emilygaynier's review against another edition
4.0
Not my favorite classic. I feel like there was too many filler chapters and so it took me so long to read it because I kept losing interest.
I will eventually reread this
I will eventually reread this
rebecanunez's review against another edition
2.0
Uno de los grandes clásicos intimidantes. Claramente es una crítica a la sociedad, que se preocupa solo por aparentar, que era la sociedad en la que el autor escribió esta obra y era en la que él estaba inmerso y demuestra tener conocimiento del tema. Es un poco difícil de seguir al comienzo, porque tiene muchos personajes y tramas, y es difícil seguir como es que están conectadas unas con otras. Hay que tomarlo con calma. Lo que me llama la atención, es que si bien la novela tiene su nombre en el título, hay partes donde es debatible si Anna es la protagonista de la historia. Es interesante, aunque no la ame. Lo valioso que me quedo, es que tiene una valiosa lección sobre qué pasa cuando el significado de nuestra vida, pasa solo por estar en una relación o solo por tener o sentir amor de pareja, y que vacía y desesperada es la vida, cuando esto es así. Igual tengo un problema con cómo son retratadas las mujeres en esta obra, especialmente Anna, pero no solo ella. Y a todos los personajes masculinos me dan ganas de golpearlos, cuando expresan su visión sobre los personajes femeninos. Lo peor es que incluso en el mundo actual, hay hombres que tienen esa misma visión. No estoy diciendo que este mal escrita, lo que tengo es un problema con la visión que presenta. Puede ser un tema generacional, no lo se, pero esto es lo que me paso con esta obra. Simplemente me niego a justificar los problemas de la obra con la excusa de la época.
purpleyou's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cat55's review against another edition
4.0
Phewf, this was a giant of a book that I (surprisingly) thoroughly enjoyed. The problems I had with this book was the many chapters spent on boring matters mostly relating to Levin's point of view. There were many scenes dedicated to describing agriculture, hunting, Karenin's work and Vronsky's art that I couldn't care less for. The discussions on politics for a while could be interesting but they went on for so long and they were about education and women's equality that were outdated views that my modern brain didn't even want to consider.
The major negative I had for this book was the insecurity the characters had in their reactions especially Vronksy/Anna and Kitty/Levin. It was so repetitive and seemed to dim the love the characters had for each other I was left confused as to why Tolstoy wanted them together in the first place. I also think that if Anna and Kitty were written by a female these breakdowns over jealousy for a partner wouldn't be so pathetic and demeaning to their complex characters.
It's known that Levin is Tolstoy's inner thoughts but I wish Tolstoy was selfless enough not to make him such a prevalent character. Anna was what made the novel so intriguing and kept me wanting more. It was also anticlimactic to have another part after Anna's death about Levin finding God and I didn't care for it.
In saying all that, I really, really enjoyed the book which is evident in me completing it in less than a week. I absolutely loved the internal conflict within Anna and how she went from inspiring and beloved to conniving and wracked with jealousy. What I took from her story is you yourself can be a big part in your own downfall. I was also very sympathetic towards her as she was banished from society whilst Vronsky could still flourish. I'm glad Tolstoy highlighted this injustice.
Levin's proposal scene to Kitty was probably one of the most romantic things I've read and it was the best part from Levin's chapters.
I adored Polly and thought she was a great friend/sister. She deserved better.
There were also some quite funny scenes relating to the frivolities of society and I liked how it was not as conservative as English novels.
Overall I did like the novel and it has given me the courage to one day read 'War and Peace'
The major negative I had for this book was the insecurity the characters had in their reactions especially Vronksy/Anna and Kitty/Levin. It was so repetitive and seemed to dim the love the characters had for each other I was left confused as to why Tolstoy wanted them together in the first place. I also think that if Anna and Kitty were written by a female these breakdowns over jealousy for a partner wouldn't be so pathetic and demeaning to their complex characters.
It's known that Levin is Tolstoy's inner thoughts but I wish Tolstoy was selfless enough not to make him such a prevalent character. Anna was what made the novel so intriguing and kept me wanting more. It was also anticlimactic to have another part after Anna's death about Levin finding God and I didn't care for it.
In saying all that, I really, really enjoyed the book which is evident in me completing it in less than a week. I absolutely loved the internal conflict within Anna and how she went from inspiring and beloved to conniving and wracked with jealousy. What I took from her story is you yourself can be a big part in your own downfall. I was also very sympathetic towards her as she was banished from society whilst Vronsky could still flourish. I'm glad Tolstoy highlighted this injustice.
Levin's proposal scene to Kitty was probably one of the most romantic things I've read and it was the best part from Levin's chapters.
I adored Polly and thought she was a great friend/sister. She deserved better.
There were also some quite funny scenes relating to the frivolities of society and I liked how it was not as conservative as English novels.
Overall I did like the novel and it has given me the courage to one day read 'War and Peace'
asphyxiac's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, how I love tragic heroines. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Anna Karenina, even Dolores Hayes. Always worth a re-read!
rosessmarie's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
L
gravunder's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tylercritchfield's review against another edition
4.0
Wonderfully written. Too slow and long at times for me, but I did enjoy it. Come for Anna Karenina, stay for Konstantin Levin :)
pnelson384's review against another edition
4.0
I just finished this book as part of a summer read-together with friends via zoom. We broke the story up into five Zoom chats based on the parts of the book, and it was a great way to work our way through the story. This book has a lot of things to discuss, and fostered great conversations and insights. From my perspective, I'm so glad I read it. It is a story rich in detail and depth, with characters that I enjoyed reading about, even if I didn't always like them very much. This is a book that I will hold on to to read again sometime in the future. There is so much that I likely missed the first time through. For anyone who feels that this book isn't accessible to them, please give it a shot. I read the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky and the writing is so good. The fact that the writing is a translation makes it even more impressive. Be prepared to like this more than you thought you might, and to need to take reading it a little slower than normal. It's a great book.
mariateo12's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a beautifully complex novel with multiple POVs, therefore multiple experiences of human suffering in the quest of love and life’s meaning. brutal and painful in many ways, but utterly breathtaking in the best way. recommend to anyone