My Rating: 8/10
The book describes, on a parallel line, the lives of some people, interlinked, and yet setting their own paths in lives. There are two main storylines that are followed - one of Anna and the other of Konstantin Levin. Levin, while being unsuccessful in his proposals of marriage towards Kitty, tries to find solace in his farm. On the other hand, Anna, already married and having a son, falls in love with Count Vronsky. Vronsky, on the other hand, is Kitty's social interest at the moment, from whom she expects a proposal. As fate would have it, Vronsky falls head over heels in love with Anna's superior charms and expresses his platonic interests to her. Anna finally leaves her home, her husband and her son for Vronsky. Kitty on the other hand (after a lot of tears and introspection, as expected) finds happiness in tying her knots with Levin. Thus, the story takes a complete turn and prepares the doom of one life, while happiness and peace blooms in the other.
A tome of a book. It is not everyday that you come across a 964-page volume and tell yourself - Challenge Accepted! Well, it took just over a year and innumerable breaks to fulfill the challenge.
The book describes, on a parallel line, the lives of some people, interlinked, and yet setting their own paths in lives. There are two main storylines that are followed - one of Anna and the other of Konstantin Levin. Levin, while being unsuccessful in his proposals of marriage towards Kitty, tries to find solace in his farm. On the other hand, Anna, already married and having a son, falls in love with Count Vronsky. Vronsky, on the other hand, is Kitty's social interest at the moment, from whom she expects a proposal. As fate would have it, Vronsky falls head over heels in love with Anna's superior charms and expresses his platonic interests to her. Anna finally leaves her home, her husband and her son for Vronsky. Kitty on the other hand (after a lot of tears and introspection, as expected) finds happiness in tying her knots with Levin. Thus, the story takes a complete turn and prepares the doom of one life, while happiness and peace blooms in the other.
The two parallel storylines, I feel, are necessary complements to take the story to its ultimate goal - of finding the meaning of life. That is what Tolstoy has tried to achieve in this seminal piece of work. While Anna propels towards her doom, Levin comes up from his doubts about the meaning of his life and finds peace. Two characters of polar differences are developed together, just to show the stark difference in their outcomes.
The story is drawn out beyond necessity. The author frequently abandons the main theme and brings about conversations between various characters ranging from agriculture to politics. There are long and convoluted discussions on various methods of farming - outdated now (which I really do not know will interest which reader), on the one hand, and conversations on books about contemporary politics and administrative policies, on the other. This is where I needed my breaks. I completely lost track of the progress of the story at these points. So many sidelines, so many digressions. True, it establishes the nature of the characters more firmly, but it becomes a cause for ennui for the average reader. I had to come back and take up the story after leaving it off for a few days, so that I could have the storyline so far arranged in my mind, leaving out the unnecessary digressions.
However, when we reach the end of the book, especially the last but one chapter, it grips the reader. This chapter describes Anna's nervous breakdown and her final doom. The reader is taken on a roller-coaster ride through all of the emotions of a neurotic. It's final crescendo. And then it all collapses. Her doom brings the climax.
After which, the final chapter seems like an anticlimax. I really had the feeling, "Oh, but I thought it was the end!" Maybe it is necessary, to draw out Tolstoy's quest for the meaning of life and how it ties with religion, through Levin's eyes. But it took away a certain charm from the story. It left me wishing that final chapter did not exist, that I could call this a masterpiece.
Why would I suggest you to read the story? To get a finer glimpse into the variety of human nature. To appreciate fortune, and remember before taking that big leap of faith in life - to never give up everything you have for someone else, for a notion. A vision is a completely different case.
It is a story, laying out specific occurrences, and does not try to preach right from wrong. It lets you make your own decision.
It is a great novel - just short of a masterpiece. But surely worth your time and patience!
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