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Anna Karenina |  | Author: Leo Tolstoy
Publisher: Public Domain Books
Category: eBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  22 reviews
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B000JMLILO
Publication Date: July 1, 1998
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Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
 One of the three best novels of all time (imho) September 8, 2010
A. Mandelman (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
A magnificent book, where magnificent characters love and die within an even more magnificent structure-- which you won't see if you are not a writer. So if you want to glimpse the scaffolding of this masterpiece, read Nabokov's "Lectures on Russian Literature" for some analysis of genius in the relevant chapter. For example, the eight pairings as they advance through time, almost in order, and other such literary girders. You may not think it's important, but please see it for yourself first before repeating this inanity. Nabokov himself was also a master of structure, of course, but he often used it for fun-- such as hiding riddles inside his books, and other such games-- whereas Gospodin Tolstoy's only indulgence here is the occasional preachings by Liovin about Christianity. But both should be allowed their fun. Tolstoy had his Christian ramblings, Nabokov his cryptograms.
At any rate, I am not worthy to comment further on AK. Even though she committed suicide, she'll live forever, as will her creator-- and her non-Freudian analyst, VN.
AM
wow I definitely learned stuff September 4, 2010
banshee
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My friend convinced me to read this book by saying, "I never ask anyone for advice about a situation, because all you need to do to know how someone will react to some situation is to read the classics, like Tolstoy. Then you realize that everything that can happen to people has already happened, every conversation has already happened," and, presumably, that Tolstoy has analyzed, understood, and written about it.
Some reasons why this book is very good:
1) Tolstoy is an amazing writer who builds a complete world. Even through the translation you can tell he's a master of the craft- he somehow effortlessly juggles a hundred characters and all their subplots without making you confused or bored. He does it all so seamlessly and perfectly that I can't imagine how he organized and imagined everything to write it down so completely and beautifully. At the end you're kind of breathless that you somehow absorbed this whole complicated universe of European society, that a single, coherent, cohesive book can contain such a rich world without exploding.
2) Tolstoy gets people. This book taught me so much about human nature. It's amazing to read a writer who can describe a person's most conflicted thoughts and emotions in an original, interesting, well written way while revealing some intelligent, appreciative, instantly relate-able insight on how people work. When Anna is sneaking off to visit her son for the first time in years, and Tolstoy describes her anguish and hope, and the child's emotions of missing his mother so much but of not understanding the situation, you remember old emotions: what it was like to be a child and be convinced you'd see your mother today and be looking for her in the park, what it meant to love your mother. And even though you've never had a child you needed to sneak off to meet at your husband's house because you're living in sin with your lover, you feel Anna's torment and yearning. When Tolstoy describes to you how a woman makes a decision to leave her husband, or when a friendship falls apart, you instantly recognize those feelings in yourself. It's not just the big scenes where Tolstoy brings his deep knowledge of human emotion into play; it's also in the little things, his offhand narrative remarks on how people behave in awkward situations. And he occasionally brings in the servants and reminds you of all these other people who revolve around, always present but somehow hidden.
I tried reading this book in high school and didn't get into it. Now I'm glad my friend told me to give it another chance. I think part of why I didn't like it in high school is:
1) the translation was bad. I liked this translation but I didn't try a lot of different ones. If you can't get into this book maybe try another translation because it makes a big difference.
2) In high school I was too immature about people and life (even though I felt totally wise) to appreciate how good this is. I'm actually really surprised and happy that I now like what I at one point disliked because it suggests I've matured, or something.
 Classic story, difficult to read August 18, 2010
Nicole Harris (Texas)
I enjoyed much of this book, however it was a difficult read. The author goes into chapters rambling on about subjects that have nothing to do with the plot of the book (a lot of political talk). I also have to assume that this translation left a lot to be desired. There were numerous inconsistencies, and I found myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs to try to figure out exactly what they meant to say.
While worth a read, this is not a book to just pick up and get lost in for hours.
 Terrible Translation August 15, 2010
Tom
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a terrible translation. I have read Tolstoy before (in book form) and reading this kindle version, I knew something wasn't quite right. Compared word for word with the penguin classic edition, the poor quality to this kindle version is obvious. The diction is very weak and unimaginative and there are many blatant grammatical errors. Its feels like the original Russian version was put through Google-translate. Some sentences' are cut in half and many idiomatic phrases have lost all meaning, often resulting in an entire passage failing to impress upon the reader its full weight within the context of the story. This edition of the book was appalling, does a great disservice to one of the best novels ever written and would be a ruinous way to begin reading Tolstoy.
Will re-read slowly August 14, 2010
C. Parsons (Twin Cities, MN)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I read this straight through (which I wouldn't recommend-it was originally written and published as a serial in a newspaper over several years). It's a bit overwhelming in the sense that the characters are so well drawn that they deserve some pondering. I will re-read this book again but I think it will be a chapter or two at a time (they are short) while reading other books. The parallel stories are, most of the time, mirror images of each other and the emotions feel real and honest. I could have done without the political/economic tangents (and will probably skip those in the re-read - unless I'm having trouble sleeping).
Showing reviews 1-5 of 22
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