Book Review: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

 Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - 4/5 [Spoilers Included]

If you search "Top Books of All Time" on Google, you'll probably find Anna Karenina amongst them, and I have to say I 100% agree. 

The story is split into two strong character arcs. The first one involves Anna's sudden but passionate affair with the handsome, wealthy and charming Count Alexei Vronsky. The second one involves Konstantine Levin and his emotional journey of trying to forget about the girl that he was rejected by, only to marry her later on in the story. As Anna's relationship with Vronsky starts to fall apart, Levin's undying romance for his wife acts as a stark contrast to what could have been had the two characters came to an understanding of each other as people, rather than as objects of a passionate romance. 

The strength of Tolstoy's writing lies in his ability to uniquely give life to each character and their interactions to make them realistic. Anna's romance does not switch from perfect to rotten overnight; Tolstoy is able to understand the intricacies of a relationship and the situations which would cause minor rifts between the two individuals which, when unaddressed, slowly get bigger and bigger. With Anna's growing insecurity and Vronsky's lack of empathy and understanding, it is plain to see that such relationships between two characters can exist even today. 

Levin's struggle with religion and the absurdity of life, especially in light of his marriage to the pious Ekaterina Shcherbatskaya, is something that we can all relate to. "Would I marry a religious person? How would it change me as a person?" is a question that many of us have asked when choosing a suitable partner. Levin's struggle and ultimate enlightenment is something that we experience and celebrate as he starts to figure out that answer at the literal end of the book. 

However, this book is not for the weak hearted. Tolstoy, an intellectual philosopher, writes his characters as they go deep into concepts of Philosophy (materialism mostly) and Communism against the backdrop of a Tsarist Russia. To understand the book deeply you would have to understand Russia's history and the key tenets of philosophy and communism.

Anna Karenina is an exciting story of romance, sex appeal and revelation. Through this book, Tolstoy sets the standard for storytelling for writers worldwide to follow.