Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Amy Mandelker

6 reviews

dylan_loves_classics's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm really at a loss for words after finishing this one, what a monumental work this is. 

As a general preface: I read Rosamund Bartlett's translation available exclusively through Oxford World's Classics. I plan to revisit this book with other translations so I can't compare yet, but I will say Bartlett's translation felt like a readable and thoughtful introduction. The numerous notes also elucidate many of the more arcane aspects of the Russian aristocracy.

Anna Karenina follows two major plotlines with a cast of interconnected characters who all weave in and out of different narrative and psychological threads.

Anna Arkadyevna Karenina is a woman as beautiful as she is brilliant (both in her intelligence and in her sparkling personality), until a chance meeting leads to an affair that sends her life spiraling out of control. Amidst the melodrama of her story, I was touched by Tolstoy's reserve in never judging Anna or telling the reader what they should think of her. It is ultimately up to the reader to draw their own conclusions as Anna's mind is laid bare in the masterful, climactic stream-of-consciousness section that leads up to Anna's fate. 

Parallel to Anna is Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, a young man with a lot of thoughts and no idea what to do with them. Through Levin, Tolstoy gives us a panoramic view of his contemporary society, philosophy, art, ice skating, and much more. Levin's own tortured love for Kitty Scherbatskaya, and the question of what to do with his life, haunts him as much as Anna is haunted by her own immorality.

A veritable sea of supporting players come and go throughout the book: Anna's brother Stiva is a delightful comic character, yet he is also repulsively glib and shallow; Anna's husband Karenin at first seems to be a bitter and jealous antagonist but displays great tenderness at other times; even Levin's dog Laska has a few moments of characterization.

I suppose, by page count at least, Levin's story is the actual central narrative, and it is a wonderful story. But I feel it is Anna's story, and the sheer verbal and psychological intensity Tolstoy uses to render it, that has instantly made this one of my favorite novels.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: 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

---

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, and War

saroreen's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction and Violence

satansbraten's review against another edition

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

Minor: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

sofmar917's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-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

5.0

Amazing book, it’s long but so worth it! Super interesting and the characters are all amazing! At the end of the book I felt like I knew every character so personally and this book just couldn’t have been any better!! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism