A review by cat55
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
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a while could be interesting but they went on for so long and they were about education and women's equality that were outdated views that my modern brain didn't even want to consider.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'