Anna Karenina is one of Leo Tolstoy’s best known and best loved works. The novel enjoys continued influence in today’s society and although it was written almost two centuries ago, the continued relevance of its central themes makes the book as provocative now as the day it was written.
The main theme of the novel seems to be that of happiness. Yet it does not simply deal with the shallow emotion but with human fulfilment of life. This idea is best shown through the sharply contrasting characters of Anna and Levin. The character of Anna has beauty, charm and wealth, yet finds her life to be completely unsatisfying. Her choice to begin an affair with the officer Vronsky is a decision to struggle against this feeling of emptiness. The consequences are heartbreaking with the happiness she so desperately seeks continually eluding her. The path she chooses to add passion to her life is ill-advised and ultimately destructive, yet in many ways understandable. Her actions may be easy to condemn morally and she is ultimately selfish in her choices but she is still to be pitied. She is a classic tragic heroine and her flaw is that she has a childish attitude to happiness as she thinks that fleeting pleasures will provide her with a lifetime of fulfilment. Her path to tragedy is predictable and yet still shocking and provides the central storyline to the novel.
The character of Levin is a self-portrait of Tolstoy. Of all of the characters portrayed in the book, Levin is perhaps the least likeable in a social sense. His distaste of pretension and his introverted and cynical nature makes him appear reserved and awkward when in public. However, at a personal level he is perhaps the most fascinating and admirable character of the book. He has principles which demand that he live life simply and honest to himself. Although arguably as passionate as Anna he lacks her destructive quality as he understands that even marriage to the woman he loves is not enough for ultimate fulfilment. Levin’s personal struggle to find a meaning to his life that goes beyond the trivial human pleasures espoused by Russian society is incredibly moving, compelling and inspirational .
Many other characters inhabit the pages of the novel. All are important and skilfully personified but I cannot describe all of them here without taking up almost as many pages as Tolstoy. All contribute to making up the complex family dynamics and social scenes that are so fascinating and relatable to the reader.
My recommendation is to read this book at least once in your life. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful of all books that I have read. Many say it is too long or too overdramatic, but I see it as complex and passionate. My only regret is that I can’t read it in it’s original Russian. However, many brilliant translations are available. My favourite in the Penguin Classics edition translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky at the RRP of £8.99. The vibrancy of the language has led to the edition being described as the ‘definitive translation.’ So if you have already read Anna Karenina try reading it again, if not give it a go. I can’t guarantee that you will fall in love with it as I have but it is still a breathtaking book that deserves to be read by all.
(Review also published on dooyoo)
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Advantages: Beautiful writing, enthralling characters, excellent story Disadvantages: Name confusion!
DoubleFantasy11 18.06.2007 (18.06.2007)
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Review of Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
Advantages: Beautiful writing, enthralling characters, excellent story Disadvantages: Name confusion!
DoubleFantasy11 18.06.2007 (18.06.2007)
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Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
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