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Leo Tolstoy: Anna Karenina
- Thread starter Ell
- Start date
StillILearn
New Member
Anna Karenina...
What a great choice!
Okay, so I'm happily reading away...
What are the rules?
What happens next?
What a great choice!
Okay, so I'm happily reading away...
What are the rules?
What happens next?
StillILearn
New Member
Ah. Okay. Well then:
Is Anna really such a great beauty? Can you tell from what has been said in the descriptions of her so far? (I am only at the place where she has prematurely taken the train back home because of Kitty's distress at witnessing Vronsky's attraction to Anna at the ball.)
Or is it her beautiful spirit that is so very attractive to Vronsky and to everybody else?
Also:
Vronsky generously gave two hundred rubles to the widow of the man who was crushed by the train at their first meeting. Do you think that was a fortune back then? Or maybe like a couple of hundred dollars given today?
Is Anna really such a great beauty? Can you tell from what has been said in the descriptions of her so far? (I am only at the place where she has prematurely taken the train back home because of Kitty's distress at witnessing Vronsky's attraction to Anna at the ball.)
Or is it her beautiful spirit that is so very attractive to Vronsky and to everybody else?
Also:
Vronsky generously gave two hundred rubles to the widow of the man who was crushed by the train at their first meeting. Do you think that was a fortune back then? Or maybe like a couple of hundred dollars given today?
StillILearn said:Vronsky generously gave two hundred rubles to the widow of the man who was crushed by the train at their first meeting. Do you think that was a fortune back then? Or maybe like a couple of hundred dollars given today?
StillILearn,
I didn't get your point in asking that question. If it was only for comparing the value, I would say 200 rubles was a lot in 1800s in Russia, and much more valued than 200 USD nowadays, considering that CND is nearly equal to USD.
So, it was quite a fortune to the person in the event.Secondly, I am not so convinced about his generocity. His doing it seemed to me (based on my understanding) was only owing to Anna's presence. I wondered if he would have still given the money to the poor widow if Anna hadn't been beside him or if it was someone else, say his sister, or his colleague or something that had been there.
Anna certainly was a very attractive woman, I thought, and she had the compassion for poor wretched lower-class peasants, as evidenced in the scene that you mentioned. and her compassion, I believe, was true and sincere.
As for whether she had beautiful spirit, emmm..., I couldn 't find somethingelse to say at the moment. My memory of the book seemed to be short circuited and need tobe recharged.
But there is another character in the book, (It should be in this book, and I am not so sure though) whose name seems to be Lenon. Lenon was more impressive than those two main characters. I appeared to like him at that time.
StillILearn
New Member
I was wondering just how generous Vronsky actually was with the widow-woman. It was just a matter of curiousity -- did he give the woman enough to live on for a couple of years, or for a couple of weeks, or what?watercrystal said:StillILearn,
I didn't get your point in asking that question. If it was only for comparing the value, I would say 200 rubles was a lot in 1800s in Russia, and much more valued than 200 USD nowadays, considering that CND is nearly equal to USD.
Just musing. I guess there's no way to tell anymore, not realistically -- lost information -- but it would have told the reader something about Vronsky at the time. I'll assume that it was about $2,000.00 in our money today.
(Okay, I'm happy with that little detail.)
Onward...
Now, has Anna been described as a great beauty, or not? Why did Vronsky fall so hard for her? And, was he ever really very serious about Kitty in the first place?
blueboatdriver
Member
I read the book last year,
All I can say is that Anna got what she deserved :She wanted her cake and did eventually eat it !
One of the funniest and honest things I have ever read is the discription of child birth by Kitty's husband (I can't remember his name). So,So true, anyone who has been there will agree. I almost wept with laughter.
All I can say is that Anna got what she deserved :She wanted her cake and did eventually eat it !
One of the funniest and honest things I have ever read is the discription of child birth by Kitty's husband (I can't remember his name). So,So true, anyone who has been there will agree. I almost wept with laughter.
StillILearn
New Member
Um.
Anybody else here currently reading Anna Karenina?
Anybody else here currently reading Anna Karenina?
StillILearn
New Member
Oh, good! Is it too early on to discuss specifics?
I just finished with the scene where Levin helped to scythe his grassy fields. I especially enjoyed the contrast between that and Tolstoy's description of Vronsky riding his cherished horse to her death.
Actually, I just finished the part where Kitty takes her children to the country and they all go out to bathe int he river. I'm glad we chose this book over the one I voted for.
I must have read this book at some time or another, but I'm enjoying it as if for the first time.
I remember reading (a long time ago) that Russians and Americans are very much the same. For me, this book is living proof of that opinion.
