Book Review of ‘Anna Karenina’ by Constance Garnett
‘Anna Karenina’ is a novel originally
written in Russian language by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. It was first
published in book form in 1878. It was later translated in English language by
Constance Garnett. ‘Anna Karenina’
provides a vast panorama of the contemporary of life in Russia and of humanity
in general. The novel revolves around the extramarital affair between Anna and
Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. Anna is an intelligent, charming, beautiful
woman who is always wonderfully dressed and is fundamentally good and is
married to Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, who is a senior statesman, and has a
son named, Sergei (Seryozha) with him, while Vronsky is a Cavalry officer and a
dashing bachelor. Vronsky saw Anna for the first time when she arrived at
Moscow to meet her brother Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky (Stiva) and her
sister-in-law Princess Darya Alexandrovna (Dolly). Dolly had discovered that
her husband Stiva is having an affair with the family’s governess. Dolly and
the whole family are in turmoil and Anna comes from St. Petersburg in a bid to
calm situation and she does and soon things start to get better between them.
Vronsky is very much attracted and
infatuated with Anna. Kitty who is in love with Vronsky rejects Levin’s
proposal but is heartbroken when she comes to know that Vronsky is in love with
Anna. Levin, who is crushed by Kitty’s rejection returns to his estate. Confused
about her emotions for Vronsky Anna leaves from Moscow to go back home. Vronsky
comes to St. Petersburg with Anna and confesses his love to her during their
train journey. When Anna returns to her husband she realizes that she finds him
unattractive. While in St. Petersburg Vronsky continues to pursue Anna. Anna
initially rejects him but eventually she succumbs and their affair begins. They
start spending more time with each other and Anna becomes pregnant with
Vronsky’s child. In a state of emotional distress she confesses about their
affair to her husband, Karenin, who refuses to break it off with her and
threatens to take away Seryozha, their son. Anna and Vronsky continue to see
each other and Anna gives birth to Vronsky’s daughter, Annie. Anna discovers
that she cannot bear to live with Karenin and elopes with Vronsky to Europe,
where they both face difficulties in their relationship and also struggle to
find friends who accept them. They both become increasingly restless and return
back to Russia where Anna is still isolated and anxious, while Vronsky pursues
his social life.
With the help of Stiva, Levin and Kitty
reconcile and get married and start their new life together. They struggle in
the first few months but their marriage starts to improve with passing time.
Later, Anna and Vronsky go to live at Vronsky’s estate but their relationship
gets worse. Anna grows jealous of Vronsky, about how his life in the society
goes back to normal but hers doesn’t.
Depressed about how their relationship turned and realizing the fact that Vronsky is no longer in love with her Anna commits suicide by throwing herself under the carriage of a passing train. Vronsky too grows suicidal and later departs with a group of Russian volunteers to fight in the Orthodox Serbian revolt. Levin has a change of heart and concludes that he does have belief in Christian principles which he questioned till now. Karenin takes custody of Vronsky and Anna’s baby, Annie and is comforted by Countess Lidia Ivanovna, an enthusiast of religious and mystic ideas fashionable with the upper classes.
This novel explores a diverse range of
throughout. Personally, I feel that it focuses on complex issues faced in
marriage and relationships and about how we decide and make mistakes about whom
and what we love in life and to whom and what should we give our loyalty,
belief and faith. We come across themes like betrayal, faith, family, marriage,
society, and desire in this novel which makes it quite interesting. Tolstoy has
brilliantly used his imaginative insights to create some of the most memorable
characters in all of literature. I like how the book takes us through stories
of marriage and love, its formation, dissolution and glories and perils that
come along with it, all of which is still relevant today. All the 3 stories of
Anna and Vronsky, Levin and Kitty and Dolly and Stiva tells us how these people
fall in and out of love and face issues in their marriage and relationship.
While some come out of it solving their conflicts some struggle and find it
difficult to come to terms with their situation. To me, the characters in the
novel seem to be more confused with themselves, the expectations of society and
the decisions they have to make.
Another part in the novel that caught my
attention is the fact that after being caught up in a scandal how things
eventually return back to normal for men, just as it did for Vronsky but women
struggle and lose their social standing and are unable to go back to their
normal life because society doesn’t let them, just like Anna.
This novel by Tolstoy is rightly
considered as one of the greatest works of literature ever. I would like to conclude
by saying that all of these issues still exist in society and in our lives, but
it is up to us to make it right. It’s the choices we make that eventually
define us, whether we make a right one or a wrong one. We don’t know what we
will face or when we will die but the best thing we can do is live the life we
have making memories, making mistakes, learning from them, loving people, and
doing the best we can to be remembered.
Book review by Lorna Chourappa. Roll no – 05 / SY B.ED 2019-21
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