Carolyn Marie's Reviews > Anna Karenina

I don’t know where to start...I guess at the beginning. “All happy families resemble one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” -Leo Tolstoy

Exactly one month ago, scared out of my mind, I opened up this book and read that first line. After that it was all over for me because I was completely HOOKED!!! I had to fight with myself about putting the book down so I could get enough sleep. I brought it with me everywhere in case there was a spare moment when I could escape into its pages. This is one of the most truly remarkable stories I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a great many books!!

Going in, I knew that this story would mainly be about two characters, Anna (of course) and Levin. I went in thinking that Anna’s tragical tale of woe would be my preferred point of view. I also knew that there were chapters dedicated to Levin’s agricultural pursuits, and I honestly thought that they would bore me and slow down my reading pace. Oh how wrong past Carolyn was!! The exact opposite happened, Levin’s storyline was the one that captured my heart, as well as his precious love for mowing fields with a scythe. Everytime I read about Levin my heart would melt into a great big puddle. His aspirations for simply wanting to be with the one woman he loves, and living as a humble farmer just made me feel and fall for him all at the same time. Watching his character development from the beginning of the book to the end was incredibly moving and brilliantly written. Reading this story felt like watching a gifted musician compose a grand symphony.
Anna, oh my poor Anna! My feelings and sympathies towards her tended to fluctuate while I read. In the beginning, I felt sorrow for her being in a loveless marriage. Then, when love did come walking in, he brought her inevitable fate along with him. I wanted her and Vronsky to be happy together and for them to take pride in their love for eachother. The slow and sad progression of their bond was something that I thought about deeply. Their choices towards the children involved left me feeling quite uneasy. The more I read the more tension I felt coming off the pages. This all culminated in the very prolific “train scene.” Ironically, I read the train scene riding the train myself, on my way back to NYC. As I read about the approaching train, my own train’s wheels were squeaking and the car itself started rocking. I was completely and utterly transported into the story, while being elevated by my own surroundings. I had to stop reading and collect myself because I could feel my face growing red and my eyes start to water. It was a reading experience I will never forget. To read that exact scene on a train myself was indescribable. That’s when I really knew that this book was unlike any other I’ve ever read. I could feel every word, sensation, noise, and breath while reading, not only that scene, but all of them. Anna’s fate although heartbreaking was raw and honest, and I don’t think this book would have remained one of the most profound books ever written if her destiny was changed.

Along with our two brilliantly written main characters, the way each character’s story weaved together felt like watching someone hand weave silk threads into a beautiful piece of fabric. Each page felt like a gift that I never wanted to stop opening. The amount of times I read a particular line and was then entirely moved is innumerable. It felt like Tolstoy put his whole heart into each and every line. One of my absolute favorite lines is from the point of view of Levin (of course), “He tried not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.” *insert crying noises here*
Anne Karenina has become one of (if not) my favorite classics ever. It is tied neck and neck with Jane Eyre for first place, but it is so hard to say. It’s impossible to compare books because each one is different from the other, and that’s what makes this thing called reading so much fun!!
I have so much more to say, but I don’t think any configuration of words will ever fully articulate how much I love and adore this book. The fact that this story is over makes me feel quite empty inside, which was half the reason why I practically cried my eye’s out when I read the final page. Yet, the most uplifting aspect of a well written story, is that once the author and their characters make their way inside your heart, there they will remain.