Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Synopsis of Anna Karenina

Considered by some to be the greatest novel ever written, Anna Karenina is Tolstoy's classic tale of love and adultery set against the backdrop of high society in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. A rich and complex masterpiece, the novel charts the disastrous course of a love affair between Anna, a beautiful married woman, and Count Vronsky, a wealthy army officer. Tolstoy seamlessly weaves together the lives of dozens of characters, and in doing so captures a breathtaking tapestry of late-nineteenth-century Russian society.

Discuss Anna Karenina.

About the Book

Anna Karenina was written by Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. It was published in several instalments in The Russian Messenger from 1873-1877. However, Tolstoy clashed with the Messenger's editor over the final instalment so it was not published completely until it was published in book form.

Leo Tolstoy wrote with great realism. The character of Anna Karenina was likely inspired by the eldest daughter of Alexander Pushkin, a Russian poet. While Anna Karenina is considered a tragic romance, it also showcases Tolstoy's thoughts and criticisms of 19th century Russian aristocracy. The countryside and urban hypocrisies are exposed and contributes to a complex novel and one of the great novels of literature.

Biography of Leo Tolstoy

Count Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910) is most well-known for his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina. He was a Russian writer whose novels showed a vivid depiction of 19th century Russian life.

Tolstoy, was born in central Russia to a family of the Roman nobility. As part of this elite group, he was connected to the powerful families of Russian aristocracy. Both his parents died during his childhood so he was brought up and education by his aunt.

While Tolstoy's first novel Childhood was completed in 1852, his first attempt at creative writing was his first short story A History of Yesterday. After he served in the Crimean war Tolstoy married Sofia Andreyevna Behrs in 1860 and together they had 12 children. It was during this time that Tolstoy wrote his famous novel War and Peace. His novels have exposed various themes, but ultimately commended on the rigid demands of society and the portrayal of humanity.

Other Novels by Leo Tolstoy

Into the Movies

From ballets to operas to Broadway musicals Anna Karenina has been the muse of various theatre genres. While several ballets have been produced on the novel the ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, one of the most famous Russian composers is perhaps the most well-known.

From operas by Sassano and Granelli, to name a few, to a 1927 silent film, and the critically acclaimed 1935 film have all drawn inspiration from Tolstoy's masterpiece. The latest adaptation was in 2000 for a TV version in four episodes and an opera written by David Carlson in 2007.

Reading Guide

  1. When Anna Karenina was published, critics accused Tolstoy of writing a novel with too many characters, too complex a story line, and too many details. Henry James called Tolstoy's works "baggy monsters." In response, Tolstoy wrote of Anna Karenina "I am very proud of its architecture-its vaults are joined so that one cannot even notice where the keystone is." What do you make of Tolstoy's use of detail? Does it make for a more "realistic" novel?
  2. The first line of Anna Karenina, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," can be interpreted a number of ways. What do you think Tolstoy means by this?
  3. In your opinion, how well does Tolstoy, as a male writer, capture the perspectives of his female characters? Do you think Anna Karenina is the most appropriate title for the book? Is Tolstoy more critical of Anna for her adultery than he is of Oblonsky or of Vronsky?
  4. What role does religion play in the novel? Compare Levin's spiritual state of mind at the beginning and the end of the novel. What parallels can you draw between Levin's search for happiness and Anna's descent into despair?
  5. Why is it significant that Karenina lives in St. Petersburg, Oblonsky in Moscow, and Levin in the country? How are Moscow and St. Petersburg described by Tolstoy? What conclusions can you draw about the value assigned to place in the novel?
  6. What are the different kinds of love that Anna, Vronsky, Levin, Kitty, Stiva, and Dolly seek? How do their desires change throughout the novel?
  7. How do the ideals of love and marriage come into conflict in Anna Karenina? Using examples from the novel, what qualities do you think seem to make for a successful marriage? According to Tolstoy, is it more important to find love at all costs or to uphold the sanctity of marriage, even if it is a loveless one?
  8. Ultimately, do you think Anna Karenina is a tragic novel or a hopeful one?

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