thedandybrambler's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, War, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Grief, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Antisemitism
Minor: Gun violence
knenigans's review against another edition
- 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 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.
Graphic: Abandonment, Infidelity, Suicide, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Drug use, Grief, Classism, Death, Antisemitism, Child death, and Addiction
reebeee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Antisemitism and Racism
madddiebear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, and War
Minor: Racism, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
bookish_bry's review against another edition
- 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
The foreshadowing was done great. I especially liked how
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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
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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.Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Classism and Grief
Minor: Antisemitism, War, and Sexism
Most of this book revolves around adultery and suicidal thoughts and actions.uss_mary_shelley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Antisemitism
novelyon's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy, Drug use, and Classism
Minor: Antisemitism, Child death, War, Racism, and Sexual content
demo's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Grief
Minor: Racism, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, and Animal death
rebekahvldz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The only two gripes I have with it is that I wish there had been more study of Vronsky and Kitty’s characters and how dissatisfied I was with the ending. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the ending with Levin. It was one of my favorite parts of the book but I didn’t like that it was literally the last page or how none of the characters’ reactions to
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Anna’s death were explored. I wanted more closure, more insight into how Dolly, Levin, Kitty, Stiva, Alexei, etc. would’ve reacted. I wanted to know how the high society which so poorly treated her received the rocking news. I wanted to read about Vronsky being told, running to the station and dropping to his knees with heaving sobs. I wanted to hear that Alexei, wracked with guilt, ran to his son and grabbed him close, sobbing into Seyrhoza’s unsure chest. I wanted to read the various measures with which everyone who loved and didn’t love her responded to this horrifying news. But I didn’t get that. Instead, I got hardly a glimpse of Vronksy’s despair. It was dissatisfying and even more so, because her death didn’t feel justified enough. I needed a more concrete reason other than her sudden descent into paranoia-induced madness. The expectations I carried into this book and even up until the halfway mark was that this was simply a story of her trying to leave Alexandrovich and him refusing, forcing her only resort to become her death at the train station. To read how they dragged on for months, in resentment and restlessness, instead of the grand romance I had expected was extremely disappointing and anti-climactic. Especially that her suicide was over some fickle feeling she’d contrived in her head. Maybe if the expectations of society and the weight of what she would do after he left her were more prominent, it would have felt more justified.Regardless, I cannot say enough good things about this book and think that everyone should, given the chance, immerse themselves in it.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Antisemitism and Racism
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Nikolai's death was pretty disturbing and depressing to read aboutlidz_2tc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Abandonment and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Antisemitism, Mental illness, and Racism