Анна Каренина / Лев ... Anna Karenina. Lev Tolstoy (Russian Edition)

DNF

Book #52: Kelly's pick for our 10th Anniversary meeting, to discuss a classic. The meeting was to take place in Tallman State Park as COVID lockdown rules had lifted. The meeting never took place.

So, I know this book is a classic, but all I can think is "so what?". For one thing, Anna Karenina seems like she is barely in the book with her name on it. The book should be titled "Constantine Levin". We got much more about him and his thoughts (that went on and on and on and on). For another thing, although many of the characters seemed charmed by Anna, I did not like her a bit. She ran out on her older and boring but basically kind husband for a cad, and then decided he did not love her any more and whined about that. Vronsky didn't deserve a happy ending but didn't even get an ending other that a suggestion that he went off to war to kill himself after Anna died.

I kept listening in hopes that more would happen, but was disappointed. I don't see how this is the grand romantic love story I was always led to believe it was.

Truly my favorite. Tolstoy knows the human soul. A story about two people trying to find fulfillment, one of the spirit, the other of the heart. Living in a time of change in Russia, Tolstoy was also seeking spiritual fulfillment and seemed to find it in writing this book.

Still just can't get into this one. I tried the audiobook to get me started, but am just not getting into it.