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Anna Karenina


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First published between 1875 and 1877.

Translated by Constance Black Garnett (1862-1946) in 1917.

Considered by some to be the greatest novel ever written, Anna Karenina is Tolstoy's classic tale of love and adultery set against the backdrop of high society in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. A rich and complex masterpiece, the novel charts the disastrous course of a love affair between Anna, a beautiful married woman, and Count Vronsky, a wealthy army officer. Tolstoy seamlessly weaves together the lives of dozens of characters, and in doing so captures a breathtaking tapestry of late-nineteenth-century Russian society.

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Set in nineteenth century Russia, this masterpiece illustrates the pressure of living up to the expectations and quota of an unforgiving society and the personal choices individuals face which alter their destinies. A read which leaves the responder unable to forget the lessons taught; it gives true meaning to learning from other people's experiences and mistakes. A guide which leads by example in demonstrating the challenges one faces in the pursuit of happiness and contentment and the gruelling outcomes of what some of these choices produce.

Submitted by Sonja Golub.



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Recent Forum Posts on Anna Karenina

Best line or quote in Anna Karenina??

What is your favorite line or quote from the book? "He suddenly felt that the very thing that had once been the source of his suffering had become the source of his spiritual joy, that what had seemed insoluble when he condemned, reproached and hated, became simple and clear when he forgave and loved.":bawling: So many to choose from, but this is the one that struck me the most.

Posted By sjb77d at Sat 19 Dec 2009, 9:03 PM in Anna Karenina || 1 Reply

Anna Karenina

I have been listening to Anna Karinina by audio book that I downloaded free on my MP3 player from my library. But I must have slept through part of a chapter and now in Part 7, with just 4 hours to go I would like help in solving a mystery without having to search for the answer. Can anyone tell me how Vronsky got his money? Not long after he began his affair with Anna he was basically broke. If you remember, he had planned to borrow money from a loan shark and sell his horses to pay his current bills and I believe he volunteered that his brother have priority in inheritance. So, toward the end of the book, how does he have an estate where Anna lives with their baby and he is building a hospital and seems to be rich. How did I miss that? If anyone would like info on how to get the free audio downloads, I'm happy to share my info. I imagine my library is not the only one offering this.

Posted By cwell at Sun 19 Jul 2009, 4:34 PM in Anna Karenina || 0 Replies

Levin's Revelation

What exactly was Levin's revelation near the end of the novel? I don't understand what turned him from pretty much an atheist to a devout Christian who saw absolutely no flaws in Christianity or the Christian Church which he doubted before.

Posted By Homers_child at Sat 20 Jun 2009, 9:52 PM in Anna Karenina || 3 Replies

what is the moral of the story?

hey i read the story but i didn't get the moral..is there one? and can anyone tell me the time of the story?

Posted By booksaremyworld at Tue 21 Apr 2009, 6:23 AM in Anna Karenina || 11 Replies

A Question of Nomenclature

I've been wondering as I read, why are the upper class characters identified as 'Prince' and 'Princess'? Is there something that gets lost in translation? I'm just curious! Thank you!

Posted By *Classic*Charm* at Mon 23 Mar 2009, 7:19 PM in Anna Karenina || 5 Replies

Which Translation?

Hello, I have had Anna Karenina on my list for some time now, and decided finally to get to reading it. But which English translation should I choose? There are quite a few available. Generally, I prefer translators that allow for some artistic license, but of course I don't want to get too far from the original text. I am leaning toward the Pevear and Volokhonsky version, but I'm just not sure. Any opinions? Also, if anybody has some information as to the relative differences between translations, please shed some light. Thanks!

Posted By ndavis at Fri 16 Jan 2009, 9:38 PM in Anna Karenina || 1 Reply

is 'anna karenina' the best novel ever or not?

oppinions please. cant have my own oppinion since i havent read it yet, but ive heard so much about this book... is it really the most valuable book ever? if you dont think its 'anna karenina', then what book do you think its THE ONE?

Posted By evening_read at Sat 10 Jan 2009, 7:32 PM in Anna Karenina || 67 Replies

Translation

Having read the first chapter of Anna Karenina, I was disappointed at the quality of the translation by Constance Black Garnett. Even though I don't speak Russian I could read from the English text that it was translated from a foreign language. The English sentences sometimes read unnatural - they did not flow (indicating it was translated literally rather than contextually) and the translator uses the comma freely: seemingly not following the rules of English punctuation! The key to a successful translation is to do it in such a way that the reader should not even suspect that the text was originally written in a foreign language. Of course, it is a classic book and one of the greatest in the world; no doubt about that. I am just commenting on the quality of the translated text.

Posted By guyk at Tue 30 Dec 2008, 2:49 AM in Anna Karenina || 0 Replies

Anna: Friend or Foe?

I'm nearing the end of the novel. (Part 7: Chapter 25) My dislike for Anna Karenina (the character) has increased to breaking point. I would rather have this novel dubbed "Kostya Levin" :lol: Seriously now; Anna Karenina is the epitome of self seeking and narcism. Deserting her (supposedly beloved) son for the love of a man (clearly willing to die for her) only to question this man's love on account of her self centred existence. "And all at once she knew what was in her soul. Yes, it was that idea which alone solved all. "Yes, to die!... And the shame and disgrace of Alexey Alexandrovitch and of Seryozha, and my awful shame, it will all be saved by death. To die! and he will feel remorse; will be sorry; will love me; he will suffer on my account." With the trace of a smile of commiseration for herself she sat down in the armchair, taking off and putting on the rings on her left hand, vividly picturing from different sides his feelings after her death." This book vividly sketches the idolising of exterior beauty and its aftermath as well as the contempt the world has for all things pure and spiritual.

Posted By Danny Tortilla at Thu 11 Dec 2008, 7:58 AM in Anna Karenina || 4 Replies

Anna Karenina

I have recently read Anna Karenina and it’s a great book indeed. I think Leo Tolstoy is a pioneer as he has laid the foundations of interior monologue. The way he takes a reader deep down into the mind of a character is splendid, specially the thoughts of Anna before committing suicide and in the last chapters where Levin seeks the path to Christianity. I also want to say a few words about the character Konstantin Levin. He is sincere, sensitive, agonistic yet a true Christian. His naïve and honest nature stands in high contrast with complex and superficial higher society of Russia, he is a person who leads a simple life and loves to spend his time around the ordinary peasants of his country. Tolstoy has lent him the traits of a philosopher and a thinker; in fact he carries within him the thoughts of Tolstoy himself.

Posted By Snowqueen at Sun 30 Nov 2008, 9:14 AM in Anna Karenina || 0 Replies

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