Anna Karenina Readalong, 2023

[StColumbofNavron]

Following the success of W&P in 2022, we’ve decided to stick with Tolstoy for 2023 and read Anna Karenina, one chapter per day.

For newbies: we simply read one chapter a day and discussion is allowed with a broader chat at the end of each section. Tolstoy’s chapters are nice and short, flicking through average length is about 4 pages.

I have used the Penguin Classics (2001, 2003) trans. by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky for the breakdown below. More on editions below.

There are 249 chapters in this edition and the book is in 8 parts taking us to 14 September with a break of a day between each book. Hopefully, irrespective of the edition you pick the finishing of each ‘book’ will hopefully align.

Book 1, ch. 1-34 (1 Jan-3 Feb)
BREAK, 4 Feb
Book 2, ch. 1-35 (5 Feb-11 Mar)
BREAK, 12 March
Book 3, ch. 1-32 (13 Mar-13 Apr)
BREAK, 14 Apr
Book 4, ch. 1-23 (15 Apr-7 May)
BREAK, 8 May
Book 5, ch. 1-33 (9 May-10 Jun)
BREAK, 11 Jun
Book 6, ch. 1-32 (12 Jun-14 Jul)
BREAK, 15 Jul
Book 7, ch. 1-31 (16 Jul-15 Aug)
BREAK, 16 Aug
Book 8, ch. 1-29 (17 Aug-14 Sept)

Some info on different translations and editions in the links below. Maud, Aylmer and Pevear and Volonkhonsky all present once again.

Wikipedia here
Tolstoy Therapy
New York Times
Some thoughts on Pevear and Volonkhonsky contenting the Russian Lit market

For reasons best known to me (largely foolish) I decided look up and work it all out on my phone instead of laptop, so apologies for any inaccuracies, typos etc. I am certain I have forgotten something, got my numbering wrong somewhere, but hopefully broadly correct.

All that remains is to say welcome back to those who are remaining committed to Tolstoy, thank you to those who organised and helped the last read run smoothly and welcome, do come in to those joining.

p.s. I would love to see the covers of your books.

Thanks, as always, for your sterling work in posting summaries and keeping me on track!

I like that this novel seems a lot 'fluffier' than War & Peace - although we haven't got into the farming yet which, from previous comments, might get a bit tedious? But really enjoying it - you can tell its Tolstoy, but a much more whimsical Tolstoy which you only saw in flashes in W&P. Looking forward to finding out what happens next 😃

That first sentence was for Desdemona, of course!

Thank you I'm in the US for a few days so summaries may be a bit out of sync 😖

5/2/23
Part 2, Chapter 1

•	The chapter opens at the end of winter.
•	Kitty has been ill all winter, and her health has been growing steadily worse as spring approaches. The family doctor has already tried all of his traditional methods, and nothing has helped. He recommends that she visit a famous doctor from abroad.
•	
•	Here, Tolstoy gets in a little jab at the medical profession: he notes that the doctor, a not-yet-old man, insists that maidenly modesty is barbaric and insists on examining Kitty naked. He does this every day as part of his practice, and can see nothing wrong with it because he's not uncomfortable.
•	The doctor prescribes a trip abroad to take the waters at a famous spa—not because he thinks it'll necessarily help, but because it'll do no harm, and Kitty's mother wants to go.

•	Kitty's father believes he's the only one who knows why she's ill, and he doesn't believe anything the doctor says. Kitty's mother has the opposite point of view, taking the doctor's word as gospel because it's science.

•	Kitty's mother cheers up at the doctor's words, and Kitty pretends to be cheered, too. Underneath is all, though, she's still miserable from heartbreak.

6/2/23

Part 2, Chapter 2

•	Dolly has given birth to a daughter named Lilli and another daughter has fallen ill. Still, she makes time to visit the Shcherbatsky house to see what decisions they've made regarding Kitty.

•	Dolly is sad to hear that Kitty will be going abroad; she feels that she is losing her sister and best friend.
•	
•	Meanwhile, the reconciliation Anna brokered between Dolly and Oblonsky has not lasted. Oblonsky is never home, and Dolly has to take care of six children. Dolly is stressed and unhappy.

•	Kitty is sad that her father is not accompanying her and her mother to the spa, because she feels like her father understands her best of all.

•	Kitty's father tells her that one day she will be cheerful again and ready to go out for a walk with him.

