Anna Karenina
By Leo Tolstoy
- Release Date: 1877-12-30
- Genre: Classics
Description
An Apple Books Classic edition.
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Thus begins what many consider the world’s greatest novel. Leo Tolstoy originally published this sweeping saga in serial form beginning in 1875, portraying a vast swath of Russian life, from the fields worked by starving peasant farmers to the sitting rooms (and bedrooms) of privileged aristocrats.
Despite its epic nature, Anna Karenina is an intricate, intimate study of one woman’s downward spiral into tragedy. As Anna’s husband becomes increasingly absorbed in philosophical and political introspection, Tolstoy’s heroine grows weary of her life as a mother and wealthy man’s wife. Increasingly unsettled by the stark class differences she observes, Anna finds passion again in a forbidden affair with Count Vronsky. But can she overcome her obsessive concern with societal norms to find a measure of happiness?
Passion. Betrayal. Love. Revenge. Tolstoy’s classic has it all.
Reviews
Amazing
5By vilpqIt was amazing how this pages took me to other time and places.Anna Karenina
5By jejejwkejrbvyvehwAn epic love story of love and loss. Teaches us about true love, and the allusion of love. In ways a tragedy, but left us with the opportunity for hope of a better life.So RELEVANT
5By RoseBisou5This is now one of my favorite books of all time. It’s so well written. Every character is so thoroughly developed in a way I’ve never come across. You’re privy to their inmost thoughts and feelings with such frankness and honesty that you understand and empathize with them on a deeper level… it’s like a mirror - you can’t help but recognize parts of yourself in them all at various times in your life. You’ve had those same experiences from various perspectives… you’ve been in all their shoes in one way or another and if you’d ever been honest with yourself you’d have to admit you felt just the same way, thought just the same things, and acted just like that - flattering or not. You’ll see parts of every relationship you’ve ever had in the story of each couple. Beyond that there’s much of the social and political climate of the era in Russia that strikes a chord and accurately reflects the landscape of America today. It feels so… current.Emma
5By Wolf619_Epic narratives.One of the greatest novels of all time
5By dhoffmanlawTolstoy is a genius beyond comprehension, melding brilliant artistry with profound philosophical inquiry, all in a beautifully readable and compelling narrative.Incredible
5By ericxuesIt is the Garnett translation for those wonderingWho is the translator?
4By LemonchipDoes Apple list this information anywhere?Stands the test of time
4By BrChildrI was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book and especially how it’s stuck with me. The storyline is still relevant after all these years and thought provoking. It’s interesting and rare for a book to have so many characters that are well developed and all relevant to the story. I found that a little hard to keep up with at first, but in the end it’s really what made the book so good.A Journey of a Book
3By ZayïneOriginally I picked this up to read a classic and mostly to tell people I was reading Tolstoy, but after it was done, I was glad I read it. It was pretty dry and boring, but by part five out of eight, I was invested in finishing it — partly given to the fact that I felt so invested in the characters. Of course, with an 800+ page book, one does get to know characters pretty well. There were a lot of people in the book to keep track of at the beginning, but the important ones do get easier to remember. A good shock near the end, and hopefully one day I can get to ‘War and Peace’!Anna Karenina
5By MarywashingtonVery philosophical, with a humanistic recounting of Levin’s journey toward a rule book for life. Anna represents self-centered, narcissism leading to self-annihilation as its result. Kitty is the benevolent part of humanity as the good. Each character displays a different aspect of humanity.
