Should I read Anna Karenina?

[SirJazzHands]

I always hear or see on lists that it's one of the best novels, or at the least the best Tolstoy novel.

The thing is, I happen to know the whole train incident near the end.. I don't want to actually say it for spoilers etc

Will this book still be enjoyable regardless, I mean there are hundreds of pages, surely knowing that one part isn't going to deter my enjoyment of the book?

[kasie]

I always hear or see on lists that it's one of the best novels, or at the least the best Tolstoy novel.

The thing is, I happen to know the whole train incident near the end.. I don't want to actually say it for spoilers etc

Will this book still be enjoyable regardless, I mean there are hundreds of pages, surely knowing that one part isn't going to deter my enjoyment of the book?


Should you read AK? Yes.

Next question, please.

(Does it matter if you think you know the end? Do you know how she gets there? Do you know what else happens in the book? Do you only read a book to find out what happens in the end? It's the journey, not the arrival that matters, as they say.)

[blazeofglory]

It is amazing novel and the beauty of it is not surpassed anywhere. That Tolstoy was a great artist and he had wonderful experiences and all of them were beautifully and marvelously expressed in his book.

[Guinivere]

Yes, yes a thousand times yes. Please read it. The story is beautifully written.

[Dark Muse]

I think you will still enjoy the book even if you already know the end. The end will be less shocking, but I still think it is worth reading.

[aabbcc]

The ending of Anna Karenina is one of the most famous and legendary ones in literary works in general. In fact, I hardly know of a person who read it without having known about the incident before they read it, which did not influence greatly the reading of the work itself; so if that is what you are concerned about, there is no reason to be.

[andave_ya]

Truthfully, I read AK without knowing anything of it and still didn't like her story. I thought she was a stupidly melodramatic, jealous woman. I much preferred Levin and Kitty's part in the story.

[ats]

Yes, please! Do not pass on the opportunity to read this amazing book, my favourite! When I decided to read it, I already new the plot, and (as most people do) the end as well. Still, it amazed me in ways I cannot describe. I was prepared for an average, readable book, and ended up so caught up that it became the most life changing book I've ever read. I love it; it's my favourite book of all time! Besides, how she gets to that point you mentioned is a long journey full of the best of literature. And I'm guessing you'll appreciate, regarding the train incident, an extraordinary reference at the beginning of it, that you'll really comprehend by the end. Besides, hers is not the only story told, and Levin’s is beautifully deep and spiritual. Read, enjoy, it's definitely worth it!

[Joreads]

It is a must read even if you know the ending. It was a book that I did not think I would enjoy but I was wrong and I loved it.

[Jozanny]

Truthfully, I read AK without knowing anything of it and still didn't like her story. I thought she was a stupidly melodramatic, jealous woman. I much preferred Levin and Kitty's part in the story.

But Levin and Kitty are models to Tolstoy's ends, I do not think you can blame Anna herself for not liking her.

This is not the thread to discuss the novel in depth, since the OP wants to know if it should be read. That I cannot answer. I read it years ago, more as a duty to "the canon" than not, and I grew somewhat angry with Tolstoy's masculine sensibility imposed on his portrayal of women.

Leo Tolstoy is no Henry James.

That said, there is some masterful insights on the hypocrisy in Russian spiritualism, on the shading between Anna's husband as cuckhold and Anna's husband as vindictive, some nice foreshadowing, and contrasts between Levin's conscious agonies and Anna's.

The Op's curiosity seems whetted, so read it, slowly and with care.

[SirJazzHands]

I might also ask which translation I should read, but I might as well go with Pevear&Volohonsky.. sure they're the most popular, but for a reason, I think.. I once compared Constance Garnett's and P&V's translations of Notes from Underground, and P&V's just flows better.

[Jozanny]

I might also ask which translation I should read, but I might as well go with Pevear&Volohonsky.. sure they're the most popular, but for a reason, I think.. I once compared Constance Garnett's and P&V's translations of Notes from Underground, and P&V's just flows better.

Full disclosure: I was only made aware of the *Garnett issue* through surfing the network, but I am in favor of accuracy toward the text much more than artistic license, though I know zip about going from 19th century Russian to modern English.

I'd stay away from Garnett if she took liberties.

[J.D.]

Definitely read A.K.! You'll get so lost in the fabric of the story that you'll forget you even know the ending.

[Gladys]

You'll get so lost in the fabric of the story that you'll forget you even know the ending. I'd go much further. Since the best of the book precedes the ending, little is lost in knowing of the train incident beforehand.

