Anna Karenina

Okay I've been delaying this one for far too long. I keep reading other books, but I have to return to Anna Karenina, and write about it. What can I say about this Tolstoy classic?

The size of the book was daunting. I had been picking it up and putting it down for so long, that I finally decided that I had to read it from cover to cover, and not give up after 50 pages. Once committed, I delved into a 19th Century Russia that I never expected to experience, and was pleasantly surprised by the various stories, and fully realized characters that fill this book from start to finish.

While the book may be titled Anna Karenina, Levin's story does dominate almost as much, and parallels Anna's arc in many ways. I must admit though that it was Anna's tormented love story that I found most compelling compared to Levin's inner turmoil over his refused proposal and musings on peasant life and Russian agriculture (this latter subject I did appreciate in the context of knowing that a Bolshevik revolution was in Russia's future, but I admit that I may have scanned over some long-winded passages between 2 characters debating Russian agriculture and the "problem" of the peasant).

The story 

Anna is an upper class woman who marries someone of equal status. She enjoys her society life until she meets Count Vronsky, and realizes that marrying for status does not necessarily bring happiness. While this seems to be common knowledge amongst her class, no one really ever seems to speak of it, including Anna. In fact, this book is about what is not said or done as much as it is about what is said and done.

Anna leaves her husband and son for Vronsky, which is not only scandalous, but ultimately destructive to Anna's state of mind since her husband forbids her to see her son again. She is shunned by society (in a way more than her lover is), and becomes isolated in their new home limited to whom she can see and where she can go. No one comes out and says to Anna that she is a shamed woman, but the visits from "friends" stop, and she is no longer invited anywhere. The sight of someone's carriage even nearing where she lives could cause a great scandal in itself. Tolstoy draws attention to the hypocrisy of this class by surrounding Anna with others who are in a similar situation, but have maintained their marriages by not speaking about their adulterous affairs.

Tolstoy's love story between Kitty and Levin may also be his way of drawing our attention to the upper class hypocrisy as well. Kitty's mother is very concerned that her daughter be married to the "right" man; however, it is because of her  concern with social status that Kitty is led astray by Vronsky, and becomes despondent. Kitty is ashamed of her behaviour and realizes that the actual proposal she did receive from Levin was based on love and not on status. It's Kitty's lesson to learn. Her mother? Well, we are led to believe that her mother may accept the Kitty and Levin pairing, but is still somehow disappointed that it was not a man of greater status.

While Levin may be a landowner and circulate amongst the same people that Anna does, or once did, he is often shown to be uncomfortable and awkward amongst his class. Tolstoy sets up an idealized depiction of peasant life through Levin's point of view. Levin admires the simple, hard-working peasant life that he views, and seems envious of the love that they show towards one another as if knowing that it cannot be so amongst his class. Even though he does love and marry within his class when he gets a second chance with Kitty, it is not viewed as a status marriage.

The Levin and Kitty pairing stands in contrast to Anna's and Vronsky's. When the two vain characters of Anna and Vronsky fall in love, they self destruct because their status has changed. They no longer have the rest of their class admiring them, but instead are whispered about. The two become stuck in their positions, and begin to turn on one another. Anna cannot go out in society, and Vronsky cannot move up the social ladder. In contrast, Levin and Kitty's pairing is based on a mutual love and respect for each other. They only admire one another and not themselves. Their social status is not about moving up the ladder or being seen in society, but rather about building a life together. While they aren't the toast of the town to anyone, and seem isolated in their rural life, their happiness seems genuine.

This is just the tip of the iceberg because there are many comparisons I could make between these 2 couples, but I leave it to you to discover if you decide to read this book. In fact, they aren't the only couple you could look at and compare, and there really is a lot more going on that I haven't even mentioned here. 

Unfortunately (as you probably already know) Anna's fate is a tragic one. Isolated from the life she once had, she becomes a prisoner. Behind her exquisite beauty is a dark and tortured woman, and Tolstoy does much to create sympathy for her. We are invited into Anna's inner conflict, and hear here biggest fears, and longings. I appreciate Tolstoy's careful attention to all of his characters.They are beautifully depicted.

It was well worth the read and I'm glad I finally got around to it, so I do recommend this book.