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Summary: Tolstoy's vision of utopia
Review: Leo Tolstoy truly was one of the greatest social critics of his time and his influence easily rivalled that of Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian Orthodox Church. Tolstoy believed that God existed in each individual soul (and not in the church) and that one could find meaning in life only by doing good for others. He was excommunicated in 1901 for his beliefs (which later became known as Tolstoyism) and was denied a church burial when he died in November 1910. Indeed, the fact that Tolstoy was able to communicate his views to his wide-ranging readership caused the Church to take such a reactionary position. Much of what constituted his belief system found inspiration in the communal lifestyle of the Russian peasantry. Tolstoy felt that the uncomplicated Christian lifestyle of the Russian peasant bespoke of a wisdom so profound, that he had more to learn from the peasant class than they had to learn from him, or any other member of the intelligentsia for that matter.In many ways, "Anna Karenina" was an autobiographical sketch of Tolstoy's own life. Many similarities have been drawn between Tolstoy and one of the characters in the story, Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin, who, like Tolstoy, went through life looking for some meaning to existence and eventually found it by a return to basic Christian principles as exemplified by the peasants on his estate. Levin's marriage to Kitty mirrored Tolstoy's own picture-perfect wedding to his wife Sonya in Moscow, and like Tolstoy, Levin experienced a life crisis brought about by his elder brother's death, also named Nikolai. However, judging from what has been written on Tolstoy's married life with Sonya, I imagine that a more appropriate comparison could be made with Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky or with Alexei Vronsky in that regard... Anna Karenina is the eponymous heroine of this book, but her tragic fate is but one strand intertwined among many in this drawn-out masterpiece. Although different readers will take home different messages from this story, I felt that the the stories of Kitty and Levin, Stiva and Dolly, Vronsky and Karenin, illustrated Tolstoy's belief that a communion among people, tempered by the Gospel, is all that is needed to achieve the natural order of things. The final part of the story makes clear this system of morals that was played out in the lives of each of these remarkable characters up to the very end. For example, Kitty and Levin achieve an ideal married life by learning to live for each other, and Dolly, although penniless and attached to a cheating husband, finds consolation in her life by learning to live for her children. Anna Karenina, however, stands in stark contrast to all the others by living for herself and gradually isolating herself from society until her drug addiction fuels her paranoia and cynicism to a point that she can no longer be satisfied by Vronsky's assurances of his love for her. I enjoyed reading "Anna Karenina", although I must admit that Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" left a more lasting impression on me. It was interesting to compare Dostoevsky's uncompromising faith brought about by life-changing spiritual metamorphosis to Tolstoy's own view, which seemed to acknowledge the difficulties of real-life relationships and the distractions that they pose to the expression of one's faith. Even though Dostoevsky's vision of salvation and of finding God definitely is more awe-inspiring and beautiful, the practical Tolstoy view seems to be more realistic and believable. I, at least, felt that I could attain such a state of redemption. From a historical perspective, "Anna Karenina" also provides a tantalizing glimpse into the thought and culture of 1870's Russia, which any Russophile will enjoy reading.
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Summary: Tolstoy knew people
Review: This is a masterpiece which paints the world of 19th century aristocratic Russia vividly with its wide cast of characters. I read this book around the time of my 14th birthday. If I had read it a year earlier, I would have been bored to tears, but I sat back and let a book take it's course instead of demanding instant entertainment. I loved it. What fascinates me about Tolstoy is how he made so many characters come to life with the tang of realism so effectively. He doesn't analyze them, and they become real people very quickly after introduction. I have concluded he did this through his own understanding of human nature, and with his writing he connects with the parts of us who are Anna, Levin, Stepan, or the other people who populate this novel, even if they may not be the parts of us which dominate our personalities. He is a master. Meet Anna Arkadyevna Karenina and Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin. Watch them bloom, wither, heal, cry in joy and in grief, and be moved.
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Summary: A True Masterpiece
Review: Frankly speaking I am really at a loss of words to describe how impressed I am after reading this book. This is the first book by Leo Tolstoy that I have read which happened accidentally. The potrayal of Anna Karenina and other characters in the story together with the very intricate description of the erstwhile high class Russian society is simply amazing. In fact the story has influenced me so much that it has given me a new perspective about life and people especially women. I bet Anna will continue to haunt my thoughts for a long time to come. I happened to borrow this book from the local library, but now I am going to buy my own copy. This is one book which should surely adorn every book shelf. Thanks to Leo Tolstoy for producing such a genius work!
