- Paperback: 864 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (3 Aug 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140455353
- ISBN-13: 978-0140455359
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,830,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: Vook Classics
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Product Description
Review
One of the greatest love stories in world literature --Vladimir Nabokov
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Acclaimed by many as the world's greatest novel, this is the story of a wife, Anna Karenina, who abandons her empty existence as the wife of a Petersburg government minister for a passionate relationship with a young officer, Count Vronsky.
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First Sentence
'I am writing a novel,' Tolstoy informed his friend the critic Nikolai Strakhov on 11 May 1873, referring to the book that was to become Anna Karenina. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
'I am writing a novel,' Tolstoy informed his friend the critic Nikolai Strakhov on 11 May 1873, referring to the book that was to become Anna Karenina. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It has to be mentioned that Anna Karenina is viewed by a lot of people as the perfect novel, and who am I to disagree? I have read it many times in numeorus traslations and so I feel that I should point out that this was translated by the late Constance Garnett. Because her translations are all out of copyright she is the world's most read English translator of Russian literature. It must be said that she did have a tendency to leave things out if she couldn't understand it and she did make alterations, mainly so that it would flow better in English. I know she has come in for a lot of criticism over the years but it should never be forgotten that she gave the reading public here and in the US translations of all the Russian greats and made them easily accessible for all.
Anna Karenina the novel, is absolutely brilliant, it holds you from the beginning, all the way throuh to the end. Taking us through such things as hypocrisy and jealousy, it takes us into a family and keeps us rooted in all the problems that it faces. If you have never read this before then now is definitely the time, if you have already read it, surely it is about time you read it again.
So remember, although this isn't the most accurate translation on the market, this is free and is easily readable, plus it does keep to the story, also the biggest complaints about her accuracy usually fall on her translations of Dostoevsky more than any other author.
Anna Karenina the novel, is absolutely brilliant, it holds you from the beginning, all the way throuh to the end. Taking us through such things as hypocrisy and jealousy, it takes us into a family and keeps us rooted in all the problems that it faces. If you have never read this before then now is definitely the time, if you have already read it, surely it is about time you read it again.
So remember, although this isn't the most accurate translation on the market, this is free and is easily readable, plus it does keep to the story, also the biggest complaints about her accuracy usually fall on her translations of Dostoevsky more than any other author.
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having read 'War and Peace', I bought this book with the expectation that it would be a worthwhile slog, full of wisdom but no page turner. I was wrong: it was very difficult to put down and I enjoyed it immensely. Happily though, I was right about the wisdom bit, and it has supplied plenty of material now fermenting in the brain. This is without doubt up there with the best books I've read.
The story is very large in scale, dealing with many characters (the main ones are listed in the front) over a period of some years. The main narrative drive comes from the relationships of two couples, one an extra-marital affair. As the novel progresses, these relationships follow divergent trajectories, one doomed, the other blessed. Tolstoy is therefore able to turn the illuminating spotlight of his compassionate insight on large areas of human experience. The story is a compelling one, well paced and absorbing, and with a natural, snapshot-of-life, feel as opposed to being contrived in a Dickensian way.
The characters themselves are a bit larger than life, though very human. Tolstoy handles each one with understanding and compassion, and clearly has great love for them all. He frequently switches from one character's point of view to another's, and we are always able to understand and to sympathise with their motivation, noble or otherwise. The four main characters in particular are utterly convincing, and you feel for them very much.
As in 'War and Peace', Tolstoy uses the novel to express some of his philosophical and political ideas. The central character, Levin, who you feel is closely related to the writer himself, is constantly battling with very large ideas, presumeably reflecting Tolstoy's own mental life at the time. The existence of God, the inevitability of death, and the value of reason are all dealt with in depth. Tolstoy clearly believes that logical argument is futile and unpersuasive, and seeks, through Levin, to hint at the truths he can see plainly. Some of this is very convincing, and it is partly, perhaps, this philosophical ability that sets Tolstoy apart as one of the truly great writers.
As far as this edition in particular is concerned, I didn't bother with the introduction (I rarely do, as editors almost always miss the point of an +intro+duction, it seems to me, by assuming that you have read the book already - this was no exception), but the notes were in general quite pertinent and informative, particulalry about Russian history. The prose flowed quite nicely, and the language was modern but not to a gimmicky extent. The fact that it was a translation didn't seem to get in the way too much as it sometimes can, though I haven't read any other translations of 'AK' so I'm in no position to recommend this one over any others.
