Anna Karenina
written by Lev Tolstoj
All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
Anna Karenina
(Russian: Анна Каренина, IPA: [ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə]) is a novel,
first published in book form in 1878, by the Russian
author Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy called it his first true
novel. It was initially released in serial installments from 1875 to
1877, all but the last part appearing in the periodical
The Russian Messenger. By the time he was finishing up the last
installments, Tolstoy was in an anguished state of mind having come to
hate it but finished it unwillingly.
The novel deals with themes of betrayal, faith, family, marriage,
Imperial Russian society, desire, and the differences between rural and
urban life. The story centres on an extramarital affair between Anna and
cavalry officer Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky that scandalises the
social circles of Saint Petersburg and forces the young lovers to flee
to Italy in pursuit of happiness, but after they return to Russia, their
lives further unravel.
Through countless seasons of cinema and screen, this tale has been reborn in many forms. In its latest incarnation, Anna breathes anew beneath the grace of Keira Knightley.
If this story speaks to you as it does to me, don’t miss the chance to experience its English edition, seek it at my favorite English bookstore and let its pages draw you in.