Anna Karenina

by

831 pages

German language

Published July 10, 2000 by Bertelsmann Lesering.

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4 stars (1 review)

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.

84 editions

reviewed Anna Karenina by Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoy

Review of 'Anna Karenina' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Having read so many Russian novels recently must be making this easier, because I believe this one was the easiest read yet. I'm getting used to the style, so I don't have to keep stopping to think through what the author is trying to say. That's kinda nice.

I'm not sure what I think about the book as a whole. The characters were relatable, and I enjoyed most scenes, but I usually didn't like the ways Tolstoy would resolve issues in the plot. They felt too harsh and sudden without enough meaning dredged out of them first. Still, I don't know how I'd have done it better, so I won't complain about that too much.

Other than that, I'm glad I read it. It's probably not one I'll reread again anytime soon, but that's more because of the length than the content.