about a sweet girl whom was about to have bad things happen to her and, thus, the great author was going to barter for my sympathies for her. Well no such thing! Instead, Anna Karenina could well be living in the 21st Century given her impulsive proclivities and leading a lifestyle which attends little on injurious consequences, (which we seem to see a lot of these days!). Sometimes I admired her and sometimes I wanted to strangle her, but as I read on I could not see where Tolstoy was really heading with her until the very end.
THE STORY: Anna Karenina falls in love with a dashing, handsome, young Russian military officer -- the problem is that she's married to a stogy (rich and influential) old nobleman and the two have a young son. This old curmudgeon (sometimes a wimpy fool and sometimes an aggressive scoundrel) clings to very religious and moralistic ethics and as Anna's affair evolves, the old man is launched into a distasteful and unpleasant roller coaster ride of emotion.
There are a number of great sub-plots but the chief one concerns a young landowner, the reformist Levin, who is passionate about two things: 1. changing the archaic Russian agricultural system (a very important issue in that period of Russian culture!), and, 2. marrying an early sweetheart. The difficulty with his second agenda is that this gal is in love with Anna's young lover, and not with Levin!
Maybe some folks will get to like Levin as they read on but by the end of the book I really despised him -- other readers might see Levin in a more positive light which is much of the beauty of this book. This work can inspire varying character alliances (as well as the reverse) for readers, the latter of whom have all experienced a diversity of real-life episodes (either directly or vicariously) which they will no doubt relate and append to the happenings within this fascinating book. Tolstoy's ability to create a mental symbiosis between particular characters in his stories and his readers was astounding.
One of the principal characters (I won't name him) will ultimately surprise the reader with both his perseverance as well as with his positive morality. Religion, and perhaps some hipocrisy, is a large feature of "Anna Karenina" and it is rendered in a fashion which clearly manifests some present-day circumstances and applications.
But, most of all, beyond the moral lessons, "Anna Karenina" is just a great and readable story. It's a lot like reading "A Mummer's Tale" (Anatole France) or "The Great Gatsby" (F. Scott Fitzgerald) -- the moral lessons are present but do not in any way interfere with the story's development.
It's difficult to say enough good about this book. Larissa Volokhonsky is a wonderful and competent translator. She and her husband, Richard Pevear, only recently published their terrific translation of Tolstoy's "War and Peace," the Mother of all Russian literature. As to "Anna Karenina," buy it and read it -- you will savor it. It's a poster example of classic Russian literature at its best.
War and Peace is better 2008-06-11
The book has way too many tangents that contribute nothing to the plot line and only serve to present Tolstoy's philosophy. Don't get me wrong I've read some of Tolstoy's more philosophical writings and they are interesting, but their place is not in the middle of a novel. In short if you have to choose between the 2 fat Tolstoy's I'd go with W&P.
Lengthy, but worth the long ride 2008-05-25
Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is his lengthy novel about marriage, fidelity, love, relationships, and coming to a larger answer of identity and faith, and we see both the main protagonists--Anna and Levin--struggle with this. Jumping into a book of this magnitude and length can be daunting, and not everything included is perfect. There are sections that tend to drag on and are a bit verbose, including the sections on Levin's interest in farming, or Vronsky's passion for the arts. Yet, while this is not a perfect novel (and does have its overdone moments), clearly there are passages that make it praiseworthy. The construction--how Tolstoy is able to tie plots and conflicts together--and his ability at complex characterization make the book praiseworthy. Tolstoy not only gives you the detailed accounts of a tragic and redeeming character, but creates a picture of late 19th century Russia.
Anna and Levin--the two main protagonists--have reversed fates. Anna, bored with her marriage to Karenin, is spellbound when she meets Vronsky, and she carries on a secret and illicit affair. Anna, because of this, begins to face several problems that begin her downward spiral. Women in their society speak negatively of her, and Karenin doesn't approve of her flirtations. Anna must still answer to her husband Karenin, who refuses to grant a divorce despite constant pleas from both Oblonsky and Anna. Anna's relationship with her son begins to drift away, and, she begins to feel her loss of control, including her insecurity about Vronsky being truly in love with her. As she tries to "live" life in happy terms, the problems take over her existence, and an inflicting mental state begins to take hold of Anna, and does not let go. On the other side, Levin seems to be the polar opposite of Anna. After initially being refused love by Kitty, he seems to go on a "spiritual" journey, where he questions his faith and life. He eventually is able to win over Kitty, but still must discover who he is. This is a battle he struggles with the entire novel. While he is also untrusting of society like Anna, and has difficulties set before him (such as the physical decline of his brother, the feeling of isolation without Kitty), he tends to find ways to overcome and resolve difficulties. There is a point in the novel when Levin is out on his farm, reflecting on the ways of life, and isolated from everyone, but he is growing spiritually; at the same time, Anna is carry on what you would think to be an exciting life, having exploits and passionate flings with Vronsky, yet there is an unhappiness, an insecurity that lingers in her soul because she can't have the idyllic life she craves.
Tolstoy's might have been making a point about the importance of keeping marriages and family life working, with Anna as the tragic example. Once Anna carries on an affair, it is as if society shuns her, and the world is "out to get her." The insecurity that seems to creep into Anna's conscious will not let go. Despite her mistakes, you tend to "feel sorry" for Anna because Tolstoy takes you inside her head during her mental suffering:
"Yes, I'm very anxious, and reason was given to escape that; consequently, I have to escape. Why not put out the light when there's nothing more to look at, when looking at all this is horrid? But how? ...It's all falsehood, all lies, all deceit, all evil!" There are times when things with Vronsky seem to be going fine, and yet, she will not allow herself to enjoy it. Although she is having an affair, she certainly suffers for her mistakes, and pays for them. What is the most frustrating aspect of her existence is how little she can do, or will do, to change it.
Some people may condemn Tolstoy's work for being excessively wordy, long-winded, and dated. What simply makes this book a classic is his power of words, his description and ability to make a novel come to life with complex characters. I would recommend reading a few of Tolstoy's short stories before taking on this monster. It is a long book, but, if you get through it, it is worth it!
Big and beautiful... 2008-05-14
Anna Karenina is probably the most detailed work on relationships, families, society, and spirituality ever written... It is detailed to the point of being its own universe - and one that moves with the consistency of a fine tuned machine. One can only approach such a work by abandoning to it completely - allowing it to take you in whatever direction it wills - with the full acceptance that the path you are taking is leading to a full and definitive fruition...
But to speak of the great technical aspects of the novel is not enough.. Somehow it is in the images that Tolstoy creates that allows the novel to really sink in - often promting people to return to it again and again..
The images of the elite societies of Petersburg and Moscow, Levin's estate in the countryside, the dreams of Vronsky and Anna... All the significant moments of the book are presented in a way that enchants the reader.. And while so many literary techinques are used, it is all so natural that it is hardly noticeable - simply great storytelling...
I have read two translations of the novel... the Maudes' translation and now Pevear and Volokhonsky... Both translations were very readable and well written... I cannot say which is better since I do not know Russian and I am no expert on translation... I can say that this translation by p/v is now very highly regarded - and I enjoyed reading it... While the Maude translation seemed more literary, the p/v translation seemed more direct and real to me... So either way you can't lose.. I can only recommend that you pick up one of these versions and enjoy being swept away.
