Review: Anna Karenina
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”, one of the most famous opening lines, to one of the most well read and studied classics of modern literature. I cannot fathom what I can add to this masterpiece which is well ruminated over by better minds, but here goes.
Anna Arkaydvena Karenina
If Tolstoy’s attempt was to make Anna Arkaydvena Karenina a neurotic and thoroughly disliked character, then he has succeeded in spades. If his attempt was to make a relatable character with desires and flaws, then I need to reevaluate the lens through which I judge characters. Despite being the titular character, and despite being the center of most of the drama in the story, ‘Anna Karenina’ doesn’t begin with her, nor does it (view spoiler)
Rather, it seems to be how the presence of this alluring yet piteous, awe inspiring yet humane, vigorous yet at times insipid, temperamental yet wise, emotional yet indifferent character changes, at times wrecks, and at times makes the lives of our colorful cast of supporting characters. And what a varied bunch they are.
Konstantin Levin & Katerina Alexandrovna
Even though the main plot revolves around Anna, Vronsky and her husband Karenin, and the heated and provocative affair between them, the other characters are given ample breathing space to develop.
No one more so than Konstantin Dmitrich Levin (Kostya), Tolstoy’s own standin, as well as his love interest and eventual wife, Princess Katerina Alexandrovna Shtcherbatsky (Kitty). If one part of the narrative is focused on the sordid and increasingly convoluted relationship of the Karenins surrounding the love affair, then the other is Kostya & Kitty, how they fail and then fall in love, get married and start a healthy family. As well as Levin’s nihilistic almost suicidal outlook on life, and how he goes through multiple revelations in terms of spirituality and humanity throughout his life. As for Kitty, she goes from a naïve young maiden who looks for shallow relations with Vronsky, to someone who realizes the depth of emotions which she shares with Good Levin. As well as explore and embrace her own spiritual nature, and love of fellow man, as she nurses several patients, including Levin’s sick brother during his final hours.
Frankly I found the parts surrounding the pair to be a breath of fresh air, something to calm one down, before we are yet again made to wade through the quagmire that is Anna Arkadyevna and her increasingly cynical outlook of life.
Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin
One character who I found to be surprisingly empathetic about was Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin. Which is surprising, since usually in these sorts of stories, he is designated to the role of something akin to ‘Mr. Collins’ from Pride and prejudice. And while Alexey does start off that vain, appearing to be someone who is cold, indifferent and incapable of love for his wife, as the story progresses, he grows on you. We are shown the man underneath all the bureaucracy and useless pomp. Someone who might be considered emotionally awkward, due to being orphaned at an early age, and someone who despite having love for his wife and son, is often incapable of properly expressing it.
How he went from chastising Anna to behave like a proper lady and perpetuate a sham marriage despite her feelings, to someone who is willing to forgive and love her at her apparent death is just so thrilling to watch. Which makes his later slip into a superstitious cult, as well as Anna’s continued revulsion and insult of him that more painful. Indeed, one of the worst characteristics of Anna is how she can speak highly of Alexey’s kind heart and at the next instant consider him something vile and repulsive. When, if we really think about it, the man’s only fault is not being in tune to his wife’s emotional needs, and trying to perpetuate an archaic self-destructive marriage despite how it would eat up all those who are involved.
Count Alexey Kirillovitch Vronsky
It is difficult to peg Count Vronsky. On one side he is the amorous playboy who initiated the illicit romantic tryst with Anna Karenina, knowing full well of her married status. And he largely doesn’t care about the consequences of their union, until it’s too late. But on the other hand, Vronsky genuinely cares for Anna, and their love is more intense and pure than one would consider. As the story progresses Vronsky to an extent reflects on his role in wrecking the Karenin household.
He wants to put all events behind them, and start a new life with Anna and their child, though she doesn’t always agree. He is even understanding and caring for Anna towards the end, when her erratic temperament and paranoid jealousy makes every day another bout or argument. It reached a point where one has to wonder whether there is any point in perpetuating this toxic relationship. But he genuinely wants to give it a chance.
All of which are derailed by Anna’s demise. As expected from such a turbulent and codependent relationship, her parting breaks something in the Count, who enrolls in the military and sets off to the battlefront, hoping to find some heroic end in her suicidal countenance. No one is allowed to be happy in their troubled relationship.
Darya Alexandrovna Oblonksy (Dolly) & Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky (Stiva)
If Kostya and Kitty represent the more spiritual aspect of relationships, and a couple that one should aspire to be, Anna & Vronsky represent the other side, the toxic, codependent, temperamental and self destructive form of fleeting love. Dolly & Stiva lie somewhat in between. Which doesn’t make it any better.
