It has been my desire to start reading the classics and I've read a few and am now reading "Anna Karenina". I'm looking for the whole classic story build-up/breakdown/resolution, but it does not flow for me and seems just odd. Now I know that this book was written a very long time ago, but what is your take on this classic?
2007-03-11 18:31:29 · 6 answers · asked by Lori G 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
This is a great story and definitely worth the extra effort. The Russian classics can be more complex than some of the ones by English authors. I would suggest that if you are finding Anna Karenina difficult or just not engaging to you right now to leave it and come back to it at a later time. The more classics that you read the more your understanding will grow thus letting you read more complex things easier.
2007-03-11 19:38:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are correct that the structure of this novel is unusual, because two stories are being told in parallel: that of Anna and that of Levin, and those two characters meet only once. The book is "old," in that it was written about 150 years ago, but it is by no means out of date. It is one of the finest works in all of literature on the subject of marriage, and provides a view snapshot of the Russian aristocracy in the middle third of the 19th century that has no competitors. Finally, it raises the perennial question of what constitutes a good life. To the degree the question is answered, the answer comes from the reader's own observations about the characters and their lives. Real with care and it will reward you--you won't find many richer works of fiction.
2007-03-12 02:19:14 · answer #2 · answered by Berta 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
See the movie first if you find the book tough. The Greta Garbo version is good. Or the Sophie Marceau and Sean Bean version. Then go read the book. When you associate a face with the characters, it will be easier. Like you know, it was written about a 100 years ago.
2007-03-12 09:19:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a wonderful book. I really felt sad when Anna died. I got the sense that Karenin was a nasty piece of work. Also, I noticed that Tolstoy makes it clear that the well-being experienced by religious cultists is not real happiness.
The movie versions are soap opera.
2007-03-12 11:33:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
your desire to read the classics is compendable, and to your benefit. But "Anna" is "accessible", even to contemporary readers. Just try to comlete the novel. Tolstoy is a Russian master of lit. and this novel does "flow", well as compared to War and Peace", just read it then reflect. best wishes
2007-03-12 02:51:35 · answer #5 · answered by lolita 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I read it a couple of years ago. It's a good read but it did take me a while, which I think is the point of literary fiction. It's not fluff to read through in a few hours, but something to think on and consider, which takes some time. I think you'll enjoy it. Just take it slow.
2007-03-12 02:18:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