•	This is too much for Kitty to take emotionally; she runs from the room.
•	

Her parents have a spat because the Prince thinks the whole situation is his wife's fault, and he thinks it's ludicrous that his wife keeps trying to dose Kitty with medicines.
•
The Princess is stressed because she can't figure out how Kitty is supposed to get married.
•
Dolly asks about Levin. It's clear she thinks that Kitty's anguish stems from refusing Levin and placing her trust in Vronsky.
•
• Dolly goes to talk to Kitty.

7/2/23

Part 2, Chapter 3

•	Here we get a glimpse of Kitty's boudoir: it's "a pretty little pink room," decorated with cheerful porcelain dolls that seem as joyful as Kitty once was. Dolly reflects that this room, decorated just two months ago, shows what a change there has been in Kitty, from happy youthfulness to misery.
•	Kitty's sitting in a chair looking cold and aloof. Dolly tries to draw her out about her failed relationship with Vronsky.

•	Kitty becomes furious with Dolly's pity and flies into a rage: she brings the fight to a whole new level when she tells Dolly that she would never do what Dolly is doing, clinging to a man who has been unfaithful.

•	Dolly goes silent and sad as she thinks of her humiliation and feels terrible that her own sister could throw Oblonsky's treatment of Dolly in Dolly's face.
•	Kitty hugs Dolly, and tells her sister that she is terribly unhappy. She feels horrible because Princess Shcherbatsky is putting her on the marriage market as though she's up for sale, and now she feels ashamed of herself where she used to feel proud.

•	Without explicitly saying so, Kitty is sorry for making that comment about fidelity, Dolly forgives her, and knows that she's right about the cause of Kitty's heartbreak.

•	Dolly is dealing with an outbreak of scarlet fever at home. Kitty offers to help (since she's already had scarlet fever and is thus immune) and goes to stay at the Oblonsky household.

•	The two sisters nurse all six children through scarlet fever. Kitty's health remains poor, however, and at Lent she goes abroad with her mother.

8/2/23

Part 1, Chapter 4

•	We get an overview of the best social clique in Petersburg—although everyone in it is friends, there are, of course, subdivisions.
•	Anna belongs to three subdivisions: 1) Karenin's official career group. 2) The "conscience of Petersburg society," which is comprised of charitable women and able, educated men. Karenin made his career through this group, and Countess Lydia is its Queen Bee. Since getting back to Petersburg, Anna hasn't been hanging out with them at much—she feels like everyone is pretending. 3) A high society circle of balls, dinner parties, and Court populated with socialites. Her cousin's wife, Princess Betsy Tverskoy, has taken a liking to Anna and introduces her to this set of people. They're young and beautiful and make fun of people like Countess Lydia. They're the crème de la crème of Petersburg society.

•	After Anna returns from Moscow, she begins hanging out with mainly Princess Betsy's crowd, instead of Countess Lydia and her moral friends. Vronsky also belongs to this set of people—Princess Betsy is his cousin. (So this would make Anna and Vronsky cousins-in-law.)
•	Every time Vronsky and Anna meet, Vronsky tells her about his love for her.

•	Anna doesn't encourage Vronsky's behavior, but she feels a little thrill every time he makes these declarations.

•	At first, Anna finds his pursuit annoying, but when she doesn't see him one evening she's disappointed and realizes that she's actually interested in him.

•	One night, Princess Betsy Tsverskoy's circle is at the Opera House.

•	Vronsky arrives and goes immediately to Princess Betsy's box.

•	She teases him about Anna. He says he's afraid of becoming ridiculous, while at the same time knowing that society finds something beautiful in the idea of pursuing married women.

•	Princess Betsy asks Vronsky why he hasn't come to dinner.

•	Vronsky says he was making peace between a husband and someone who had offended his wife.

•	He has to go to the French Theatre next to help achieve the reconciliation.

•	Princess Betsy asks for the full story.

9/2/23

Part 2, Chapter 5

•	Vronsky's story: Two men (officers of Vronsky's regiment, whose names he's not revealing to protect their honor) were out drinking when they saw a pretty woman in a sleigh.

•	Drunk, the two decided to chase after the woman, who ran inside an apartment at the house where they themselves were planning to go.

•	She ran to the top apartment.

