Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

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. 

The Language of Flowers: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The story was absolutely heart-breaking and yet completely heart-warming. I went through such an emotional roller coaster while I read, and I love when a book can do that for me. The characters were so real and it was easy to feel everything they were feeling. I hurt when they hurt, I laughed when they laughed, and I cried when they cried. The characters were very well created. I though the aspect of communicating through flowers was new and fresh. However, I got very distracted by the bouncing back and forth in tenses. Although each chapter changed and the changes were consistent throughout the novel, I kept getting lost in the switches. Maybe just a header on each chapter reminding me of the change would have helped me keep track of where I was in time.

Defending Jacob by William Landay

It's been a while since I've read a book I liked as much as I liked this one. From the very first page, I was captivated, holding on, dying to find out what would happen next. The whole time I couldn't reach a decision on whether or not Jacob did it. Then, the trial ended, and I felt so good about what happened until that vacation. Then I got so angry! How could he do that after all he just went through? 

And the very end? Holy crap. I almost couldn't handle it. It was too much. My heart stopped, and I cried. Which is weird because I don't cry in books (even more points for Landay). I felt bad for Jacob especially with that final dialogue, but mostly, my heart was just breaking for Andy. He had done so much, gone through so much for what? Nothing, it seems. 

I also really liked the writing style of the book. There were always three different things going on. The trial in the present, the trial in the past, and the narration throughout. This always kept me on my toes and entertained, and I thought it was a really good way to make sure every piece of information was included. 

When I finished it, I tried to start a new book (because I have a never-ending list of books I need to read) but I couldn't. I gave this new book 20 minutes, but my mind was just swamped with Andy and Jacob and all those emotional ups and downs throughout the book. I had to sleep the book-hangover off and start again the next day. Bravo, Landay!

It is definitely well-worth the read, and I will be telling everyone I see for the next week to make sure they read this.