[wessexgirl]

I've just listened to AK on an audiobook, a couple of days ago, and I was completely hooked. The only problem was that it was an abridged version, so I know that there is so much more to it than I heard, in particular about Levin, who I can't even remember being mentioned. It only seemed to concentrate on Anna and Vronsky, and of course as so much was cut out I don't know if Anna was correct in her assumptions about Vronsky or not. Obviously this is the drawback with abridged versions, they can change your reading of the text completely. I also listened to Vanity Fair, which I have read, and so know what was cut out there, namely that Becky Sharp had had a liaison with another character, (careful of spoling), which wasn't mentioned at all, which could completely change a person's view of those characters and the story. So I have the book of AK and am now going to read it. What I did hear I loved, so I would say definitely go for it. :thumbs_up

[ReadARussian]

Yes, I am currently reading it and know the ending...it is a well known ending....that doesnt make the story anything short of masterpiece

[Uberzensch]

Absolutely!

This is such a fantastic novel, you must read it!

Both interweaving stories are great. I just read the P&V and enjoyed it.

[Charlie5thumbs]

I knew the ending but still decided to read it. One thing you should know about this book is that it's actually two stories in one. Levin is the other main character in the book, and he was very real to me. So even after Anna kills herself, that is not really the end. It is one of the best, perhaps the best novel I've read. It is very readable and rich in its dialogue. I have to admit there are a few parts that are a little slow that I did not care for, particularly the scene where Levin attends an election. However these are very few and far between.

[Michael T]

:cool: Yes, you should read it. I think most people who read it are drawn to Levin and Kitty's story, and it's one that will stay with you for a very long time. :)

(It's all those long Russian names that are the killer! :sick:)

[blazeofglory]

Some novels must be read repeatedly. No matter we know the end of the story such books have something that interest always. I have already completed the Brothers Karamazov and I know the end yet I find it really moving when I am reading a second time.

[Idril]

(It's all those long Russian names that are the killer! :sick:)

That's really true. Once you get those names down, everything else kind of falls into place. It's so confusing because a person can either be referred to by his/her first name and patronymic, or by his/her surname, or by a diminutive form of the first name. Like Anna's brother, he is sometimes called Stepan Arkadyevitch, or sometimes just Oblonsky or Stiva by his family. And then surnames are different depending on whether they are male or female...not a lot, usually just an extra 'a' on the female but it was still enough to throw me off, again, going back to Anna's brother, who's last name is Oblonsky but his wife's surname is Oblonskaya. I didn't know this when I first started reading Russian novels and I would think all those names were different people, it was like a light went off in my head when I finally realized they were all the same person. :lol:

The first time I read Anna Karenina, I focused more on Levin and Kitty but I found on the second read, I went back to Anna and Vronksy. I guess it was knowing the end and wanting to see exactly where Anna snapped. The first time I read it, that romance seemed so melodramatic and predictable while Kitty and Levin were so fresh and mature but I really did find more depth in Anna and Vronsky when I delved a little deeper into their pathos.

[The Comedian]

Should you read Anna Karenina?

Well, if you like long, drawn-out stories filled with whiny, self-absorbed people who deserve what they get but act like the world owes them something. Then, yes, you should read it. ;)

*you can throw your rotten tomatoes at me. . . .now* ;)

[Gladys]

...long, drawn-out stories filled with whiny, self-absorbed people...

Even so, I found the gradual breakdown of Anna's marriage to Karenin a peerless masterpiece.

[Virgil]

I always hear or see on lists that it's one of the best novels, or at the least the best Tolstoy novel.

The thing is, I happen to know the whole train incident near the end.. I don't want to actually say it for spoilers etc

Will this book still be enjoyable regardless, I mean there are hundreds of pages, surely knowing that one part isn't going to deter my enjoyment of the book?

It's one of the all time greatest novels ever written. Read it. Yes, yes, yes.

[Uberzensch]

Just to add: When I was reading it, I learned of the ending, too. I really thought it would ruin the book for me. IT DID NOT!

There's just so much more to the book. Especially Levin and Kitty. I didn't know that was part of the book when I started, thinking, because of the title, it was just about Anna.

Definitely read it, it's wonderful.

[mona amon]

Go ahead and read it! :yesnod: It's very readable, and knowing the end will not spoil anything.

[wormofthebooks]

I read this book after a co-worker from Poland told me that I would love the richness of Russian literature. She was most definitely right! It was wonderful. Oddly, I would have to say that one of my favorite characters was Alexey Alexandrovich. Its one of those books that you feel. The bittersweet feelings of cheating are something that most of us can relate to, whether we have cheated or been cheated on. Everyone can connect with the characters in this book. It was the thrill of the romance following Levin and Kitty and it was the heart-wrenching sadness of watching Anna tear her life down piece by piece that kept me reading. I devour Russian literature like junk food and this book was no exception.

[Gladys]

Oddly, I would have to say that one of my favorite characters was Alexey Alexandrovich.

Alexey Alexandrovich Karenin's situation is fascinating to the end.