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Matthew's Reviews > Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
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by
Matthew's review
bookshelves: 2021, audible, audio, classic, completist-book-club, historical-fiction
Mar 09, 2021
bookshelves: 2021, audible, audio, classic, completist-book-club, historical-fiction
Another classic in the books!
I have to say, Anna Karenina is the most spoiled book I have ever encountered. I was not surprised by the ending because I have seen dozens of books, movies, etc. where the climax of this book is discussed with reckless abandon. If this book has not been spoiled for you yet, and if your luck is anything like mine, read it soon!
Russian names:
Have you read any Russian authors before? If so, you know that not only are names repeated over and over, they are also often said in totality and they have several variations – some of which are nothing like each other. Because of this, if you try this one, get ready for lots of names and possible confusion over which character is being discussed. But, don’t worry! In general, the key players are easy to follow.
Russian politics and labor:
While this large tome has lots of story, it also has a lot of discussion on Russian politics and the labor climate at the time it was written. This could prove to be either interesting for you or boring depending on what you are looking for in a book. I did not mind it much; it did not end up being my favorite part of the book, but I do think it added a lot to the atmosphere and setting.
The role of Women:
Overall, I was left with the impression that during the time this was written, women were treated very unfairly in Russia (and, I am sure, all around the world). No matter what happened or who was at fault, a woman paid the price. I know this still goes on today with women being considered “sluts” if they sleep around, but men are considered “studs”. Shows that in some respects we have not advanced very much as a society! If a story based on unequal treatment based on gender interests you, this is a good one to read and analyze.
Overall impression:
I enjoyed this book a lot. I have seen many fawn over it as some of the greatest literature ever. I don’t feel like I was quite that enamored with it, but it was an enjoyable, easy to read, follow, and appreciate. I am very glad I took the time to read this classic and if you are looking to take on a big, famous book, this one would not be a bad choice.
I have to say, Anna Karenina is the most spoiled book I have ever encountered. I was not surprised by the ending because I have seen dozens of books, movies, etc. where the climax of this book is discussed with reckless abandon. If this book has not been spoiled for you yet, and if your luck is anything like mine, read it soon!
Russian names:
Have you read any Russian authors before? If so, you know that not only are names repeated over and over, they are also often said in totality and they have several variations – some of which are nothing like each other. Because of this, if you try this one, get ready for lots of names and possible confusion over which character is being discussed. But, don’t worry! In general, the key players are easy to follow.
Russian politics and labor:
While this large tome has lots of story, it also has a lot of discussion on Russian politics and the labor climate at the time it was written. This could prove to be either interesting for you or boring depending on what you are looking for in a book. I did not mind it much; it did not end up being my favorite part of the book, but I do think it added a lot to the atmosphere and setting.
The role of Women:
Overall, I was left with the impression that during the time this was written, women were treated very unfairly in Russia (and, I am sure, all around the world). No matter what happened or who was at fault, a woman paid the price. I know this still goes on today with women being considered “sluts” if they sleep around, but men are considered “studs”. Shows that in some respects we have not advanced very much as a society! If a story based on unequal treatment based on gender interests you, this is a good one to read and analyze.
Overall impression:
I enjoyed this book a lot. I have seen many fawn over it as some of the greatest literature ever. I don’t feel like I was quite that enamored with it, but it was an enjoyable, easy to read, follow, and appreciate. I am very glad I took the time to read this classic and if you are looking to take on a big, famous book, this one would not be a bad choice.
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Reading Progress
July 4, 2018
– Shelved
July 4, 2018
– Shelved as:
to-read
January 1, 2021
–
Started Reading
January 1, 2021
– Shelved as:
2021
January 1, 2021
– Shelved as:
audible
January 1, 2021
– Shelved as:
audio
January 1, 2021
– Shelved as:
classic
January 1, 2021
– Shelved as:
completist-book-club
January 1, 2021
– Shelved as:
historical-fiction
March 4, 2021
–
Finished Reading
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Loretta
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rated it 4 stars
Jan 05, 2021 08:40AM
Enjoyable book Matthew. Hope you’re finding it so! 😊
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At times I wanted to smack Anna and other times I felt sorry for her in a weird way!
