Friday, March 11, 2005

Sad Truth in Fiction

Anna Karenina
by Leo Tolstoy
Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

Josh has read many works translated by this couple so of course he grabbed Anna Karenina as soon as it came out. It took me a while to finally sit down to read it and I only regret I waited so long. I actually read it last year but didn't want to leave it off the blog because it was so amazing. I loved Levin's character, perhaps finding similarities with my own agonizing when everything seems so simple from the outside. His relationship with Kitty is all that Anna and Count Vronsky can never have. I've read other reviews that have said the tragic relationship of Anna and Vronsky is dependent on the 19th century Russian society so well depicted by Tolstoy, but I prefer to view their experiences as accurate portrayals of the emotional consequences of the betrayal of marriage. (Hope I haven't given too much away here.) It's a magnificent book - absolutely one of the best works of fiction I've ever read.

I apologize this is Oprah's version, but in this case you should read it anyway. Don't bother with anyone else's translation.

3 comments:

Kristin said...

Hi Jill,
I think this idea is great. At present, my bedside book is Under the Banner of Heaven. It's very powerful and I recommend it. Although, I tend to fall on the anti-organized religion side of thinking, so that may be why I find it so moving. But, I was drawn to it after spending so much time near Joseph Smith's birthplace. And, a good friend of mine is marrying someone from Salt Lake City...so I was intrigued. It is not where near uplifting, though, so I warn you.

Kristin said...

sorry, that should have read "no where near"

Kansas Mom said...

Thanks for the suggestion. I've added it to my Wish List at Amazon. Since I'm in the middle of three books right now, I think it'll be a while before I get to it. How do you find time to read in med school? (Besides all those riveting medical texts, I mean.)