This was a very difficult book to get through. I was often slogged down by scenes that seemed unimportant to the plot but went on for pages and pages (for example, the part where Levin mows his lawn). However, I'm so happy I finally finished the book, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good classic to read.
I've been a fan of Russian Literature ever since I read Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. I absolutely loved that novel, but the biggest mistake you can make (which I'll admit, I made) is grouping all of Russian Literature into one category (that goes further than just the region they were written) and assume the content will be the same. I was surprised by how different Anna Karenina is from Crime and Punishment. Crime and Punishment is such a psychological read. It is all mental and just messes with your mind the whole time. Anna Karenina is much more external, focusing on the actions of the many characters and how society and others are impacted. Yes, there is some psychology involved, but a majority of the story is about the surrounding society and the effect Anna has on them. The worlds of these two novels seem like completely different universes. The focus is on different classes in each. Crime and Punishment is about a much lower class than the people in Anna Karenina, which does change the world of the story.
I appreciate this work also because of the attitudes evoked by the characters. I usually hate reading books about characters that I don't like, and lemme tell you, I do not like Anna even one little bit. She is completely despicable. Maybe it makes me cold-hearted, but I couldn't bring myself to pity her or feel sorry for her at all. She made the choices that brought her to where she was. She chased what she thought she wanted, and when reality struck back in, she couldn't handle the consequences. And, when it comes to her son, she didn't even try to fight for him. She wanted what she wanted, and no one could get in her way. Maybe that trait is admirable to some people, but in this instance, and for me, I couldn't admire Anna. However, I appreciate that Tolstoy is able to draw such strong feelings out of me. Yes, these feelings are negative, but any feelings, any reaction that I'm able to get from a book is a good thing. I want to feel something when I read, and in Anna Karenina, I certainly felt a lot.
Disliking Anna allowed me to focus on characters I did like, like Levin. He rambles much too frequently, and sometimes he is just a little pitiful man, but I enjoyed his person. Especially the ending Tolstoy gave him. His discovering what's important in life sets a good tone for the end of the book.
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