Anna Karenina (Penguin Clothbound Classics)
Tolstoy's epic novel of love, destiny and self-destruction, in a gorgeous new clothbound edition from Penguin Classics. Anna Karenina seems to have everything - beauty, wealth, popularity and an adored son. But she feels that her life is empty until the moment she encounters the impetuous officer Count Vronsky. Their subsequent affair scandalizes society and family alike and soon brings jealously and bitterness in its wake. Contrasting with this tale of love and self-destruction is the vividly observed story of Levin, a man striving to find contentment and a meaning to his life - and also a self-portrait of Tolstoy himself. This acclaimed modern translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky won the PEN/ Book of the Month Club Translation Prize in 2001. Their translation is accompanied in this edition by an introduction by Richard Pevear and a preface by John Bayley 'The new and brilliantly witty translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is a must' - Lisa Appignanesi, Independent, Books of the Year 'Pevear and Volokhonsky are at once scrupulous translators and vivid stylists of English, and their superb rendering allows us, as perhaps never before, to grasp the palpability of Tolstoy's "characters, acts, situations"' - James Wood, New Yorker
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Community Reviews
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.
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.
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