Great review. Thanks for the heads up about the names. I plan to read this soon and will keep that in mind.
I don’t know how i didn’t have the ending spoiled for me when Ib read it a year ago but since then I’ve heard people discuss it or seen it spoiled in books.
Loretta wrote: "Enjoyable book Matthew. Hope you’re finding it so! 😊"It was, Loretta! Glad you enjoyed it, too! :D
Lesle wrote: "At times I wanted to smack Anna and other times I felt sorry for her in a weird way!"I can see that, Lesle! I felt that way about several of the characters.
Russian names are so much fun! There’s a Wikipedia article on it that helped me out quite a bit. There’s your name, then another name that means son of/daughter of, and often a nickname. I had a conversation recently with a person for whom English isn’t a primary language and realized that we do it, too. We are just used to it. Edward becomes Teddy or even Ned. Margaret becomes Meg and Maggie. Elizabeth becomes any number of things. Anyway, I loved This book and am glad you did, too!
Great review Matthew!! I'm agreeing with all that you've said in this review as I'm about half way through.I do think the farming parts are a bit boring but I'm still invested into Levin's life and being the best farmer/land owner he can be! LOL!
I'm looking forward to finishing this since I'm one of the few (I think there's like 5 of us in the world) who does not know how it ends for Anna.
Theresa (bookbliss925) wrote: "Great review. Thanks for the heads up about the names. I plan to read this soon and will keep that in mind."Thanks, Theresa! And, no problem! Good luck with the names when you try it. 😁
Ginnie wrote: "I don’t know how i didn’t have the ending spoiled for me when Ib read it a year ago but since then I’ve heard people discuss it or seen it spoiled in books."Glad to hear someone else noticed it, too! Also glad you managed to read this one before you noticed it.
keira Knightly herself spoiled the ending for me in an interview. It happened so quickly.
I'm guessing the host did most of the spoiling.
Luckily for me I read it back when I was about ten or eleven...no risk of spoilers back then! :-)
Paula W wrote: "Russian names are so much fun! There’s a Wikipedia article on it that helped me out quite a bit. There’s your name, then another name that means son of/daughter of, and often a nickname. I had a co..."Help from another source like Wikipedia would be useful for these Russian classics!
I am also glad to see you liked it, Paula! 😁
Ginger wrote: "Great review Matthew!! I'm agreeing with all that you've said in this review as I'm about half way through.I do think the farming parts are a bit boring but I'm still invested into Levin's life a..."
Thank you, Ginger! Lucky you not getting spoiled - you will probably start noticing it everywhere once you finish.
And, yes, so much mowing . . . 🤣🤣🤣
Girish wrote: "keira Knightly herself spoiled the ending for me in an interview. It happened so quickly."Ugh! That's the worst - you would think an actor or actress would be more careful with spoilers!
Willow wrote: "Luckily for me I read it back when I was about ten or eleven...no risk of spoilers back then! :-)"Yes - the internet and social media have greatly increased the chance of spoilers! When a new book or movie comes out, I go on lockdown to avoid hearing or seeing anything.
However, I do remember Back to the Future II being spoiled for me the week it came out when I was a kid because I didn't go and watch it fast enough. When Part III came out, I had my Mom take me to see it right after school.
Nice points in your review Matthew!
Is there a reason why you went with the old Garnett translation instead of the much superior (IMHO) Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky edition? I know you listen to books instead of reading them and maybe there isn't an audible of P&V yet. This is without a doubt, for me, one of the best books ever written. It is epic and considering that it was written in 1878 the themes of the book are just as relevant today as they were 140 years ago. You made me laugh when you wrote that the book had been discussed with reckless abandonment. haha! When one thinks about the influence of this book and how much it has been studied and written about your comment made me think you were confusing this with the latest episode of Outlander or Discovery of Witches...don't tell me anything or it will be RUINED. I knew the complete plot of this book before I read it and it did not take anything away from my experience. I'm not a big believer in spoilers though. Experiencing the craft of the novelist is as important as the plot devices. Anyway I'm glad you at least tepidly enjoyed your experience. I'm sure Maggie was a good narrator. I still smile every time I think of her in the movie The Secretary.
