Anna Karenina

Author: (Russian) Leo Tolstoy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: The novel is composed of two parallel plots: One is the tragic pursuit of love and happiness by Anna, who does not love the lifeless bureaucrat husband, Karenin, but falls in love at first sight with the charming young officer Vronsky and runs away with him, thereby being scorned by high society. Later, she faces a love crisis with Vronsky and, in the end, becomes utterly and commits suicide by lying on the tracks. This exposes the hypocrisy, cruelty, and decay of the 19th-century Russian upper class. The other plot follows the provincial landlord Levin, who, after experiencing various trials, finally establishes a happy family with the noble lady Gatsby he loves, as well as the economic reforms he undertakes in the face of rural bankruptcy. This reflects the development trends of Russian rural life after the abolition of serfdom. Tolstoy affirms Levin's exploration while both sympathizing with and condemning Anna. The fatalistic ending reflects the contradictions in the author's thoughts.