•	The men wrote a ridiculous love note and hand-delivered it to the apartment.
•	

A maid answered the door of the apartment and held them off until a very angry man arrived to inform the two drunk men that no one lived in the apartment but his wife.
•
(The husband and wife are a Titular Councilor and Titular Counciloress, happily married.)
•
The Titular Councilor then approached the regimental commander with a complaint about these officers, who had insulted his wife.
•
Realizing that they have been harassing a family of some stature, the two officers have been trying to make peace with the Titular Councilor using Vronsky as a go-between.
•
Vronsky approaches the Titular Councilor, but as they discuss the incident, every time the official remembers the way these two young upstarts insulted his wife, he gets angry all over again.
•
Vronsky goes off to the French Theatre to report to his regimental commander his success (or lack thereof).
•
We find out that Petritsky (that guy who was using Vronsky's apartment in Petersburg when Vronsky was in Moscow) and a fellow named Prince Kedrov were the offenders. Petritsky's been getting into a lot of trouble lately, and the commander is getting fed up with him.
•
Vronsky tells his colonel the story of near-reconciliation, and the colonel is much amused by the official's continuing flare-ups.

10/2/23

Part 2, Chapter 6

•	Princess Betsy leaves the Opera House early to go home and prepare for her guests.

•	The guests form two distinct groups: one near Princess Betsy, and one near the wife of an ambassador.

•	Everyone is making idle talk. A topic of conversation has not been settled on yet. (Neither Anna, nor her husband, nor Vronsky is at the dinner party yet.)
•	
•	One of the short conversations is full of subtle gossip about a young man named Tushkevich, who everyone knows is Princess Betsy's lover.

•	Finally, everyone begins gossiping about people they know.

•	The circle around the ambassador's wife is talking about the Karenins.

•	One of Anna's friends said that Anna has seemed changed ever since coming back from Moscow.

•	The ambassador's wife said that the primary change has been that Anna brought back a shadow named Alexis Vronsky.

•	A woman named Princess Myagky comes to Anna's defense, arguing that she loves Anna and that it's not Anna's fault if everyone falls in love with her and wants to follow her.

•	Vronsky comes into the room.

•	He says that he's just come from the very entertaining "Bouffe" (i.e., comic opera which originated in France), which Princess Myagky says everyone would attend if it were the place to see and be seen, like the opera.

I find the chapters interesting in structure. They sort of fade out and in , almost like we are dropping in on little 'salon pieces ' in medias res.

Things are certainly hotting up plot wise and in today's chapter there is an interesting conversation about marriages of convenience.

I d find I don't properly concentrate, though, because it's so dialogue heavy. What a bunch of gossips!

On first acquaintance I really liked Princess Myagky.

I'll spend some time reading this tomorrow and I'll catch up with the chat soon. I was not impressed by Anna's friend spreading rumours around!

11/2/23

Part 2, Chapter 7

•	Someone is approaching the door, and Princess Betsy can tell that it's Anna. She looks over at Vronsky, who looks happy yet nervous.

•	Anna comes in and takes a seat.

•	The conversation turns to love.

•	The ambassador's wife says that the only happy marriages she knows are arranged marriages based on reason.
•	
•	Vronsky argues with her, making the claim for passion.

•	Princess Betsy argues that you can only know love after correcting a mistake, and the rest of the company agrees that "it's never too late to repent"—even after marriage. Princess Betsy asks Anna for her opinion. Anna says she thinks that there are many kinds of love.

•	Vronsky visibly relaxes at this at this ambiguous statement.

•	Anna turns to him suddenly and says that she's just received word that Kitty Shcherbatsky is sick.

•	Vronsky asks for details. The two of them go off in a corner by themselves.

•	Anna reproaches Vronsky for his behavior towards Kitty, and tells him to go back to Moscow and ask Kitty to forgive him.

•	Vronsky says that she doesn't mean that.

•	She asks him to leave her alone.

•	He argues that he thinks of the two of them as one, meaning that he sees no peace for either of them, only happiness or unhappiness.

•	Anna tries to say the right thing, but can only look at him with eyes full of love.

•	They talk some more, and then Karenin, Anna's husband, joins the little party.

•	He talks to Princess Betsy, who draws him into conversation about universal military service.
•	
•	Vronsky and Anna stay apart from everyone else in the room, which everyone except Karenin notices and feels uncomfortable about.
•	Trying to end this awkward situation, Princess Betsy gets Anna to join the general conversation.

•	Karenin suggests to Anna that the two of them go home together, but Anna says she's staying for dinner.

•	After dinner, Vronsky walks Anna out to her carriage.

•	He tells her that he wants her love, not her friendship.

•	Anna tells him that love means a lot to her.

•	Vronsky is happy, because he feels like he's made great advances in his pursuit of Anna.

