Yes, The Greatest Book Ever Written
by Charlotte Reads Classics
I’ve been lazy with keeping this up to date over the last week, but all shall be remedied soon. I haven’t forgotten my aforementioned post about Parade’s End and I’ve got one to write about The Casual Vacancy too (really good but really grim). But Anna Karenina takes writing precedent as MY FAVOURITE EVER BOOK.
I was intrigued as to whether re-reading would change my opinion, but absolutely not. If anything, I love this (now really quite battered) book even more now. The main reason why – it is about life. All of life, a cross-section of society and every bit as relevant as it was in 1877. What an astounding writer to have written something so universal, so human, that Charlotte (mid-twenties, English, twentieth/twenty-first century) would recognise the internal dialogue of a character dreamt up by Leo (late forties, Russian, nineteenth century).
Contrary to the title, I don’t like Anna and Vronsky and their mad, passionate affair. For me, this book is all about Kitty, Levin and the quest for happiness. Through them, Tolstoy gets to shout about his brand of morality. Getting to the heart of it, I think Tolstoy is really saying that happiness and being good are linked, and that to achieve both you mustn’t neglect your spiritual side. The very end of the book is similar to the style of War and Peace, as they both conclude with a very obvious message from the author. On this particular reading of Anna Karenina I enjoyed this part, although it was something I struggled with the first time. Tolstoy became an incredibly religious man in the last years of his life and perhaps put his own revelations and thoughts into Levin’s moment of spiritual awakening:
My life now, my whole life, regardless of all that may happen to me, every minute of it, is not only meaningless, as it was before, but has the unquestionable meaning of the good which is in my power to put into it!
I read that part sitting on the Metro on my way to work on Monday morning. The sun was shining but the air was crisp and cold like winter. I sat amongst people reading newspapers, playing with their phones, listening to music or just staring into space but I felt as if I was completely separate. I read the last few sentences, closed the book and felt so happy and uplifted – such is the power of Tolstoy and his beautiful words.
There is just so much to Anna Karenina that I think every time you read it you could focus on something different. I haven’t even mentioned the glittering Petersburg social life, the muzhiks, the excellent character that is Stepan Arkadyich, the role of women as wives and mothers, Anna’s position as a fallen women, Russian divorce laws, politics, reform and revolution… I suppose that is the basis of its great appeal – there really is something to suit everyone. I am so pleased that I decided to read this again, if I could pick only one book to read for the rest of my life it would be this one. I will definitely revisit Anna Karenina every few years; the first time I read it was in 2008 – so perhaps we’ll meet again in 2015.
What translation did you read? I haven’t thought much about translations until this year. I haven’t read Anna Karenina yet, but I want to soon.
I read the Penguin Classics edition which is translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. I’ve not read any other translations but this one reads really well.
That is the one I bought after I already had one of another translation. But if I’m going to read Anna Karenina, I want to make sure its the best translation 🙂
I’ve been reading the original English translation by Constance Garnett — I recommend it, but I’ve hear most people prefer the one Charlotte is reading. 🙂
Such a good review of such a great book, but now I want to pick up my copy again! The book has such a richness to it that you can’t truly read it without being touched by something.
Thank you – but it is tricky to write about because how do you write about everything?! I completely agree with you – it is such a rich book, I’m quite tempted to just start from the beginning again!
Oh man, I hated Anna SO much, and loved Levin like nobody’s business. This is definitely up there with my very favourite books, and I really think it’s just objectively GOOD- I don’t know how anyone could argue with it!
Me neither – how can you not think its amazing?! I love Levin too, definitely in my top five book crushes.
Your posts always excite me to read! I’ve read half of this one and really need to finish it. I love Levin.
Aw thanks! Looks like Levin is a favourite all round 🙂
I read this book a few years ago but I want to try it again in a different translation. The one I read (by Louise and Aylmer Maude) was readable but I remember having a few problems with it and I didn’t like the way the Russian names had been anglicised. I still loved it though, and yes, I’m someone else who was more interested in Levin’s story than Anna’s!
Yes I can see how that would be annoying, although of course the story must shine through! It’s funny that the namesake of the book seems to be comparatively less influential to a lot of readers. Hmm. (!)
I know what you mean about Anna Karenina, and you made me think very hard about my favourite- like,. if I could only have one book, what would it be. I could only narrow it down to three, – Middlemarch by George Eliot, which has such a wide scope, and I think more depths than Anna, Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, and Mansfield Park by you know who!
Thinking about that choice, it covers English provincial life in a small town, farm life, and the life of the gentry in the country… so apart from the dramas of life and love and death and loss, and the spiritual life, the three books also give a picture of English society in the late 18th and mid19th century…
I like your reasoning behind narrowing it down to those three. I loved Middlemarch, actually I should read that again – give it the Anna Karenina treatment! I’ve never read any Hardy except about half of Jude the Obscure which I never got into. As for Mansfield Park I had to study it at University and didn’t like it at all! However, that was back in the days when I had only read Pride and Prejudice and hadn’t learnt about all that Austen could do. Basically I’m not convinced by my own bad review!
I agree that Anna Karenina has so many layers – you cannot by any means enjoy it entirely after only one read. It must be in my top five favourite books!
Yes I’m so glad I read it again, I’ll probably love it even more each time I read it.
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The best thing about discovering book blogging is finding other like-minded readers who find Levin’s story far more interesting than Anna’s. Sometimes I’d like to take Anna and just knock her upside the head. Love the Pevear & Volkonsky translations of all the Russian novels I’ve read.
Yes – I definitely reached the point where I just wanted to shake her! I’ll look out for Pevear and Volkonsky translations then, I thought it read really well but I had nothing to compare it to.
I loved Levin’s story so much. A friend and I read this one together (well, at the same time, to motivate each other to keep truckin’), and we both commented on how the book could have been called “Levin” or “Levin and Kitty” or any number of things besides “Anna Karenina,” because she actually does not make up the majority of the novel (nor, in my opinion, the best parts).
I agree, I’ve not really worked out why Anna is the book’s namesake when Levin and Kitty really seem to be the driving force of the novel.
This was the first book I read this year, and absolutely LOVED it. I also read the Pevear & Volokhonsky translation, and I know I will reread it again and again. Anna and Vronsky annoyed me, but I fell for Kitty and Levin.
(this is Sarah by the way – I forgot to sign!)
I wonder if Anna is anyone’s favourite character! I’d recommend reading it many times – I loved it even more the second time.
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Great post! I read Anna a few months ago and found the experience to be a bit of a mission – the way I see it, Tolstoy is the kind of author who writes for overall impression and ideas rather than reading experience. It’s the kind of book that just blows you away the more you think about it – he tells the WHOLE story, not just of the characters but of life and society and politics and pretty much everything else you can think of. So impressive.
I can’t wait to see the movie – it sounds like it’s going to be a really interesting interpretation of the novel.
Yes, definitely, I think that was why I enjoyed reading it again – there is, like you say, just so much to the story. It’s all of life, not just a snapshot!
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I just finished reading Anna for the first time a few months ago. Levin’s spiritual awakening was so beautifully written that I have been in search of a similar novel ever since. Do you have any suggestions?
Hello Charlotte, I just finished Anna Karenina a few days ago. I enjoyed your review. I was a bit indifferent when I first finished Anna Karenina, but fortunately I was busy, and it took me a few days to write my review. In those few days, the brilliance of it all came to me slowly. Truly a masterpiece. Cheers…Joseph (from the Classics Club)