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Summary: Anna the whiner.....
Review: I will say before I begin that I consider Tolstoy a genius, however, this is definitely not his best work. "Anna Karenina" has to be the worst book I have ever read in my life, and I cannot fathom why everyone thinks it's so wonderful. Anna was ridiculously whiny, weak, adulterous, and silly. She cheats on her husband with Vronsky, then becomes agitated and suspicious when Vronsky cheats on her.......my, how the tables have turned. And Vronksy obviously has no control over himself, he went right in where angels would fear to tread......he went for a married woman. Then he felt injured when Anna began to act possessive, and suspicious. Simply pitiful. How can anyone say this is a wonderful book? Let me put it more bluntly....if you enjoy reading stories about weak, adulterous men and women, this is the book for you. But let me not completely trash this novel. As much as I hate this book, I have to admit-if Tolstoy wrote it in an attempt to get on people's nerves, he succeeded. Anna irritated me so badly that I was cheering when she finally died in the end. So, please, spend your money elsewhere, this book is horrible!
Rating: 
Summary: Vanished world, eternal emotions
Review: 'Anna Karenina' is not just a window on a vanished time, place, and society - it is a lucid reflection on our own times and a spellbinding work of art. By taking us so intimately into the passions of Anna and the internal musings of Levin (just two out of a huge, colorful cast), Tolstoy creates an unforgettable exploration of happiness and sadness, conflict and peace, morals and emotions, mind and heart. Read this book for its wonderful story, Tolstoy's magically down-to-earth language, the subtly sketched characters - and the thoughts it is sure to provoke long after the last page.
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Summary: A Work of God
Review: The average review of this work is four and a half stars! It should be infinity! This book is the greatest book ever written! It is extraordinary. I will not discuss its greatness because I am not consciously cabable of it. Just read it and then you will know. There is a reason literature classes make you read this book. Its because of how damn good it is!
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Summary: Be amazed
Review: Tolstoy's extraordinary wisdom and the beautiful precision, economy and grace of his writing are never more evident than when reading Anna Karenina. The novel is a perceptive and moving exploration of love, morality and religion and their effects on the human spirit.The story of Anna's passion for Vronsky and the terrible consequences it brings is not an original concept, but never has it been portrayed more compassionately and more truthfully. In parallel with this runs the story of Levin's struggle to understand himself and the world around him, and the more satisfying love he finally finds with Kitty. Some of the most compelling and profound writing in any novel can be found in Anna Karenina. Levin's violent inner struggle when Kitty is in labour, and then his reaction when his son is born is written so beautifully, capturing the helplessness, confusion and love of the expectant father so convincingly, I was almost in tears. The description of Levin's attempts at scything is also pure brilliance. Levin is the most interesting and complex character in the novel, and he is the real protagonist, but Kitty, Anna and Vronsky are also fascinating characters in their own rights. Tolstoy's genius has long been recognised, but if you have never had the privilege of witnessing it yourself, read Anna Karenina and be amazed.
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Summary: Anna Karenina
Review: Anna Karenina is the best book I have ever read. It is a wonderful book that made me question my beliefs then restore them with more faith than I first possesed. It leaves you something to reflect on. Tolstoy is a literary genius in my eyes and I would recommend his works to anyone.This story of a fallen woman in her disgraceful position, struggling to overcome grief and guilt, of a determined man trying to win his love who admires another,and an unfaithful husband is a scandalous, spellbinding tale
Rating:
Summary: just wonderful
Review: Without question, one the most wonderful books I have ever read. Interstingly, I found Anna to be one of the least compelling characters, but the book as a whole is so beautifully written and filled with such insight and truth, every page seems better than the last. It is impossible to put down and romantic, thrilling, delightful to the very end.
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Summary: Classics
Review: The classics are so named for a reason. This is an excellent book
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Summary: A Book About Everybody
Review: Tolstoy's greatness may not lie in providing us with the most compelling plot in literature, but with Karenina, he provides us with some of the most realistic characters in the history of fictional literature. While this is definately not a book for those of faint attention, it being the size of four or five average size novels, it is a book everybody should attempt to set aside time to read. Tolstoy's characters allow us to reflect on ourselves: our misgivings, our abilities, our history. The story itself is not so incredibly exciting because, after all, day to day life is not so enthralling either. Have you saved the world from a sudden and horrid destruction at the hands of an evil, powerful enemy? I didn't think so. And rest be assured, neither will anyone in Anna Karenina. Which is exactly why you should read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, poor translation
Review: Let me start by saying I had to give this book only three stars because of the translation. This is a wonderful novel, but do not buy this translation. I'm an editor, and I just can't stand this version -- I started reading it and had to order another version because there were too many errors in this one. For example, when marking footnotes, the first couple of times they had the symbols match (by the text and at the bottom of the page), and then partway through the book there were numbers in the text and symbols on the bottom of the page -- one time, the footnotes at the bottom of the page were reversed, so that what you thought was the correct footnote made no sense; you had to reverse them. And once I discovered the number "317" just placed at the end of a sentence for no reason that I could fathom. Maybe it's the editor in me, but this translation detracted so much from this novel that it was hard to see through it and concentrate on the wonderful writing of Tolstoy. It's a wonderful novel IF you find a better translation.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars for sentimental reasons
Review: It deserves 4. I have read this again and am familiar with all major works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. Alas, Dostoevsky (the greater novelist) was right when he said 'Anna' was quite tedious. If the novel were a 150 pages shorter it would have helped. 'War and Peace' is a far greater achievement. Tolstoy's need to contrast and compare the Kitty-Levin relationship with the Anna-Vronsky one drones on through all its permutations and combinations thereby reducing the dramatic and thematic power of the work. One never gets into the emotional centre of the work as one does in Tolstoy's 'W & P', 'Resurrection', and his novella 'Hadji Murad'. Dostoevsky by comparison takes you swiftly and violently into the emotional core of both characters and themes thereby making his work fervidly readable and incredibly intense.
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