I don’t know how anyone cant have any pity for Anna. I loved Anna the whole time, but I understand how people could find her off putting and miserable. I mean after all she basically said I don’t love my daughter and she left her husband (and son). BUT I still love her. The picture of her in my head and her hands filled with rings and the way she dazzles men and moves about the room and smiles and her eyes. I don’t ever want to watch the movie because I see her in my head the best. I was sort of wishing she would have the full character arc and come around to being an independent woman and leave vronsky and make it on her own.. but then again it was 19th century Russia.. In middle march by george Elliot, dorthea has that wonderful full character growth and becomes independent of men and doesn’t give a fuck about what society/family thinks. I wish Anna had that because those characters kept reminding me of each other.
Vronsky was alright. I went through ups and down liking him. The horse race scene was pretty intense and cool. And I liked the descriptions of him and Anna’s countryside estate and all the work he was doing for it.
But truly the book was all about Levin. He is the protagonist. At first I was kind of annoyed by Levin because he was all insecure and moody and after he was rejected by kitty he basically ran away forever. But then he had a really redeeming character arc. He learned some shit about the world and addressed his insecurities. His sympathy for the muzhiks, him witnessing his brothers death, seeing his child being born, being married, etc… and then at the end, his profound realizations about life and the universe really hit home and showed his growth and maturity flourishing.
I’m kind of rambling but I hope others will share their opinion about the book. It’s strange reading this book from a view point very different than the authors I.e Russian living in 1850 or whatever it was. But Tolstoy can break that barrier by intensely focusing on the raw aspects of how a society can affect one’s psychology. That’s why the book is still read today because the feelings, thoughts, and experiences that his characters have are all valid today just in a slightly different context.
by KingJimi26