Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

30 reviews

skinshela's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Beautifully written story about Russian nobility in the 19th century, specifically the lives of Anna Karenina and Konstantin Levin as foils of each other. Tolstoy conveys  strong themes of morality, life and death, class, gender and love. From a modern Western context, many of the conflicts in the story can seem quite unnecessary but with an open mind the characters; their feelings and reactions to the events throughout the book is quite touching. I really recommend this for sure!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Racism, Sexism, and War

celery's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

aristarcodisamo's review against another edition

challenging hopeful 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and War

ehuggins22's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Although the book is titled Anna Karenina, it explores more characters than just her. I would even go as far to to say that the main character is actually Levin.  The book is character driven, giving different point of views throughout with their feelings, flaws, and ideas. The ending is incredibly sad yet it does give you a hopeful reproach upon life and being alive but also questions existence itself and how actions and thought form the being of all of us.  This book was incredible and will have a lasting effect on the reader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief

seapotatohowisitalrtaken's review against another edition

dark emotional funny lighthearted 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy

thedandybrambler's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Gun violence

knenigans's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I did not love the story or the overarching message but I did very much enjoy the writing and it is clear why this remains so popular.

I wish I had read this novel when I was 15, I think that would've been the perfect age for me to fully appreciate it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexism, Antisemitism, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism

natgoe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death

thewrongalice's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

bookish_bry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

Overall I enjoyed Anna Karenina. It had a lot of interesting and complex characters. I found each of them being my favorite at different points in the novel (except Vronsky whom I did not particularly like) and I found myself annoyed with them at different times. 

The foreshadowing was done great. I especially liked how

trains were constantly mentioned throughout the book foreshadowing Anna's eventual suicide. The horse metaphor was also pretty well done.

 

It did drag in some places, though really what can you expect from a book of this length, and while I understood the strategy behind the last part

after Anna's suicide, Levin's revelation wasn't particularly interesting to me. I actually disagree with the choice to not share his spiritual thoughts with Kitty and think that could have been a more satisfying ending to me personally.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief and Classism

Minor: Sexism, Antisemitism, and War

Most of this book revolves around adultery and suicidal thoughts and actions.