Anna Karenina is an 800-page novel by the famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy. He also wrote War and Peace. Both novels seem to be among the list of books that well-read people know. I have aspired to read Karenina for a few years but have been put off by:
1. 800 pages!
2. My high school experience reading other Russian novels (Crime and Punishment, for one) in which it was a major challenge to even keep track of the characters, much less the plot, because Russian names/nicknames are confusing.
Considering its length, the cast in this novel is quite modest. I've had no trouble keeping track of people. The story is a love story like a million others I've read. It reminds me frequently of Jane Austen novels.
What I love most so far (I'm in the page 200s) is how aptly Tolstoy describes people's feelings and motives. We hear what is inside the mind of every major character and I recognize these people! They are like people I've met. It's brilliant.
Fear not, my friends. Anna Karenina is accessible, delightful, many-layered. And if you like ityou have a good friend for many weeks.
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