My First Gigantic Russian Novel: Reflections on Anna Karenina (no spoilers)

I’ve always wanted to read a giant Russian novel, but the timing never seemed right. These things are huge, intimidating, hard to fathom.

At a used book store in Carolina Beach, NC, I stumbled upon Anna Karenina. It was only $3. I knew I had to buy it now or forever shut up about reading one of these.

I didn’t get started on it right away - in fact, I’ve just finished the book now about a year later. It took me around a month and a half, with a long break in the middle. The truth is… it wasn’t so hard to read!!

_{Not so scary.}

The truth is, the important stuff of life hasn’t changed all that much in the last 150 years. The characters in this book don’t have modern technology, but they have the same basic struggles - social status, infidelity, anxiety, politics - that we do today.

In reading through the actions and thoughts of Tolstoy’s incredibly poignant and diverse cast of interesting characters, I was able to reflect upon my own life. Why do I do what I do, why do I worry about certain things? How am I acting in ways that might be self-destructive to myself and others?

Many people read non-fiction books in search of answers. Lately, I’m suspecting that fiction books might hold more of the good stuff. Non-fiction teaches us how to understand facts, fiction teaches us how to understand people. It increases one’s emotional intelligence.

_{Tolstoy. This man has seen some shit.}

And oh boy, are these characters interesting. From Oblonsky’s incredible charm and upbeat manner, to Levin’s incessant anxieties, to Anna’s complicated love life, there’s so much of what it means to be human in this book. Tolstoy cuts deep and goes straight for raw insights. He has an uncanny way of putting weird thoughts into words, a precursor to the kind of insight that David Foster Wallace is famous for.

If you love to read but get scared about the big Russian books, don’t be. Anna Karenina is a readable, captivating story. It combines an intricately built-out world with a strong and suspenseful plot. The end delivers, for the most part, although I didn’t agree with the moral stance taken at the very end.

Right now I’m trying to decide what to tackle next… War and Peace? Brothers Karamazov? Something else? If you have recommendations, hit me with ‘em in the comments.

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