12 & 13/2/23

Part 2, Chapter 8

•	Karenin was okay with Anna and Vronsky sitting together, but he has noticed that everyone else thought it was strange and improper. He's now starting to feel weird about it and decides to mention it to Anna.
•	After reading for a while, and following his normal routine, Karenin resolves that he needs to speak to his wife. Instead of thinking about the usual official business things he thinks about, he considers what he should say.
•	
•	Karenin is not a jealous man; he believes in trusting one's wife, and has always had faith in Anna. For the first time, comments the novel, Karenin begins to imagine that his wife has an internal life, with thoughts, wishes, and feelings that he has never known.
•	Now, for the first time, Karenin has to confront life, and confront the possibility that his wife is in love with someone else.
•	This realization horrifies him.
•	He paces back and forth, thinking about what to say and what to do. He's confused, because this is really the first time he's had to deal with life's complications.
•	He begins formulating what to say to Anna as though he were composing an official report. And he's irritated that these "domestic" matters have to take up so much of his intellectual powers.
•	He cracks his knuckles.
•	Anna comes upstairs.
•	
•	Although he is pleased with the speech he is prepared, Karenin is frightened of the talk he is about to have with his wife.

Part 2, Chapter 9

•	Anna is surprised that her husband isn't in bed.
•	Karenin says that they have to talk.
•	Anna seems completely natural and relaxed, but Karenin feels like she's closed her soul to him.
•	She makes fun of his concern over the propriety of her behavior with Vronsky.
•	
•	Anna thinks to herself that the only reason he cares is because her relationship to Vronsky was noticed in public. In other words, she doesn't think that her husband cares about her feelings and their marriage as much as he cares about what society thinks of them.
•	Karenin continues to lecture her, and Anna complains of being sleepy. All the while she keeps her tone light and sweet.
•	Karenin tells her that he loves her, brings up their son, and says that to break these bonds would call down serious punishment from God. (This is all different from his prepared speech, by the way.)
•	Anna thinks to herself that Karenin doesn't know what love is. Karenin pleads that, if there is anything to this whole thing with Vronsky, that she tell him. Anna refuses to confess any feelings towards Vronsky, and they fall silent.
•	They go to bed.
•	Karenin falls asleep quickly, but for a long time Anna stays awake thinking of Vronsky: "her heart filled with excitement and criminal joy" (2.9.32).

I have just finished chapter 8 and thought I should add some comments. Karenin is a cold fish and he’d be hard work as a husband. A bit distant, too logical and lacking in imagination. Vronsky is what my grandmother would have called a cad. He really is, no remorse for playing Kitty along and no shame in courting another man’s wife in public.
I don’t know if I should feel sorry for Anna being caught between the pair of them or just give her a good shake as neither are desirable.

I’m so far behind, I need a nice evening to catch up.

I’m trying to not download to my Kindle because I have a battered copy that just feels nice and it seems unecessary but I think I wouldn’t be behind if I was on Kindle.

I feel almost like Vronsky is the dictionary definition of cad.

I found the most recent chapter quite disturbing.

Yes to Vronsky being a cad! He's so selfish. Determined to pursue Anna regardless of the potential cost to her.

I think Vronksy is just very unempathetic in the proper sense of the word. He seems unable to understand how his actions affect others.

I agree Anna is caught between two undesirable choices of men - stuffy, boring, pompous Andrey who doesn't seem to care a fig about his wife - only about 'appearances' - and Vronsky - who is the very definitition of a cad. He played with Kitty's affections while it amused him to do so and then dropped her when someone more alluring and interesting came along. And now he's enjoying the frisson of excitement he gets from flirting with another man's wife in public.

Absolutely awful man. Yes! A cad.

And a bounder!

Not as awful as Alec D'Urberville (yet?) though!

Who played him in the BBC version form years ago with Helen McCrory?

When I see Vronsky, I can't unsee James Norton, even though I know he was in War and Peace!

Vronsky is the definition of a cad, I agree. At this point he's being horribly selfish with no regard for Anna's reputation and the impact it's already having.

I don't remember Helen McCrory from the BBC version. Will have to look.

Am I the only one who feels some sympathy for Karenin in chapters 9 and 10? He cannot find the words to explain how he’s feeling and he’s definitely uptight, but he senses he is losing his wife and he doesn’t really now what to do about it. Totally out of his depth.

He didn't strike me as a bad husband in the context of the times. With his need for routine I thought the typical mumsnet response would be is he ASD?

Yeah, after all, I think we're talking about a time when maybe the thinking about what marriage was or should be was changing. As far as he understood the purpose of marriage, Karenin seems to have been at least adequate. He clearly kept her in reasonable comfort, she had a pretty good position in society, a certain amount of freedom to socialise and travel, he wasn't violent or unkind as such.

The idea of romance in a marriage is quite recent and the transition from one belief about marriage to the one we have now must have been a painful one for a couple of generations.