Anna+Karenina+Ben-Z-WHS

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The story starts with a man named Stiva Oblonsky who is caught by his wife, Dolly, cheating their relationship. At this point Anna Karenina actually appears and goes to the Oblonsky household to resolve the matter. Anna Karenina not only is Dolly's sister, but is also the wife of a government official. Meanwhile, Dolly and Anna's younger sister, Kitty is deciding to get married between a landowner (a.k.a Levin) and a military officer (a.k.a. Vronsky). Now this is where the story is very well known, Kitty declines Levin and chooses Vronsky, but then, Vronsky meets Anna and he instantly falls in love with her, which results in an affair.

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Leo Tolstoy (born Lev Nikolayevich, Count Tolstoy) was born in August 28, 1828. His parents died when he was a child and so he was raised by relatives. In 1844, he went to college and studied law and oriental languages but he never got a degree. In, 1847 he left Yasnaya Polyana and went to Moscow and St. Petersburg. After making large debts due to gambling, Leo left in 1851, with his brother, and went to the Caucasus region and became part of a artillery regiment. He also started his literary career around this time. In 1857, after 6 years in the military, he traveled Europe going to Germany, Switzerland, and France, before he finally settled down in his hometown of Yasnaya Polyana. He later started a school for peasant children. In 1862 he married Sonya Andreyevna Behrs, they had 13 children. Leo Tolstoy later wrote the famous //War and Peace // and //Anna Karenina. // He later died in 1910. ======

Anna Karenina is exactly 900 pages excluding the 12 page introduction. This story is obviously a historical fiction, taking place in Russia around the era of the American Civil War. The book uses mostly formal diction due to the time period of this book. This is shown when Leo Tolstoy writes "...phrase monger Stremov was the last man fit for it. How could they fail to see how they were ruining themselves, lowering their prestige by this appointment?" (468). The story was written in omniscient third person to intensify the drama all the characters go through.

 The main theme in Anna Karenina is the fact that even though people die and sad things happen life continues to move on and you should never lose hope in the future. This is evidenced by the fact that even though Anna Karenina died, Kitty gives birth to Levin's child, and even though Kitty thought Levin didn't really care for the child, that all changes when Kitty, Levin and the others are having a picnic when all of a sudden a thunderstorm erupts the sky everyone runs inside and Levin realizes that Kitty and Mitya (their child) are still outside, so he runs outside searching for them. when he gets to the forest they were in, a lightning bolt strikes a tree knocking it down onto the rest of the forest, sending Levin to think that Kitty and Mitya died. But once he gets there he realizes that they had left before the tree fell. On the other side of the bushes Levin two figures calling out to him. To his amazement they turn out to be Kitty, the nurse and Mitya. Kitty then realizes that Levin actually did care about Mitya. Levin then starts getting idealistic and thinks about the meaning of life and heaven.
 * [Please note: the following may contain spoilers. Parental Guidance is advised.]

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And the critics decide...(drum roll)

★★★★★ ⅓ (yes it deserves more than 5 stars) This book is an instant classic from the starting and its comical beginning quote to the suspenseful ending. This book deserves the 5 and a 1/3 stars I gave it. Not only does it tell a great story but it makes the story feel like it actually happened, the author achieved this by having them do regular things (i.e. ice skating) and incorporating historical events like the Serbian war. All in all this is a classic story all people who have the patience and endurance should read, (keep in mind its 900 pages long!) but once you get to the end, the ending itself is worth it.

If you are interested in the movie there is a trailer below. [warning, the trailer includes moderate amounts of spoilers, parental guidance is advised. (again)] media type="youtube" key="ZE417ZtnWu8" height="385" width="640"

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Sources: @http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ltolstoi.htm @http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/l/leo_tolstoy.html