A review by debrabrinckley
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

2.0

As a philosophical look into life, morality, religion, politics and the difference between various positions in life and cultures of the world, I certainly can see the value of this book. If one were studying the history of Russia, this would be an indisputable must-read. However, I simply did not enjoy it-at all. The characters were incessantly whiny and seemed incapable of owning their lives for better or for worse. They wrestled and swayed at the slightest provocation on every issue imaginable. And while I see how the slight overlap in characters was meant to provide a landscape to view various lives and reactions to the same situations, I, for much of the novel, felt I was being tossed violently between numerous separate stories. I know so many people who love this book, and I so wanted to like it, but it was a laborious chore that I couldn't wait to finish.