They have a barely functional marriage, held mostly by societal conventions and considerations for their children. But truth be told, this family is mostly held together by the dutiful Darya Alexandrovna, who, despite knowing her husband’s frivolous unfaithful ways, can do nothing but bear it. Despite being a kind person, and a loving mother, Dolly has nothing much to be happy about, perhaps her children. The support of the gentlemanly Levin as well as her sister Kitty help her stay afloat financially, but they cannot fill her emotional needs.
Oblonsky, a high functioning socialite who is everybody’s friend, could care less about his family. As far as he is concerned, giving them the means of sustenance is the limit of his obligation. And he fails even at that. By the end, Oblonsky’s gallivanting spendthrift lifestyle is writing checks he can’t cash, quite literally. His go to move is to sell off his wife’s inheritance piecemeal, at cheap prices, against advice of his betters. Towards the end, he has, instead of reflecting and trying to better himself, has chosen to completely be sucked in the hedonistic lifestyle, falling into large debts and having no care as to how he intends to repay it, let alone provide for his family.
Hell, he doesn’t even see that broken up about his sister Anna’s death. Even though he comes across as harmless, cheerful and easily making friends, Oblonsky is the type of person who you would never want around you in real life.
Sergei Alexeyitch Karenin (Seriozha) & Annie
As is usually the case, when parents undergo turbulent times in their relationship, the ones to suffer are the children. Tolstoy uses Anna’s children to represent the innocence that is lost in the sordid affairs of the adults. While we are shown little in terms of Dolly’s numerous brood, Seriozha as he is affectionately called is front and center, in being the sad victim to Anna’s desire and Karenin’s obstinacy.
A sweet summer child, who cherishes his mother to a great degree, and who is apprehensive in face of his cold and strict father, Seriozha is the one who has the most overt reactions in response to Anna’s departure from their household. One could say it even would shape his personality for years to come. But he has to grow up faster than he ought to, and comes to terms with the reality of his circumstances, as towards the end, even his mother seemed to abandon him.
The case for little Annie, Anna’s child with Vronsky is much more pitiable. Even though she will never remember her mother, and won’t have the realization, Annie was a child who was not loved by either of her parents. Anna, while obsessing over her divorce and wanting to meet Seriozha, completely ignores her second born. While Vronsky, while he provides for the child, is largely absent from her life. Following her mother’s demise, the child’s fate is left in ambiguity.
Other than these, there are a whole host of characters, minor and almost nominal in their appearance, who pass through the narrative. All of them make to spin the rich tapestry of the world of Russian Oligarchs who live in their own lofty world, and who largely are uncaring and unaffected by the plights and tribulations of the common Russian peasant.
Tolstoy was a deeply spiritual man, who was constantly searching for new philosophies and religious doctrines. As in his other works, there are strong elements of religious introspection and debate in this story. Much like Prince Dmitri Ivanovitch Nekhlyudoff in ‘Resurrection’, here Tolstoy’s stand-in, Konstantin Levin, goes through much of the story contemplating the nature of humanity, compassion, our purpose in life, as well as the joy and contentment which awaits one who is engaged in honest work of those close to earth. There is a beautiful piece where, while engaging in hard labor of clearing a field with his workers, Levin, tired and frustrated, crosses some invisible threshold and looks at life anew. It’s almost as if he had entered a spiritual ‘zone’. It is such a pleasure to read.
But much like Tolstoy, Levin is a man of many contradictions. While he appreciates the value of honest labor, and the role of the Russian peasant and farmers in being the backbone of the economy, he is also unwilling to part from his nobility and the advantages that it affords.
He extols the value of family life, but till the very end is seemingly disillusioned by the responsibilities that come with it. He loves Kitty more than his life and wishes to marry her, but doesn’t hesitate to contemplate suicidal thoughts over the grief of his brother’s passing and his general malaise.
Unlike typical stories, the spiritual awakening of the character is not an end in itself of their arcs. Both Levin and Karenin come to this awakening on their own accord. The latter when he visits his dying wife, expecting the worst, chooses to forgive her and love her as a fellow human being. Only to then later fall into the trap of an organized cult like religion complete with its charismatic leader.
Then there is our main heroine herself. Like a character from some Greek tragedy, she seemingly teaches us the dangers of straying from the proper norms and customs of established society. She is portrayed neither favorably nor vilified. Others are entranced by the innate beauty and charisma beholden to her. At the same time, society shuns her, but not for the crime of infidelity. The society which Anna, Vronsky and Oblonsky are part of, are filled with deplorable characters who perform such and worse heinous acts on a regular basis. No, what Anna is guilty of, is airing out her dirty laundry, of boldly demanding a separation and wanting to live with her lover, while the rest are content to skulk in the shadows with their misdeeds.
