tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post8175176359975217486..comments2024-02-29T02:54:19.767-05:00Comments on Babbling Books: Anna Karenina by Leo TolstoyBrian Josephhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-16338585781803241532020-01-12T02:26:27.767-05:002020-01-12T02:26:27.767-05:00nice booknice bookKashem Mirhttps://myebooksfree.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-15873707745858270752019-02-19T15:11:59.672-05:002019-02-19T15:11:59.672-05:00Thanks Hila. Like Mrs. Dalloway, the steam on cons...Thanks Hila. Like Mrs. Dalloway, the steam on consciousness parts here seem to be fairly early attempts at the technique. It really is interesting how different authors handle this differently. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-9991307671366705302019-02-19T10:56:49.009-05:002019-02-19T10:56:49.009-05:00I think I read the novel in high school, but shoul...I think I read the novel in high school, but should revisit it as a more mature adult... I don't remember the parts mimicking stream of consciousness. It interests me how authors try to capture the way people think, without sacrificing coherence too much. Currently I'm reading Mrs. Dalloway, which goes for an effect of one thought slipping to another, and the focus of the novel slipping from one character to another.<br /><br />Anyway, excellent review. I get how difficult it would be to try to write about this book in just one post!HKatzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653570160517335758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-66828595843803566182019-02-14T21:03:50.569-05:002019-02-14T21:03:50.569-05:00Hi Angela - There were a lot of characters in this...Hi Angela - There were a lot of characters in this book. I find that when it comes to dense works of all kinds, it sometimes takes s lot of pages to really get into it. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-43976944194951932362019-02-14T19:36:35.892-05:002019-02-14T19:36:35.892-05:00I read this book about 15 years ago, so I didn'...I read this book about 15 years ago, so I didn't remember very much about the plot until your blog post jogged my memory. I really liked the book, but it took a couple of chapters before I started to enjoy it. There were so many different characters to get to know, and so many different plots going on at once, that it took those first few chapters to really sort everyone out. <br />Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17346526327368134411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-37261479940881187822019-02-12T09:20:31.704-05:002019-02-12T09:20:31.704-05:00Thanks Caroline. I got stuck in the middle of a fe...Thanks Caroline. I got stuck in the middle of a few books over the course of the years. I ended up starting a couple over again.<br /><br />There really is a lot going on in this one. One could say volumes about Vronsky. <br /><br />Sorry about the disappearing comments. It happens to me sometimes. It can be maddening. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-25564750248711972032019-02-12T09:13:12.508-05:002019-02-12T09:13:12.508-05:00I can't believe it. It happened again. I left ...I can't believe it. It happened again. I left a comment here after commenting on your Fanon post. <br />No clue what I'm doing wrong. <br />Anyway. I'm stuck in the middle of Anna Karenina - since ages, because I had to put it aside and didn't get back into it. <br />It's about so much more than Anna. I often thought it could have been called Vronsky but, of course, she opens and closes the book, so clearly, her story was importnat for Tolstoy. <br />I had a few problems with some of the Levin sections because of his lenghty theories but I like the coule Kitty/Levin. <br />A great review, as always. Carolinehttp://beautyisasleepingcat.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-9987903982768626432019-02-09T09:17:12.250-05:002019-02-09T09:17:12.250-05:00Thanks so much Baili. Lack of reading time can be ...Thanks so much Baili. Lack of reading time can be so frustrating. <br /><br />I often say that some of the great writers were keen psychologists. This novel, especially with Tolstoy getting into his characters heads, shows who good Tolstoy was at psychology. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-39733434424607769582019-02-09T02:22:35.412-05:002019-02-09T02:22:35.412-05:00Thank you dear Brain thank you so much for this wo...Thank you dear Brain thank you so much for this wonderful post and such an amazing place where people like me who stave to read but lack time to do so find such comprehensive elaborations with brevity and authenticity !<br /><br />that REALLY MAKES MY DAY :)<br /><br />i thoroughly loved this novel through your great review ,specially the writing style sounds strongly appealing as i so love the details of human psychology ,it thrills me actually <br /><br />knowing about complex characters and how their complicated attitudes influence their life seems very attractive to me !<br /><br />i would definitely love to rad this book in my next years of life when i will have time to do so peacefully with complete attention <br /><br />have blessed warm days my friend!bailihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06498012175058870980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-25808529396578401132019-02-08T17:16:36.850-05:002019-02-08T17:16:36.850-05:00Thanks Andrew. I think that I want to read both To...Thanks Andrew. I think that I want to read both Tolstoy books. I am not too scared of War and Peace’s length :) Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-26829967220809421482019-02-08T16:35:24.311-05:002019-02-08T16:35:24.311-05:00Great analysis, Brian. The omniscient style dippin...Great analysis, Brian. The omniscient style dipping into character’s perspectives is fascinating. I loved this book, but I found War and Peace even better (fair warning: there are plenty of long philosophical digressions in that one too!). I can also recommend The Death of Ivan Ilyich if you’re looking for something shorter before facing War and Peace :)Andrew Blackmanhttps://andrewblackman.