I knew Anna Karenina was a masterpiece but didn't expect to be so impressed after reading it.
Leo Tolstoy antisipated future changes in the country as well as in the social life and created a very progressive story about life, about people and their thoughts, their attempts to find place in life, it's meaning and personal happiness. He showed how society influences people and their destiny, how rules and what is believed to be right may be in contradiction with what is actually right. The author makes readers think about a wide spectrum of things: from love and family issues, the state situation, moral and social obligations, to the existential problems and crises of faith. Love and hatred, happiness and devastation, family and lonliness, social and personal, right and wrong, life and death. As he said, Anna Karenina was about the present.
Anna Karenina, as I see her, was a controversial character- she may have behaved without a proper thinking, but did she have any option? It was her honor and dignity she gave up trying to become happy, her son whom she had to leave to be with her loved one, her whole life in exchange for love. It was an impossible decision. All her sacrifices led to the great fear- fear of being alone (remembering the reality of the 19th century, it would have been a horrible ending) , of becoming unloved by Vronsky. It was a tragedy, the final end, which set her free from social pressure and fear.
I find myself impressed by her bravery and strength but at the same time I'm not sure her way of leaving husband and son was completely morally right (in the beginning of the book it seems, she loved them and couldn't wait till coming back to them). But again, was there a choice? Were there other ways? - I doubt that.
She said to her brother : "You cannot understand. I feel I'm lying head downwards in a sort of pit, but I ought not to save myself. And I cannot do it." (in the original version, she was "flying in some sort of gulf" which I find a better metaphor).
We can only hope she found her peace after the end.
P. S. It's only my impression of the book and I may be wrong or could have understood it differently from you, so if you'd like to discuss the book or share your thoughts, please feel free to do it❤️
