Anna Karenina (Bantam Classics)

This novel has it all - Intimate, realistic, vulnerable characters, an alluring plot, historical context, vivid imagery, love, sex and complicated family relationships. It highlights both the timeless and the timely.

most authors when writing a fiction focus on one main character: Tolstoy, in "Anna Karenina", gives you a panoramic view of society, you see the inside thoughts and motives behind every main character, as well as every minor character, with such simplicity. You are given a thorough description of every scene, every conversation... and yet it's done with such skill that it is easily noted and understood. It is a lengthy book, but one separated by micro-chapters, the longest lasting a mere 10 pages. The average chapter is around 4 to 5 pages. It's a great book to read if you don't have much time to read, as you can read a whole chapter in a matter of minutes. It is a book that still applies to today's society... you can see yourself as one of the many characters, they seem to have so much in common with who we are, or, as your life changes, who you are to be. I have read this book easily a dozen times and each time I come away with something different. Every time, certainly, I feel like I am learning more about the very nature of people: and the nature of myself. The purpose of this life. Very worth the read. The best book in all history in my opinion. I am sure many would agree with me. a masterpiece. unparalleled in any other work.

I am not an avid reader nor a fan of novels, but once in a while I feel I should take a crack at a classic. This one happened to be my choice. I wasn’t sure what to expect knowing it’s translated from 150 year old Russian. I must say I’m surprised by how fluid and easy to read this is. Again, I’m not a fan of novels. I prefer non fiction type of books. This book kept me turning the pages. Easy read, worth the effort.

Excellent translation of Tolstoi's literary masterpiece. Tolstoi's fluid, carry-the-reader-along narrative, like that of Pushkin, is well duplicated in Joel Carmichael's excellent translation. (I am not too prickly with translations; as long as it is readable and gives an honest transmission of the original author's intent, plot and characters, I will accept it.) This translation also works for me because it is not labored down with a long editorial forward or afterword, or footnotes, which in novels are an abomination.

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Each reading of this book brings additional insight and understanding. That just seems to be a characteristic of a classic book. Rereading brings additional delight. The kindle edition that I read this time has some commentary after the body of the book. One of them is a letter from Leo Tolstoy where he says the book could not be any shorter. “[If] I were to try to say in words everything that I intended to express in my novel, I would have to write the same novel I wrote from the beginning. And if short-sighted critics think that I only wanted to describe the things that I like, what Oblonsky has for dinner or what Karenina’s shoulders are like, they are mistaken.”

The love is an encounter of two space. The space of Mrs. Russian nobles named Anna. The space of Vronsky earl. The encounter in the train is mysterious. When these two spaces are going to become one, love happens. However, Anna loves her very young child, and she is tied up by her husband. Vronsky earl is tied up by his mother. Even if they are going to become one, a collision occurs before long because two people are going to move freely. In this way tragedy happens .. We had better look at the scene of the encounter of two people whom Tolstoy describes. The ability as his splendid artist vividly appears there. It is terrible power of description. 【 With the insight of a man of the world, from one glance at this lady’s appearance Vronsky classified her as belonging to the best society. He excused himself, and was about to get into the carriage, but felt he must glance at her once more; not because of the elegance and modest grace that were apparent in her whole figure, but because in the expression of her charming face, as she passed close by him, there was something peculiarly caressing and soft. As he looked around, she too turned her head. Her shining gray eyes, which looked dark from the thick lashes, rested with friendly attention on his face, as though she recognized him, and then promptly turned away to the passing crowd, as tough seeking someone. In that brief look Vronsky had time to notice the suppressed eagerness which played over her face, and flitted between the brilliant eyes and the faint smile that curved her red lips. It was as though her nature was so brimming over with something that against her will it showed itself now in the flash of her eyes , and now in her smile.】

Have been telling myself for years that I must read Anna Karenina, the size of it is very daunting! But I finally got to it 2 weeks ago. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Such an interesting window into the Russian soul and the way Tolstoy's characters mull about an issue; death for instance, and turn it around and around and look at it from every angle before deciding what they should think about it is mesmerising and a learning experience. I was particularly taken by the conversation between Kitty's sister and Levin, as she tells him about children and how in the old days, children slept in the attic and the parents had the best rooms, while nowadays, the children ruled the house with the best rooms while the parents sleep in the attic. Thought that was just a problem of my generation! Absolutely amazing book, read it slowly so you enjoy every single line!

Wonderful, beautiful and interesting story. A hard, slow read however. Have some patience when reading and be persistent, it's worth the read.