I liked the window that Tolstoy gives you into the subjective reasonings (often paranoid, delusional) of several key characters in this book. His portrayal of the way that isolation/depression chips away at the main character's sanity is haunting. This book also made me think about how many of the unspoken conventions/rules/taboos of "society" that Tolstoy portrays are echoed in various ways today in circles of friends, groups of co-workers, social networking sites, etc. Tolstoy goes on a few political/philosophical rants that are thinly veiled as his characters' inner monologues. I found these tedious. Part eight, after the climax of the book, is, not surprisingly, anti-climactic. I wanted more information on how the climax event was viewed by the other characters. But, overall, I loved this book. ( )

Don't let the size daunt you; Tolstoy's novel is engrossing, captivating, whatever adjective you want to insert in there. I resisted for the longest time since I did not have any interest in Russian literature -- ha, was I ignorant! My favorite parts, really, were the parts that plumbed Russian society and really peeled away all the different layers. I loved learning about the highest echelons and the "lowliest" farmers.

I'm not a fan of this cover, though. :) ( )

Writer Kate Figes has chosen to discuss Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina on FiveBooks as one of the top five on her subject - Sex and Marriage, saying that:

"Anna gives up her position and her child for this powerful passion. Tolstoy describes the sexual repression and her need for passion but never passes judgment.."

The full interview is available here: http://five-books.com/interviews/kate... ( )

I love Russian literature so for me this was an easy read. It is beautifully written and classic. Tolstoy is a superb storyteller. The characters are fully developed, well written, and deep. There is something for everyone in this book: romance, tragedy, and a sense of poetry in motion. ( )

From the very first page this was a wonderful book / read! I was pleasantly surprised because I thought it was going to be a bore given that it was written so long ago!

Levin reminds me of John, which is in no way a compliment, so he annoyed me at the beginning! Anna, at the end with her jealousy, reminded me of me! I wish we had learned more about how her suicide effected other people's lives -- like her husband and son.

I was very surprised by the ending and this spiritual realization ... it just came out of nowhere and yet tied in perfectly with the entire story! It was a wonderful book! ( )