For all the loathing and admiration that others seem to show for Anna, she herself is in a wretched state of neurosis. Going between praising Karenin’s character, to calling his revulsion in the same breath. To share an intimate bond of affection to Vronsky, then turn around and accuse him of unfaithfulness. In the end, she gathered the sticks to her own funeral pyre.
In turn, Tolstoy makes us admire, love, care for, hate, deplore, understand, loath, love, lust, chastise and pity Anna in different amounts. Even if I personally fall on that hate part of the spectrum, one can appreciate how the man was able to craft an enduring character for the modern age.
Another strong point of the narrative is the way in which it is able to delve into the quagmire of the sybaritic decadent Russian Nobilitas. We are engaged in a flurry of balls, parties, dinners, feasts, operas, horse races and other vocations which only the elite minority could afford to indulge in. Characters such as Vronsky, frivolous in their spending, and uncaring of their means, are those who believe in their inherent superiority and hold onto the sense of entitlement which comes with it. Even straight honest Levin is not exempt from a subtle sense of superiority which can come across as smug. Even though most of the time what they do is to indulge and waste the inheritance of their forefathers, without leaving anything for the generations to come. Anna being on the cross hairs of this group of pompous high brow hypocrites doesn’t bring out the best in her.
The Characters
Anna Arkaydvena Karenina
If Tolstoy’s attempt was to make Anna Arkaydvena Karenina a neurotic and thoroughly disliked character, then he has succeeded in spades. If his attempt was to make a relatable character with desires and flaws, then I need to reevaluate the lens through which I judge characters. Despite being the titular character, and despite being the center of most of the drama in the story, ‘Anna Karenina’ doesn’t begin with her, nor does it (view spoiler)
Rather, it seems to be how the presence of this alluring yet piteous, awe inspiring yet humane, vigorous yet at times insipid, temperamental yet wise, emotional yet indifferent character changes, at times wrecks, and at times makes the lives of our colorful cast of supporting characters. And what a varied bunch they are.
Konstantin Levin & Katerina Alexandrovna
Even though the main plot revolves around Anna, Vronsky and her husband Karenin, and the heated and provocative affair between them, the other characters are given ample breathing space to develop.
No one more so than Konstantin Dmitrich Levin (Kostya), Tolstoy’s own standin, as well as his love interest and eventual wife, Princess Katerina Alexandrovna Shtcherbatsky (Kitty). If one part of the narrative is focused on the sordid and increasingly convoluted relationship of the Karenins surrounding the love affair, then the other is Kostya & Kitty, how they fail and then fall in love, get married and start a healthy family. As well as Levin’s nihilistic almost suicidal outlook on life, and how he goes through multiple revelations in terms of spirituality and humanity throughout his life. As for Kitty, she goes from a naïve young maiden who looks for shallow relations with Vronsky, to someone who realizes the depth of emotions which she shares with Good Levin. As well as explore and embrace her own spiritual nature, and love of fellow man, as she nurses several patients, including Levin’s sick brother during his final hours.
Frankly I found the parts surrounding the pair to be a breath of fresh air, something to calm one down, before we are yet again made to wade through the quagmire that is Anna Arkadyevna and her increasingly cynical outlook of life.
Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin
One character who I found to be surprisingly empathetic about was Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin. Which is surprising, since usually in these sorts of stories, he is designated to the role of something akin to ‘Mr. Collins’ from Pride and prejudice. And while Alexey does start off that vain, appearing to be someone who is cold, indifferent and incapable of love for his wife, as the story progresses, he grows on you. We are shown the man underneath all the bureaucracy and useless pomp. Someone who might be considered emotionally awkward, due to being orphaned at an early age, and someone who despite having love for his wife and son, is often incapable of properly expressing it.
How he went from chastising Anna to behave like a proper lady and perpetuate a sham marriage despite her feelings, to someone who is willing to forgive and love her at her apparent death is just so thrilling to watch. Which makes his later slip into a superstitious cult, as well as Anna’s continued revulsion and insult of him that more painful. Indeed, one of the worst characteristics of Anna is how she can speak highly of Alexey’s kind heart and at the next instant consider him something vile and repulsive. When, if we really think about it, the man’s only fault is not being in tune to his wife’s emotional needs, and trying to perpetuate an archaic self-destructive marriage despite how it would eat up all those who are involved.