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-23240516321348964152019-02-06T07:33:13.441-05:002019-02-06T07:33:13.441-05:00Thanks Paula. It seems most people preferred Levin...Thanks Paula. It seems most people preferred Levin’s story to Anna’s. I guess that I did too. In retrospect I think that I would have liked it better had the two interacted a bit. <br /><br />Have fun with War and Peace. I will hopefully read it soon. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-43201409006374311382019-02-06T05:49:51.683-05:002019-02-06T05:49:51.683-05:00It was one of my favourite classics from last year...It was one of my favourite classics from last year. I found it intriguing to see how the three main romantic relationships differed so much from each other, and played off against the others. I think I preferred Levin's musings to Anna's dilemma, which would've been very depressing on its own. But isn't it unusual how two such main characters as Anna and Levin manage to have a whole 800 page novel about them yet barely have a brush with each other? <br /><br />I'd forgotten about Laska's stream of consciousness. That was very cool.<br />Thanks for the great review. I'm about 300 pages into War and Peace at the moment, and preferring Anna Karenina so far. Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-87312958833913909392019-02-04T17:47:01.162-05:002019-02-04T17:47:01.162-05:00Hi Rachel - Anna is not all that likable. I do lik...Hi Rachel - Anna is not all that likable. I do like unlikeable characters. Levin was s superb and likable character. I must read War and Peace soon. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-41874609481123625662019-02-04T17:43:10.762-05:002019-02-04T17:43:10.762-05:00Hi Tracy - Though it was long, I found that this b...Hi Tracy - Though it was long, I found that this book went fast and was easy to read. I found Tolstoy to be more accessible then Dostoevsky and other difficult writers. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-62712519896415861482019-02-04T11:57:22.114-05:002019-02-04T11:57:22.114-05:00I read this as an 18 year old and wasn't too f...I read this as an 18 year old and wasn't too fond of Anna's character. I didn't understand why she was so obnoxiously whiny. She didn't like her marriage, so she found someone else. Then she didn't like that situation, so she...etc. <br /><br />I loved Levin's character, though. <br /><br />On the other hand, Tolstoy is a fantastic author. I loved War and Peace. Rachelhttp://hibernatorslibrary.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-35679166120884645602019-02-04T11:34:21.716-05:002019-02-04T11:34:21.716-05:00Ooh at 700+ pages that is a hefty tome. I must adm...Ooh at 700+ pages that is a hefty tome. I must admit we have a copy on our shelves that has only been read by Mr T and several of his students over the years (once to be returned dog-eared and obviously having been used as a tea/coffee cup coaster ... Aggghhh!). Daunted in part by its size and by the fact i'm not really a fan of the classics, I keep telling myself I WILL get around to reading it ... one day.<br /><br />anyway, as always, an insightful post, thank you.Felicity Grace Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17852843882007267665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-64620393295217292082019-02-03T19:35:26.815-05:002019-02-03T19:35:26.815-05:00Hi Jane - Levin is Indeed compelling. I will event...Hi Jane - Levin is Indeed compelling. I will eventually read War and The Peace. I am curious to know what you think about it. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-4140340625763133902019-02-03T19:14:05.280-05:002019-02-03T19:14:05.280-05:00I found it uneven and brilliant as well. It was my...I found it uneven and brilliant as well. It was my first Tolstoy novel, and I found it both tedious and insightful. My favorite character was Levin, and I got to the point where I barely cared what happened to Anna and Vronsky.<br /><br />While I don’t anticipate rereading this book, I have just started War and Peace and have high hopes that I will love it.JaneGShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-19455487175272040932019-02-03T14:40:19.529-05:002019-02-03T14:40:19.529-05:00You make a great point about certain books pushing...You make a great point about certain books pushing our buttons because of our personal experiences. That was definitely the case for me here! So I guess I was biased against this novel from the get-go, because of that. <br /><br />I imagine I would have the very same problem with "Madame Bovary", so I won't even go there. Lol.<br /><br />The theme of infidelity is DEFINITELY a trigger for me!<br /><br />Hope you'e having a great Sunday, too!! :)<br />Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-60699030387437576372019-02-03T11:48:09.889-05:002019-02-03T11:48:09.889-05:00Thanks so much Maria. Thanks for the link to your ...<br />Thanks so much Maria. Thanks for the link to your original post. I see that I commented and noted that I would keep your review in mind when I read this book. I did generally remember what you wrote and I was thinking about your review when I read this! <br /><br />I did think that Tolstoy tried to integrate his musings in with the story in an odd way. They related to Levin’s character and the “future of Russia” theme. Evan the farm stuff seemed to. With that, it was really uneven and disrupted the flow of things. <br /><br />Anna and Vronsky do lots of questionable things. Though not without some good points, Anna's actions are really bad. Vronsky starts unlikeable but I think that he becomes more human as things go on. Levin and Kitty, though not perfect, are such a contrast however. <br /><br />As I recall, I got the impression that Tolstoy was taking issue with the double standard between men and women. Unfortunately, he was portraying reality. The same sort of thing is highlighted in a lot of Anthony Trollope novels. <br /><br />There are books that I also find too disturbing. I have talked about it before. Some things push buttons on us. Often it is the result of personal experiences. <br /><br />Have great Sunday!