Lesle wrote: "Nice points in your review Matthew!"Thanks, Leslie! 😁
Jeffrey wrote: "Is there a reason why you went with the old Garnett translation instead of the much superior (IMHO) Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky edition? I know you listen to books instead of reading the..."The only reason I chose this translation is that Audible was advertising it as available with my subscription. I had not seen any discussion about translations, but figured if Audible got Maggie Gyllenhaal to read this one, it had to be decent! 😁
Yeah, I have often said that there is a statute of limitations for how long something has been available for general consumption before it can no longer truly be spoiled (i.e. Darth Vader - if you don't know by now . . .). But, it was amazing how often I would see or hear (view spoiler). I can truly say that knowing did not ruin my overall experience, I was just not shocked or surprised and could see where things were headed with her the entire time. Kind of like when you watch or read a mystery a second time and pick up on hints you missed - I was catching the first time around!
And, 3 stars is tepid for me. This was quite a bit more than 3 stars for me. Just not quite the 5 star experience. But, I can easily tell why it is a 5 star for many.
Thanks for the feedback and discussion points, Jeffrey! 😃
Matthew wrote: "Jeffrey wrote: "Is there a reason why you went with the old Garnett translation instead of the much superior (IMHO) Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky edition? I know you listen to books instea..."I would always suggest that readers or in your case listeners should take at least a bit of time researching what translations are available for classics. Depending on the time period in which they were translated they could be heavily edited or even altered to remove anything deemed "offensive". Also, some translators are just more gifted at interpreting the intention of the writer. P&V have always been a good experience for me when reading Russian translations. Garnett was the standard translation for many, many decades, and I'm sure it was fine, but P&V add that extra special sauce that really brought Tolstoy's words to life for me.
Reckless abandon...your still giving me a chuckle over that one. :-) Those damn critics, professors, students of literature always spoiling the best literature by discussing it!!!
Jeffrey wrote: "Is there a reason why you went with the old Garnett translation instead of the much superior (IMHO) Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky edition? I know you listen to books instead of reading them and maybe there isn't an audible of P&V yet."Thank you for the feedback Jeffrey! I've been reading the Garnett translation and have decided to switch to see if the reading experience will be better. I appreciate knowing that there are many translations out there for this book.
Jeffrey wrote: "Matthew wrote: "Jeffrey wrote: "Is there a reason why you went with the old Garnett translation instead of the much superior (IMHO) Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky edition? I know you listen..."I guess I am too cheap - I see "Free Audible Exclusive" and I jump on it! 😉
And, hey, reckless abandon is way hyperbolic for sure (I adore and overuse hyperbole - my wife hates it, but it's who I am), but I am not talking about it getting spoiled by reading an expose on Russian literature or a review of the book. I am just saying I have never seen the climax of a book so often discussed in seemingly unrelated books, movies, etc. The type of spoiling I am talking about is a cutscene in Family Guy talking about it (not that they did, maybe they did . . . but that is the type of spoilage that comes to mind, not Russian professors having a scholarly debate). And, overall, it is just an observation and not a complaint (just in case you thought it was me complaining - I thought it would bring a little levity to start my review) 😁😁😁 <----all the smileys so you know the levity is in these lines I wrote 😃
Great review, Matthew. I am glad to hear that you liked this one. I was surprised at how much I loved it when I read this a few years ago. I knew the ending as well, but it wasn't a big problem, I still enjoyed reading the book. The Russian names and their variations nearly killed me in the beginning but after a few (hundred) pages I got used to it 😂
Feli wrote: "Great review, Matthew. I am glad to hear that you liked this one. I was surprised at how much I loved it when I read this a few years ago. I knew the ending as well, but it wasn't a big problem, I ..."Thank you, Feli! Sounds like we had a very similar experience with this one. Glad you enjoyed it! :)
I had been looking forward to reading this until Jeopardy, of all places, spoiled the ending for me! Knowing that it has such an ending, I'm reluctant to read it now.
