Anna Karenina

An epic tale of love and self-destruction, Anna Karenina encapsulates the beauty and tragedy of Tolstoy's masterful writing, blending lyricism with realism. Beautiful, rich, popular, and mother to an adored son — it seems Anna has everything she could want. But beneath the surface, her life feels empty and meaningless — until, that is, she encounters the impetuous young Count Vronsky and embarks on one of the most haunting love affairs in world literature. The resulting scandal, jealousy, and despair from Anna's attempts to live outside the accepted mores of Russian bourgeois society lead to unspeakable tragedy.

At the same time, Tolstoy chronicles the life of the aristocratic Konstantin Levin — arguably a version of Tolstoy himself — as he strives to reconcile passion with reason and find meaning in his life, just like the eponymous heroine. In his arguably most personal novel, Tolstoy addresses the very nature of emotion and what it means to be human through Anna's tragic tale. He investigates some of life's most unanswerable questions and ponders the irreconcilable contradictions of existence. The novel's reflections on the treachery and power of love, fatalism, and self-deception make Anna Karenina one of the most memorable works of the 19th century.