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Summary: Tolstoy's Influence
Review: I've read enough reviews by folks here that just don't seem to *get* the subtext of this novel. It's not a novel to take lightly; nor is it a novel to take too seriously. It is worth realizing how influential this novel was though. You could trace Tolstoy's thinking to Ghandi, who understood (and as a young man corresponded with the elderly Tolstoy) what some people derogatively call Tolstoy's "preaching" -- and in turn, Ghandi's thought greatly influenced Einstein, who himself wrote a letter to Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 advising Roosevelt how serious a nuclear threat Nazi Germany was to the US and indeed, the rest of the world. Furthermore, Tolstoy's "passive resistance to violence" had at least an indirect impact on Martin Luther King, Jr., and Tolstoy's "philosophy" helped to make prescient an ethos from which the great civil rights leader understood that to build a dream of equality, to make it real, one had to resist oppression peacefully. While the roots of Tolstoyian ideology are of Christian origin, Tolstoy helped to "make it real" at the turn of the 20th century. Anna Karenina *is* a fictional novel, sure, but to treat it as mere fiction would be unwise. In most everything he wrote after Anna Karenina, Tolstoy concerned himself with working out spiritual, social, and philosophical issues; perhaps most importantly today, how a world with so many divergent religions could co-exist. This was made real in Ghandi's thinking, as well as a generation later by Martin Luther King, Jr. Anna Karenina was the last major fictional novel Tolstoy wrote, and the roots of spiritual and philosophical principles that shaped our world today can be seen in its last 200-300 pages. We stand at the brink of a spiritual crisis world-wide today; fanatics have high-jacked religion in an effort to cause destruction, chaos, and fear. Now, more than ever, political leaders, writers, indeed all of us, would be well-advised to take a long look back at the century and a half that got us to where we are today. Baby, it's time to check yourself! Now don't take all this too seriously; but take it as seriously as you must. Keep the faith. Keep the faith. And keep your mind open to the possibilities! Peace up and happy reading! Stacey
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Summary: This book is a Classic...READ IT
Review: I found that after reading this wonderful novel, I have a different view of things. This novel is to be cherished, and to be read at least once. Although I am only 11, I completely appreciate literature; this novel definitely deserves the highest appreciation possible.
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Summary: Like the Chinese water torture!!!
Review: How can anybody like this book? Whoever said this is the best classic ever written must be truly brain-dead. What could be enjoyable about a book that primarily consists of a guide on:
a) how to cut grass,
b) how to hunt bear, and
c) how to abandon your own kid for a gigolo.
If I wanted all that stuff I would have read Farmers Almanac.
By page 200 all I wanted to do was set the dogs on Vronsky, Levin and his vapid bride-to-be and I would have gladly jumped into the book and shoved Anna off that platform myself. And much much sooner too!!!! People who say that this is the best RUSSIAN novel really have no clue. They obviously have never heard of, much less read "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov. Now, that book is really something to talk about. I think a reader would be much better off just picking-up a Harlequin to read (less weight, less annoying characters and practically no farming manuals at all) or, if you still want to know the story, just rent the bloody movie with Greta Garbo. At least that is only two hours of suffering as opposed to.... months.
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Summary: Still relevant today
Review: What can be said about Tolstoy that hasn't been said thousands of times before? Well, nothing really. This novel is consistently called one of the greatest novels wver written, and that is certainly true. In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy creates a story that is both epic and personal. It touches on every human emotion, covering it all, from happiness to dispair. Using the foils of Anna and Levin, Tolstoy is critiquing both his strict aristocratic world, and humanity in general. Anna is a strong woman who can not come to terms with the society she is forced to accept; Levin is a man who has rejected society and it's conventionalities to strive to creates a new way of living, free from the interference of Government and Church. Through this compaison, Toltsoy shows how he believes we should live our lives. Anyway, you should really read it yourself. Think of it as a work out before the marathon of War and Peace, which you simply HAVE to read to be a truly literate person in this world. Happy reading.
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Summary: All Good Reviews are Alike . . .
Review: I had finally read my 10 year old copy of Anna Karenina to death. Therefore I decided to buy a new one. I was a bit leery about trying a new translation, but this edition pleased me very much. There are three main reasons that I recommend this book: 1. Great Story
2. Very good Translation
3. Durable Hard Cover Great Story In this novel Tolstoy presents marriage and human relationships in a realistic manner. Anna Karenina details a passionate love affair and it's doleful consequences. The reader experiences this tumultuous love from the point of view of the two paramours, as well as the friends and family members whom their lives touch.
