classics

Tolstoy is the type of author you either love or don't. There is no middle ground on taste here. His vivid descriptions for me have some of the greatest depth in literature. They are both comprehensive and complex.

This is a story of characters you may know or live who have different names but this story is written in a romantic setting that is classic not cheesey.

Anna Karenina has lived a life of safety. Her marriage is stale but her contentment is real. Count Vronsky introduces her to powerful and passionate love. Although Anna struggles with thoughts of what is obligatory and what is driving her she surrenders to her passion for the Count. Their adultery is complicated and in the midst of it all are two characters named Kitty and Levin. Levin is a simple farmer in love with Kitty but Kitty has an infatuation with the Count.

The unfolding of the circumstances and consequences is exquisitely written and this edition is a magnificent choice to read.

For Oprah to choose such classics confirms for me her dynamic sense of responsibility to reading. If all you read are contemporary bestseller novels this may not be a book for you. However if you have a broad range of interests and cultures of every kind fascinate you, you will find this book will raise your level of exposure to a wide wonderful world of literature.

After owning this book for almost a year and being intimidated by it's 800 pages, I finally dug in about a month ago. All I can say is this: On June 1st, I ran out to purchase David Sedaris' new book, which I have been waiting for these last 4 years with breathless anticipation....but instead of devouring it immediately, I finished the last 100 pages of Anna first. That says alot for my commitment to this amazing book! I was so enthralled...the rich inner lives of these characters, the beautiful writing. I found myself reading sentences over and over, basking in their beauty.

I am surprised by the reviewers comments that the decisions and scenarios in this book are black and white, that the characters are stereotypes. I think the opposite is true---Tolstoy gives you a window into the thought life of every character and a glimpse at just how "grey" their struggles really are, the duality of their lives. Like Vronksy's desparate love for Anna, coupled with the nagging notion that he just might have left behind a life that he misses. Who cares (as many readers apparently do) that Anna doesn't show up until 80 pages in???? This book is more than one woman, it is a masterpeice filled with many memorable characters, male and female alike. It's the richness of the supporting characters that take this book to the next level. Simply amazing!

I tend to loathe Oprah for her book club "magic wand", but I am happy that she will bring a new crop of readers to this wonderful piece of literature. Not only will you appreciate the plot and the characters, you will appreciate the craft of writing itself.

If this is not thre greatest novel ever written, it's certainly in the top 10. Tolstoy addresses a multitude of themes in Anna Karenina: infidelity, faith in God, love, politics, and more. It's scope is wider and more ambitious than almost any novel you will find. What's more amazing is that Tolstoy makes it all work. The main characters are all well developed, particularly Levin. I will admit that the book does drag in spots, and the multitude of names gets confusing at times, but keep going! It is well worth the effort. A must read.