Don't be afraid to take this wonderful book on, it really is a fantastic read. My advice is to take it on holiday with you as I did, or at least wait until you've got a lot of reading time, because I think it might get more difficult (e.g. with the very confusing plethora of interchangeable names) if you let the momentum drop. You will be rewarded with a life-enriching experience, and a whole new perspective on the enigma that is life.
The story is very large in scale, dealing with many characters (the main ones are listed in the front) over a period of some years. The main narrative drive comes from the relationships of two couples, one an extra-marital affair. As the novel progresses, these relationships follow divergent trajectories, one doomed, the other blessed. Tolstoy is therefore able to turn the illuminating spotlight of his compassionate insight on large areas of human experience. The story is a compelling one, well paced and absorbing, and with a natural, snapshot-of-life, feel as opposed to being contrived in a Dickensian way.
The characters themselves are a bit larger than life, though very human. Tolstoy handles each one with understanding and compassion, and clearly has great love for them all. He frequently switches from one character's point of view to another's, and we are always able to understand and to sympathise with their motivation, noble or otherwise. The four main characters in particular are utterly convincing, and you feel for them very much.
As in 'War and Peace', Tolstoy uses the novel to express some of his philosophical and political ideas. The central character, Levin, who you feel is closely related to the writer himself, is constantly battling with very large ideas, presumeably reflecting Tolstoy's own mental life at the time. The existence of God, the inevitability of death, and the value of reason are all dealt with in depth. Tolstoy clearly believes that logical argument is futile and unpersuasive, and seeks, through Levin, to hint at the truths he can see plainly. Some of this is very convincing, and it is partly, perhaps, this philosophical ability that sets Tolstoy apart as one of the truly great writers.
As far as this edition in particular is concerned, I didn't bother with the introduction (I rarely do, as editors almost always miss the point of an +intro+duction, it seems to me, by assuming that you have read the book already - this was no exception), but the notes were in general quite pertinent and informative, particulalry about Russian history. The prose flowed quite nicely, and the language was modern but not to a gimmicky extent. The fact that it was a translation didn't seem to get in the way too much as it sometimes can, though I haven't read any other translations of 'AK' so I'm in no position to recommend this one over any others.
Don't be afraid to take this wonderful book on, it really is a fantastic read. My advice is to take it on holiday with you as I did, or at least wait until you've got a lot of reading time, because I think it might get more difficult (e.g. with the very confusing plethora of interchangeable names) if you let the momentum drop. You will be rewarded with a life-enriching experience, and a whole new perspective on the enigma that is life.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
The book is wonderful but the electronic version is awful. Why can't they use the wonderful new translation? This one is so clunky that it is almost painful. Made me want to read the book in the original Russian
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good Medicine
I have just finished `Anna Karenina', for the first time. Recently I read `War and Peace', for the first time since boyhood.
Both novels completely blew me away. Read more
Both novels completely blew me away. Read more
Published 18 days ago by conjunction
The greatest novel ever written
There can be no question, this is the best novel ever written. Which is why having the perfect translation is of the utmost importance. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Terry Byrne
Anna - A Real Piece of Work
Not so much a novel as a treatise on marriage, with Tolstoy pausing along the way to express views on matters as diverse as the impact of the railway on the countryside, farming... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brownbear101
One of the greats
(n.b This review refers to the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation).
I'll keep this review quite short, as there are plenty of others detailing just why this is... Read more
I'll keep this review quite short, as there are plenty of others detailing just why this is... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Amanda Huggenkiss
Excellent translation with extensive notes
This famous novel is very interesting regarding the triangle relationship of the three characters in the main plot - Anna, her husband and her lover. Read more
Published 2 months ago by KazM
Blooming marvellous!
I bought this before going on holiday, more as a challenge than anything else- to get through it and then tick it off my list of Classic Books. Read more
Published 4 months ago by CHARLES W SKINNER
"Anna Karenina" at an astonishing price
Rosemary Edmunds' 1954 translation of this Tolstoy classic is an excellent addition to any library. It was one of my first Kindle choices; like many others, I filled the "shelves"... Read more
Published 6 months ago by RR Waller
Reading Tolstoy
I've been meaning to read this for years - having started it on many occasions and literally losing the plot(s). Retired, and with the benefit of a Kindle, I finally made it! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Burmesecat
A masterpiece
I have spent my summer with Anna Karenina, beginning and ending my days with her. This is my first Tolstoy and I have enjoyed reading this piece of his illustrious work... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Sally Walker
anna karenina
This will be a short review because I just want to impress on anyone who is thinking about reading this book that they should delay no longer. Read more
Published 9 months ago by bookfan
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