Nevertheless, a tale about a cheating wife does not great literature make. The existential struggle for meaning in life and the nature of God figures strongly as a theme in Anna Karenina. Overshadowing, in my opinion, even the experiences of the book's namesake. Any lover of philosophy will enjoy this book immensely. The Translation As I mentioned before, this is a good translation. By good, I mean the following: 1. Russian words are footnoted - Some words lose their meaning and cultural context when translated to English. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky did a wonderful job leaving these terms in tact. There are notes at the back of the book that fully explain each Russian word. For example, who knew that the "roll" that Stiva eats in my previous translation was actually a "kalatch?" 2. Names of the Characters are Preserved - Princess Darya Alexandrovna Oblonsky is also known as Darya and sometimes as Dolly. The use of names and nicknames is very important in language. I appreciate that the translator preserved the use of the patronymic and various names of each character. Too bad there is not a way to translate the Russian forms of address. Sigh. 3. Foreign Language Passages are Footnoted - Many of the members of the social sphere in which the book is set spoke multiple languages. Thankfully, when Tolstoy wrote a passage in French or German, the translators let it alone and wrote a translation at the bottom of the text. Hardback I tend to manhandle my books, so I like hardback. I think I've had this book for about a year. It's held up pretty well. Unless you're the kind of person who uses bookmarks and doesn't fold pages, I recommend this edition instead of a softback book. In conclusion, Pevear and Volokhonsky's work stands out as a stellar translation of one of literature's greatest masterpieces. I highly recommend this book!
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Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is considered to be a magnificent work of modern literature and a supreme observation of social structure and class conflict. The book follows two main characters (Kostya Levin and Anna Karenin,) detailing their experiences in late nineteenth century Russian society. Although the two rarely share the page, Tolstoy subtly compares and contrasts them. Anna is the socialite who seems to have everything; she is idolized by young girls and is viewed as the picture of happiness. If only they had everything Anna had, then they would be happy, these girls thought. Levin is a simple man (or at least simple in comparison with the rest of the characters) who enjoys agriculture and experimenting with his large plots of land. Both Anna and Levin try to find happiness and reach a stage of self-fulfillment throughout the book; Anna attempts to do this through romance, while Levin chooses a family life and hard work. Perhaps the greatest lesson in Tolstoy's book is that society is not always correct; the person they think the happiest can be the most depressed while the simplest person can also be the most contented. As a Russian author, Tolstoy obviously held a Russian perspective and took the Russian side in matters like the Crimean war and the Slav question. Although politics were only briefly touched upon, a bias was evident. Overall, I liked Anna Karenina and I will likely read it again someday for pleasure. The book was long (my copy was over eight hundred pages) but once I "got in" to the book, the pages flew by and before I knew it I had read seventy pages in one sitting. The only thing I did not like about the book were the bits of French placed in normal conversation. As I am a level three French student, I understood most of what Tolstoy wrote. However, the phrases seemed to be put in randomly and without any clear purpose or reasoning. I do understand that Tolstoy used French because the Russian aristocracy did; he wanted to stay true to actual life. (During the late nineteenth century, when Tolstoy wrote this book, fluency in the French language was considered to be a status symbol; if one was fluent, chances were one also belonged to the aristocracy.) Despite this minor flaw, I would recommend this book to anyone who asked.
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Summary: A translation even Nabokov may have approved of.
Review: Finally someone got it right. I think even Nabokov would have approved of this translation. Pevear and Volokhonsky have done an exemplary job with one of the finest books in Russian literature. The story has a flow and a grace, which seemed lacking in Garnett's translation. So many of Tolstoy's wordplays have been faithfully reproduced. P&V provide copious endnotes to help explain many of the references. This translation is truly a pleasure to read. Most persons are familiar with the story of Anna and Count Vronsky, but even more compelling to me is the story of Levin and Kitty. I love the opening ice skating scene in which they first meet in the novel. It takes much longer for Levin to realize his love for Kitty, than it does Anna and Vronsky, and in the end he is more fully rewarded for it. Through Levin, we see more of the Russian countryside, its enormous width and breadth. Tolstoy seemed to inhabit Levin, bringing many of his ideas forth through this dark, brooding character, who ultimately sees the light. Tolstoy so richly details his characters, juxtaposing their relationships, and placing them within time and space with the deft hand of a master. This is arguably his greatest work. It is Tolstoy at the peak of his intellectual and creative abilities.
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