Anna Karenina
By Leo Tolstoy and Ned Halley
4/5
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About this ebook
Trapped in a stifling marriage, Anna Karenina is swept off her feet by dashing Count Vronsky. Rejected by society, the two lovers flee to Italy, where Anna finds herself isolated from all except the man she loves, and who loves her. But can they live by love alone? In this novel of astonishing scope and grandeur, Leo Tolstoy, the great master of Russian literature, charts the course of the human heart.
A masterpiece of realism and illuminated by irresistible characters, Anna Karenina is among the best-loved of all novels, penetrating to the heart of the ruling class in Tsarist Russia.
This beautiful Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Anna Karenina is translated by Aylmer & Louise Maude, and features an afterword by Ned Halley.
Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828 in Tula, near Moscow. His parents, who both died when he was young, belonged to the Russian nobility, and to the end of his life Tolstoy remained conscious of his aristocratic status. His novels, ‘War and Peace’ and ‘Anna Karenina’ are literary classics and he is revered as one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century. He died in 1910 at the age of 82.
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Reviews for Anna Karenina
7,428 ratings116 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I would consider War and Peace the greater novel, but gosh, isn't this a fantastic piece of work? What author so successfully places us inside the head of each of its characters, moving them forward with an unrelenting pace while also tying them so closely to the fortunes of their nation? Wondrous.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Wow. That was a slog. I'm reading/re-reading the classics. Some I've liked, some I've loved, some I've loathed. This one was the latter.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book was great- for the first 3/4 of it, anyway. After that point, it basically turns into one character re-discovering their faith for the rest of the book. (Naturally, this is when the author was experiencing the same thing...I wish he would've just written a separate book about that and made the last quarter of the book more involved with the rest of the story.) I really wanted to love this book and I did- until the end. It was very disappointing.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Worth purchasing and owning. Will probably re-read again some day.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Some classics are classics because they are that good. Other classics are classics for no apparent reason. This book falls into the latter half as the story is essentially supposed to be a sob fest but the reader is left high and dry without a tear to be found.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Well, that was a pretty good book.
Not, like, a ton of dirty parts. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reading this book made me understand why Tolstoy is such a great writer. He understood history and psychology to write a classic.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A stunning work of literature, especially good if you can find a group or guide to read along with. Occasionally feels like it should have ended 300 pages earlier, but thats sort of the point from what I've come to understand.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I still prefer the Constance Garnett translation over this, but I can see how this translation brings the classic text closer to this generation. It's a whole lot easier to read, but so much grandeur is lost, I think. With its long descriptions of working in the fields, riding a horse (quite unforgettable), and food (these parts are just lovely and will make you starve), plus the rounds of vodka and scotch, the many characters' joys and tragedies are paralleled in the everyday
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5It was hard to read, I couldn't keep up with all the names and it finally started getting better by the time I was about 3/4 into the book ...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was my first attempt at Tolstoy and my first stop in my revisit to classic literature. I am now hooked. Despite the daunting length of the book and the saddening story, I found the characters appealing and the journey fulfilling. The term "classic" simply doesn't do this book justice.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I saw the movie and thought I would listen to the book. Very enjoyable as an audiobook although very long so it was great for painting my walls. The narrator does a fantastic job with the emotions of the characters. A very good classic.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I had to read this one with the help of Oprah and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the book and would not have gotten through all the characters without her help.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An outstanding novel, it is definitely a timeless classic. Although rather long, it is easy to read and absolutely worth the effort.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every time I read this book, I think about the characters and their situations a little differently. I guess that means it's great.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beautiful,Tragic ....a wonderful read
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I tried. I have read 1/3 of the book, thr writing is amazing. But the story is dull. 3 relationships crash and burn from adultery or failure to communicate. Maybe if I read this back in high school I would think differently. But in 2017, after reading so many books with the same story line. After all the hype over this book, I expected more.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was my introduction to Tolstoy. The characters are larger than life and the stories were compelling. It is a bit of a weighty read (at least for me) so it took me a long time to work my way through. I definitely recommend it to anyone seeking out good literature.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A quick and entertaining read, but I was surprised to find the love story somewhat grating, and was more engaged by the political musings. In general, Anna and Vronsky are too shallow and impulsive to stand as great literary creations, but some of the observations about how lovers relate to each other and the failures of communication are subtle and convincing. And the portrait of russian society is fascinating.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A superb book. It's really more of an occasion for Tolstoy to offer his comments about life, love, and society. The narrative isn't quite up to the standards of War and Peace, but some of the scenes are truly memorable.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5What a struggle, these Russians. A fascinating read if you can get a copy with lots of footnotes, the window it gives into the society of that era is its most redeeming feature. Anna herself is a frustrating protagonist of an almost soap opera mentality, drama after drama. The ending is almost a relief.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I read this book during my first semester of graduate school because I needed a break from the texts on pedagogy and philosophy of user testing I was forced to endure. What a wonderful escape it was. I still have fond memories of curling up on my thread-bare futton getting lost in Levin and Kitty's less than perfect courtship or shaking my head disapprovingly at Vronsky and Anna. It's been ten years and I think it may be time to return to their world. I hear the new translation is amazing...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I first read this in high school and at the time thought that it was one of the best books I had ever come across. I have since re-read it several times, always with renewed admiration. I was just noticed that I hadn't added it to my Goodreads list and had to correct the omission.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good book. I couldn't help but think how some of this would have played out today. The divorce would have been much easier to get. There might not have been some of the shame heaped on Anna as there was back then. The ending left me a little disappointed. It was mostly about Levin and his philisophical bent. The aftermath of Anna's death was mentioned, but quickly glossed over. I have the DVD of this. I was waiting to finish the book first before I saw the movie.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5By the end I was thinking that the book should have been named Kostya Levin instead of Anna Karenina, since it seemed like Tolstoy had more sympathy for that second main character really. It sprawls with the best of nineteenth century novels, not the way books are constructed nowadays, but in its leisure it is able to hit all the lovely telling scenes that might be missed if it were more straightforward about getting to the point.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's a wonderful book, if you can power through it. I read this for pleasure and nothing more and it took some perseverance on my part. For starters, the names are tricky, to say the least. And Tolstoy is ever so descriptive. But, if you're willing, it is a great book and I highly recommend it. The Kiera Knightly movie version, not so much. She's great, but the movie itself....eh.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Possibly one of the worst things I've ever read. It almost beats Tess of the D'Urbervilles to the bottom. I only liked two of the host of characters and the constant drivel about sheep and farming almost sent me to sleep. I did, however, manage to finish it. And the ending was abrupt and rather stupid, I'm sorry to say. I know it's regarded as a classic, but it just seemed a little ridiculous and utterly pointless to me.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This book was not for me! I listened to the audio book and had to check it out multiple times in order to get through it. I even sped up the track to get through it faster. I didn't like any of the characters and I didn't enjoy any of the politics. I know some people love this book but, again, it wasn't for me. I pushed through it just because it is on the "Must Read" lists.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I ended up not liking AK all that much, the constant philosophical debates, and introspective musings, got on my nerves big time. Really? All those pages for all that?I gave it three stars as it is a classic, Tolstoy certain can write well, and there are some redeeming qualities in terms of character development and the plot lines. But "frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn".
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What could I say about this book that hasn't been said a million times over? It's brilliant. The only thing I might add to the conversation is this--Konstantine Levin didn't know it, but he was a zen buddhist. HIGHLY recommended (but do block out some serious time for it--it does not move quickly).