<br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-33294877602225516252019-02-03T11:44:42.002-05:002019-02-03T11:44:42.002-05:00Thanks Naida - Anna is a fascinating character and...Thanks Naida - Anna is a fascinating character and the writing here seems brilliant. I would love to know what you thought if you read this. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-28592693475724410622019-02-03T11:11:09.975-05:002019-02-03T11:11:09.975-05:00Anna Karenina is on my to-read list and I won'...Anna Karenina is on my to-read list and I won't watch any film adaptations because I need to read the novel first. Anna sounds like a complicated character and I like the opening line you shared here.<br />I also like the last passage you share especially. I need to bump this one up on my must reads list.<br />Great commentary as always.<br /><br />The Bookwormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10217390642323530030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-36703464798790024902019-02-02T23:51:13.003-05:002019-02-02T23:51:13.003-05:00(Continued)
As you can see, I have VERY strong fe...(Continued)<br /><br />As you can see, I have VERY strong feelings about this book!! Heck, I don't know WHY I started reading it.... Of course, I never finished it. <br /><br />I can appreciate the fact that Tolstoy brilliantly contrasted two main relationships in this novel -- that of Anna and Vronsky, and Levin and Kitty. (The third relationship, that of Stepan and Dolly, is not that important, as far as I can remember.) His characterizations are superb, and his prose, sublime. But the other aspects I've mentioned above -- especially the infidelity -- were just too much for me to take.<br /><br />Another aspect of this novel that bothered me was the way the high society of the time treated Anna and Vronsky. She was shunned, while he was still able to move in the same social circles, just as he had before his affair with Anna began. This was, of course, due to the double standard, which was even more prevalent at that time in history than it is now, although it's not completely gone. A few years ago, I read an article in a magazine that advised women not to tell a new boyfriend how many previous sexual partners they had had. The whole idea was to prevent the new guy from thinking less of them, and thus, possibly ending the new relationship. <br /><br />Maybe Tolstoy's intention was to actually criticize the double standard; I don't remember the context. I would have to go back and re-read that part to see if there was something to read between the lines. Not that I would want to do so, however. Lol.<br /><br />You have also mentioned Tolstoy's pioneering use of the stream-of-consciousness technique. While I was reading the book, I wasn't much aware of that. i guess I was just too busy disliking the main, adulterous characters. :)<br /><br />Here's the link to my review of the novel. I did not give any rating for the book, as I remained undecided, at the time, as to how many stars to give it. I did think that the writing and characterizations were brilliant.<br /><br />https://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/anna-karenina-review-of-sorts.html<br /><br />Thanks for your very insightful thoughts!! <3 :)<br />Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4043273283783489008.post-67988546207713870822019-02-02T23:49:53.125-05:002019-02-02T23:49:53.125-05:00BRILLIANT post, Brian!
I participated in a read-a...BRILLIANT post, Brian!<br /><br />I participated in a read-along of this book, back in 2012. I remember you commented on some of these posts. My final, "sort of" review mentions the tedious aspects of this novel. Yes, the parts about labor and agriculture were especially boring. I did enjoy Levin's philosophical ruminations, but not all that "farm stuff". Lol.<br /><br />I actually thought this book was really two books in one -- a novel, and a nonfiction, philosophical treatise, with some sections that, had they all been put together, would have been a useful manual for farmers. As you have stated in this post, these nonfiction sections, that really had nothing to do with the plot, made this novel an uneven read. You also mentioned that it's brilliant. I totally agree, but I do wish that Tolstoy had not mixed fiction and nonfiction to such a great degree in one book, which was really supposed to be strictly a novel. These nonfiction interruptions blocked the flow of the plot, thus diluting the impact of the events therein to some extent.<br /><br />The thing that bothered me the most about this novel was the infidelity itself. I could not relate to the two lovers -- Anna and Vronsky. Both were selfish and inconsiderate; neither cared one whit about the effect of their affair on Anna's husband and son. Anna did later regret leaving her son, but the damage was already done.<br /><br />The quotes containing Anna's thought processes show just how self-centered she is. And the fact that she's obsessively jealous is HIGHLY ironic. How can she be jealous, when she herself has been unfaithful to her husband?! I have NO sympathy whatsoever for cheaters who are then jealous themselves. The funny thing is, these people feel that THEY can be unfaithful, but their illicit lover had better NOT be unfaithful to THEM. This is a "reverse Golden Rule": Let me do to you, but don't you dare do to me!<br /><br />I know what it's like to be cheated on, and I've also read a couple of stories online. Based on what I've seen, I would have to say that most cheaters feel NO remorse about cheating on their spouses or significant others. All they care about is themselves!<br /><br />It's true that calamitous events follow Anna and Vronsky, so Tolstoy probably had the intention of making an example of these two. I still couldn't deal with this plot, however.<br /><br />(To be continued.....)<br /><br /><br />Maria Beharhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13635809880830316283noreply@blogger.com