Count Alexey Kirillovitch Vronsky
It is difficult to peg Count Vronsky. On one side he is the amorous playboy who initiated the illicit romantic tryst with Anna Karenina, knowing full well of her married status. And he largely doesn’t care about the consequences of their union, until it’s too late. But on the other hand, Vronsky genuinely cares for Anna, and their love is more intense and pure than one would consider. As the story progresses Vronsky to an extent reflects on his role in wrecking the Karenin household.
He wants to put all events behind them, and start a new life with Anna and their child, though she doesn’t always agree. He is even understanding and caring for Anna towards the end, when her erratic temperament and paranoid jealousy makes every day another bout or argument. It reached a point where one has to wonder whether there is any point in perpetuating this toxic relationship. But he genuinely wants to give it a chance.
All of which are derailed by Anna’s demise. As expected from such a turbulent and codependent relationship, her parting breaks something in the Count, who enrolls in the military and sets off to the battlefront, hoping to find some heroic end in her suicidal countenance. No one is allowed to be happy in their troubled relationship.
Darya Alexandrovna Oblonksy (Dolly) & Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky (Stiva)
If Kostya and Kitty represent the more spiritual aspect of relationships, and a couple that one should aspire to be, Anna & Vronsky represent the other side, the toxic, codependent, temperamental and self destructive form of fleeting love. Dolly & Stiva lie somewhat in between. Which doesn’t make it any better.
They have a barely functional marriage, held mostly by societal conventions and considerations for their children. But truth be told, this family is mostly held together by the dutiful Darya Alexandrovna, who, despite knowing her husband’s frivolous unfaithful ways, can do nothing but bear it. Despite being a kind person, and a loving mother, Dolly has nothing much to be happy about, perhaps her children. The support of the gentlemanly Levin as well as her sister Kitty help her stay afloat financially, but they cannot fill her emotional needs.
Oblonsky, a high functioning socialite who is everybody’s friend, could care less about his family. As far as he is concerned, giving them the means of sustenance is the limit of his obligation. And he fails even at that. By the end, Oblonsky’s gallivanting spendthrift lifestyle is writing checks he can’t cash, quite literally. His go to move is to sell off his wife’s inheritance piecemeal, at cheap prices, against advice of his betters. Towards the end, he has, instead of reflecting and trying to better himself, has chosen to completely be sucked in the hedonistic lifestyle, falling into large debts and having no care as to how he intends to repay it, let alone provide for his family.
Hell, he doesn’t even see that broken up about his sister Anna’s death. Even though he comes across as harmless, cheerful and easily making friends, Oblonsky is the type of person who you would never want around you in real life.
Sergei Alexeyitch Karenin (Seriozha) & Annie
As is usually the case, when parents undergo turbulent times in their relationship, the ones to suffer are the children. Tolstoy uses Anna’s children to represent the innocence that is lost in the sordid affairs of the adults. While we are shown little in terms of Dolly’s numerous brood, Seriozha as he is affectionately called is front and center, in being the sad victim to Anna’s desire and Karenin’s obstinacy.
A sweet summer child, who cherishes his mother to a great degree, and who is apprehensive in face of his cold and strict father, Seriozha is the one who has the most overt reactions in response to Anna’s departure from their household. One could say it even would shape his personality for years to come. But he has to grow up faster than he ought to, and comes to terms with the reality of his circumstances, as towards the end, even his mother seemed to abandon him.
The case for little Annie, Anna’s child with Vronsky is much more pitiable. Even though she will never remember her mother, and won’t have the realization, Annie was a child who was not loved by either of her parents. Anna, while obsessing over her divorce and wanting to meet Seriozha, completely ignores her second born. While Vronsky, while he provides for the child, is largely absent from her life. Following her mother’s demise, the child’s fate is left in ambiguity.
Other than these, there are a whole host of characters, minor and almost nominal in their appearance, who pass through the narrative. All of them make to spin the rich tapestry of the world of Russian Oligarchs who live in their own lofty world, and who largely are uncaring and unaffected by the plights and tribulations of the common Russian peasant.
Themes
Tolstoy was a deeply spiritual man, who was constantly searching for new philosophies and religious doctrines. As in his other works, there are strong elements of religious introspection and debate in this story. Much like Prince Dmitri Ivanovitch Nekhlyudoff in ‘Resurrection’, here Tolstoy’s stand-in, Konstantin Levin, goes through much of the story contemplating the nature of humanity, compassion, our purpose in life, as well as the joy and contentment which awaits one who is engaged in honest work of those close to earth. There is a beautiful piece where, while engaging in hard labor of clearing a field with his workers, Levin, tired and frustrated, crosses some invisible threshold and looks at life anew. It’s almost as if he had entered a spiritual ‘zone’. It is such a pleasure to read.
