Anna Karenina ranks among the greatest realistic novels in world literature. It was written by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy and published in installments from 1875 to 1877. The novel came out in book form in 1878.
The title character of the novel is Anna, an aristocrat and the wife of Alexei Karenin, a government official 20 years older than Anna. The story centers on an adulterous relationship between Anna and Count Vronsky, a handsome and wealthy young cavalry officer and bachelor. Karenin discovers the affair, but he is primarily concerned with avoiding a public scandal. He warns Anna to be more cautious out of consideration for their young son, Sergei, but eventually she becomes pregnant by Vronsky.
After Anna’s child is born, Anna and the baby follow Vronsky to Italy and then to his estate in Russia. Anna starts making secret visits to see Sergei and grows increasingly jealous and suspicious of her lover, believing he is unfaithful. Meanwhile, Anna’s open affair with Vronsky has made her a social outcast. The novel portrays Anna’s struggles with her passion for Vronsky, her desire to be independent, and the duty she feels as a wife and mother. Finally, she takes her own life by throwing herself in front of a train.
A subplot in the novel follows the romance between Konstantin Levin, a landowner, and Kitty, an 18-year old Russian princess. After a difficult courtship, the two marry. Their fulfilling marital life contrasts with the unhappy marriage and love affair that end with Anna’s death.
See also Tolstoy, Leo; Russian literature (The 1860’s and 1870’s).
