The must-have Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of one of the greatest Russian novels ever written Described by William Faulkner as the best novel ever written and by Fyodor Dostoevsky as “flawless,” Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and thereby … passionless marriage and thereby exposes herself to the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel’s seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness.
While previous versions have softened the robust and sometimes shocking qualities of Tolstoy’s writing, Pevear and Volokhonsky have produced a translation true to his powerful voice. This authoritative edition, which received the PEN Translation Prize and was an Oprah Book Club™ selection, also includes an illuminating introduction and explanatory notes. Beautiful, vigorous, and eminently readable, this Anna Karenina will be the definitive text for fans of the film and generations to come. This Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition also features French flaps and deckle-edged paper.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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What can one say about this CLASSIC — except that it draws you in and doesn’t let you go.
Almost the perfect Russian novel.
One of my all-time favorites. Timeless.
Love Tolstoy’s work
It was a bit of a rough read, and extremely long. I did enjoy the story within it.
This is such a sad book. Anna Karenina had a wealthy life with friends and a loved son but a dull husband. She gave it up for love. As the infatuation dies off she questions her choices and makes ridiculous demands of her lover.
I made myself read this but a didn’t really care for it. Downton Abbey set in Russia.
A classic, rather than wade thro the original novel, I recommend seeing the movie… Yes, it is good but all the Russian names are difficult to follow… at least for me.
Great book and translation. I think Leo Tolstoy has a great future in the writing business.
Love it!
This book is fantastic! One of my all time best read
Come on….if Anna Karenina doesn’t get 5 stars, who does?
Great, classic Russian novel.
A timeless classic that is impossible to review because no words can describe its brilliance…
Not that enjoyable to read, glad it was over — still, it’s a classic.
Favorite book!
the book was okay. it atleast for me started out great but then i realized that it was getting tedious. He talks so much about the administration that after a while I couldn’t understand if the book was on the affair of anna and vronsky or the peasantry administration. The side stories were alright but i hated whenever it was on Levin because it focused less on Levin’s emotions and more on how the peasants were working.
Tolstoy at his finest. His genius of creating lush, elegant worlds in which the characters not only live but stand out, never lost in the background. The small details of each person’s role in the story are written so subtly it enables the reader to become more than a voyeur to the actions of the lovers, but emotionally involved fearing the near-certain tragedy which will befall them.
You never have a bad read when it comes to the classics of western literature.
It was a good book, but it gets rather tedious after a while
All time relatable novel.