But much like Tolstoy, Levin is a man of many contradictions. While he appreciates the value of honest labor, and the role of the Russian peasant and farmers in being the backbone of the economy, he is also unwilling to part from his nobility and the advantages that it affords.
He extols the value of family life, but till the very end is seemingly disillusioned by the responsibilities that come with it. He loves Kitty more than his life and wishes to marry her, but doesn’t hesitate to contemplate suicidal thoughts over the grief of his brother’s passing and his general malaise.
Unlike typical stories, the spiritual awakening of the character is not an end in itself of their arcs. Both Levin and Karenin come to this awakening on their own accord. The latter when he visits his dying wife, expecting the worst, chooses to forgive her and love her as a fellow human being. Only to then later fall into the trap of an organized cult like religion complete with its charismatic leader.
Then there is our main heroine herself. Like a character from some Greek tragedy, she seemingly teaches us the dangers of straying from the proper norms and customs of established society. She is portrayed neither favorably nor vilified. Others are entranced by the innate beauty and charisma beholden to her. At the same time, society shuns her, but not for the crime of infidelity. The society which Anna, Vronsky and Oblonsky are part of, are filled with deplorable characters who perform such and worse heinous acts on a regular basis. No, what Anna is guilty of, is airing out her dirty laundry, of boldly demanding a separation and wanting to live with her lover, while the rest are content to skulk in the shadows with their misdeeds.
For all the loathing and admiration that others seem to show for Anna, she herself is in a wretched state of neurosis. Going between praising Karenin’s character, to calling his revulsion in the same breath. To share an intimate bond of affection to Vronsky, then turn around and accuse him of unfaithfulness. In the end, she gathered the sticks to her own funeral pyre.
In turn, Tolstoy makes us admire, love, care for, hate, deplore, understand, loath, love, lust, chastise and pity Anna in different amounts. Even if I personally fall on that hate part of the spectrum, one can appreciate how the man was able to craft an enduring character for the modern age.
Another strong point of the narrative is the way in which it is able to delve into the quagmire of the sybaritic decadent Russian Nobilitas. We are engaged in a flurry of balls, parties, dinners, feasts, operas, horse races and other vocations which only the elite minority could afford to indulge in. Characters such as Vronsky, frivolous in their spending, and uncaring of their means, are those who believe in their inherent superiority and hold onto the sense of entitlement which comes with it. Even straight honest Levin is not exempt from a subtle sense of superiority which can come across as smug. Even though most of the time what they do is to indulge and waste the inheritance of their forefathers, without leaving anything for the generations to come. Anna being on the cross hairs of this group of pompous high brow hypocrites doesn’t bring out the best in her.
The Prose
Tolstoy's own personality, spirituality and outlook on life has influenced his writing and that is noticeable in the words which he penned. The politics to which he subscribed to, his contrarian views on serfdom and aristocracy, as well as his notions of what amounts to a pious good life, all make their way into the narrative.
Another aspect, which he explores through his prose, and his self-insert Levin, is his yearning and admiration for the honest, simple life of those who work close to the earth. Levin is an outdoorsman, and several of his scenes are interspersed with the beauty of the Russian countryside, which Tolstoy seems to admire.
He is able to inject a sense of serenity, one experiences on an idyllic sunny morning in each section where he describes the beauty and wonderment around him.
One of my favorite scenes, in Chapter Four of Part three, sees Levin joining the peasants in clearing out a stretch of land. He initially struggles to keep up with the seasoned workmen, but keeps at it. And just as he is haunted by pain and fatigue and can’t go any longer, he experiences a shift, as if he had passed an invisible wall to enter a zone of workful energy, and a peace like no other descends over him. The whole scene and way in which Tolstoy puts it on parchment is just, ‘check’s kiss’ perfection.
On the other side of the spectrum, there is Anna, and Pandora's box full of negative emotions which she goes through. All of it culminating in her standing on the railway line, preparing to jump in front of the train. The moroseness and morbid air that surrounds her is almost Poe-worthy.
What I’m trying, and failing to express concisely is that, Anna Karenina is a work which transcends the ages, and something which could be enjoyed both by the 19th century socialite, as well as 21st century millennial. It might be in every listing of ‘Novels you need to read at least once in your lifetime’.
So, even if it’s a literal door stopper, don’t let that daunt you, get off your ass, and give it a gander. A perfect 5 out of 5.
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