I just finished with the scene where Levin helped to scythe his grassy fields. I especially enjoyed the contrast between that and Tolstoy's description of Vronsky riding his cherished horse to her death.
Actually, I just finished the part where Kitty takes her children to the country and they all go out to bathe int he river. I'm glad we chose this book over the one I voted for.
I must have read this book at some time or another, but I'm enjoying it as if for the first time.
I remember reading (a long time ago) that Russians and Americans are very much the same. For me, this book is living proof of that opinion.
StillILearn
New Member
Hello, blueboatdriver!
[QUOTE = All I can say is that Anna got what she deserved :She wanted her cake and did eventually eat it ! QUOTE]
I'm at the part where Karenin has "begged" Anna to return home. What do you think she should do now?
Would you elaborate on your opinion that Anna pretty much got what she deserved? Im interested! Right now Tolstoy himself is sounding pretty sympathetic to his heroine's distress...
[QUOTE = All I can say is that Anna got what she deserved :She wanted her cake and did eventually eat it ! QUOTE]
I'm at the part where Karenin has "begged" Anna to return home. What do you think she should do now?
Would you elaborate on your opinion that Anna pretty much got what she deserved? Im interested! Right now Tolstoy himself is sounding pretty sympathetic to his heroine's distress...
StillILearn
New Member
sanyuja?
Is it just you and me in here?
Is it just you and me in here?
Ell
Well-Known Member
StillILearn, don't despair.
These book of the month discussions go on and develop a life of their own long after the official "month" is over. Just look at Life of Pi and others.
I think part of the problem is that Anna Karenina is a big book for a lot of readers to tackle and it'll take awhile before everyone who's reading it is done. It's on my bedside table right now, but I've only gotten a few pages into it because I've got another 3 books going.
How far along in the book are you? Just share your own impressions and others will chime in when they've got something to add.
ell
These book of the month discussions go on and develop a life of their own long after the official "month" is over. Just look at Life of Pi and others.
I think part of the problem is that Anna Karenina is a big book for a lot of readers to tackle and it'll take awhile before everyone who's reading it is done. It's on my bedside table right now, but I've only gotten a few pages into it because I've got another 3 books going.
How far along in the book are you? Just share your own impressions and others will chime in when they've got something to add.
ell
StillILearn
New Member
Phew!
I'm enjoying it so much that I'd continue on with it anyway, of course, but I'm glad to hear that there'll be some discussion afterwards.
Anna and Vronsky are currently living a ife of sin in Europe (I suspect Vronksy's beginning to get a bit antsy though. I think he's sneaking peeks at the governess -- and so does Anna. We both could be wrong, though!)
Thanks, Ell!
I'm enjoying it so much that I'd continue on with it anyway, of course, but I'm glad to hear that there'll be some discussion afterwards.
Anna and Vronsky are currently living a ife of sin in Europe (I suspect Vronksy's beginning to get a bit antsy though. I think he's sneaking peeks at the governess -- and so does Anna. We both could be wrong, though!)
Thanks, Ell!
StillILearn
New Member
No hurry.
This book will still be around when you get around to it!
This book will still be around when you get around to it!
StillILearn
New Member
Ready.
ions
New Member
I finished this early March. I found the language tremendously easy to read. Having not read other translations I can't say whether I read a good or bad one although Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have a very good reputation.
I'm not sure I agree with the earlier poster who contends Anna got what was coming to her. She chose her path knowing the cost of it full well. I wasn't particularly sympathetic to her to begin with and her actions only shallowed any sympathy I did have for her. This is my first Tolstoy novel so it's probably premature to say anything definitive but Tolstoy's attitudes towards women are rather narrow. However accurate is a matter of opinion.
I found Levin to be an interesting character and felt a little let down by his conclusions. I'm still wrapping my mind around the last section and will go back to it.
I decided to read this to see if I would enjoy taking a shot at War and Peace. Something not to be considered lightly. After reading Anna I am looking forward to it.
I'm not sure I agree with the earlier poster who contends Anna got what was coming to her. She chose her path knowing the cost of it full well. I wasn't particularly sympathetic to her to begin with and her actions only shallowed any sympathy I did have for her. This is my first Tolstoy novel so it's probably premature to say anything definitive but Tolstoy's attitudes towards women are rather narrow. However accurate is a matter of opinion.
I found Levin to be an interesting character and felt a little let down by his conclusions. I'm still wrapping my mind around the last section and will go back to it.
I decided to read this to see if I would enjoy taking a shot at War and Peace. Something not to be considered lightly. After reading Anna I am looking forward to it.