"Where am I? What am I doing?"

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2002
Weight: 2 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donation or give away if anyone wants it



I was fairly young when I first picked up this book, and I remember having trouble getting through the first 15 pages. It was because I did not understand the Russian names and was having trouble keeping them all in order. It felt like I was trying to read the book of Genesis in the Bible. I did not have that same trouble in the future, but I still think about it. I am so thankful I pushed through at that age, because this book was one of the best I have ever read. It is beautiful, through and through. And heartbreaking. And incredible.

I felt so close to Anna Karenina. I wanted to storm into the story and take her out of it. She was my friend, but I could not help her. The conclusion was bound to come—part of Tolstoy’s portrayal of fate and death. I always love an adulterous woman.

The other thing that I remember is that the last twenty pages felt tacked on and frustrated the hell out of me. Why do I care about a world without Anna? Why do I care about God and Christianity? I was only so impassioned because Tolstoy had led me there.

This is the kind of book I intimidate myself into not being able to write about. That is how much I liked it. There is nothing I could say that would not be a disgrace to the work. I recommend you read it. Goodbye Anna, I have always missed you.