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.

Ah @Piggywaspushed tea nearly came out of my nose at your first observation.

The next chapter is one of my favourites (well I think it’s the next chapter) and is the reason my hypothetical dog is called Alexei.

He's balding, could do wit losing a few pounds and has a horse called Frou Frou. My Ovaryton Window is shifting from James Norton to Matt Hancock...

🤣🤣🤣

What a chapter today... all the excitement of the race (Tolstoy really brought that to life - I love passages like that!) and then tragedy 😢

I didn't like that Vronsky went from adoration to brutality with poor Frou-Frou but he's already blaming himself, so I'll let him off.

Really enjoying this!

Oh, poor Frou Frou! I feel bad for making fun of her name now.

The casual violence towards the horse was awful :(

Agree Fuzzy I didn't like him before, I REALLY don't like him now!

01/03/23

Part 2, Chapter 25

•	Seventeen officers are participating in the steeplechase (which is an obstacle course over three miles).
•	Vronsky and Frou Frou are absolutely splendid. They overtake Gladiator towards the end of the race and are in the lead. They have one tough obstacle left, which Frou Frou clears easily. Vronsky is ecstatic.

•	They head to the finish line, pausing to clear a simple water jump.

•	Essentially, Vronsky messes up during the jump. Instead of keeping his motion in line with the horse, he sits back in the saddle.

•	The two fall. Gladiator overtakes them.

•	Vronsky tries to urge Frou Frou to get up, but she just lies there looking at him.

•	Her spine is broken.

•	Vronsky is uninjured, and angry at himself because of it.

•	Doctors, attendants, friends, and other people run over.

•	They have to shoot Frou Frou in order to put her out of her suffering.

•	Frou Frou's injury and resulting death is Vronsky's fault. He know that he is to blame and is miserable. This is the first time that he's really experienced misfortune in his life.

•	For a long time, this is the worst memory of Vronsky's life.

2nd & 3rd March

Part 2, Chapter 26

•	On the surface, nothing has changed between Karenin and his wife. Having spoken once of his jealousy and suspicion, however, Karenin can't let it go. He is cold and sarcastic and passive aggressive with her. He thinks that if she wants to mess things up, then it serves her right.

•	It's surprising that such an important, intelligent man is impotent and deliberately blind at home. He has resolved not to think about his wife's feelings, and in fact does manage not to think about them.
•	

Countess Lydia usually spends time at her country house near Anna's place. (Peterhof is, by the way, the name of the Karenin summer estate.) Countess Lydia has stayed at home and hinted to Karenin about the inappropriateness of Anna's friendship with Betsy Tverskoy and Vronsky.
•
Karenin defends Anna and turns a blind eye to the fact that other people in society are thinking the same thing that Countess Lydia is thinking.
•
On the day of the fateful race, Karenin goes out to the country house to see Anna which he makes a point of doing once a week and to see the races.

•	He goes about his business, and then at the end of the day invites his secretary out to the country house with him. Without acknowledging it, Karenin has been trying to have someone else present for meals with his wife to create a buffer between the two.

Part 2, Chapter 27

•	Anna is surprised to see Karenin pull up to the house. She's flustered and starts talking too much. The first thing she asks Karenin is whether he'll be spending the night.

•	Seryozha comes into the room to see his father. He's extremely uncomfortable.

•	Soon, Anna goes off to the races with Princess Betsy.

•	Before she leaves, Karenin kisses her hand.

•	In the carriage, she shudders with disgust when she feels the spot on her hand that he kissed.

4/3/23

Part 2, Chapter 28

•	Now we get a perspective on the steeplechase race from Karenin and Anna's points of view.
•	

Anna sees Karenin looking for her at the race, but decides against saying anything or indicating where she is.
•
Finally, Princess Betsy calls Anna's husband over to them. His presence is repugnant to Anna. Karenin settles into an intellectual conversation with a man nearby whom he knows. The two have generic social conversation about the morality of races as cruel physical contests in which the participants are likely to be injured. (The other guy is against horse racing and Karenin is pro.)
•
Karenin's high voice and fake conversation repulse Anna. She feels that all he cares about is propriety and getting ahead in his career. She thinks that she is a bad woman, but that at least she hates lying, which Karenin has no problem doing.
•
When Vronsky's race begins, however, Karenin can't tear his eyes away from Anna's face. It's strikingly clear that she cares only for Vronsky's safety.
•
The idea that Anna cares for Vronsky's safety forces Karenin to confront Anna's affair: "against his will read on it with horror what he did not want to know" (2.28.30).
•
Anna feels Karenin's eyes fixed on her face as she reacts to Vronsky's racing and can't bring herself to care.
•
More than half the riders in the steeplechase are thrown or hurt—this leaves the audience in agitation over the barbarity of the race.

Thank you for posting the summaries, Desdamona. They are so useful for place-marking.

I like the change of perspective in this chapter, watching the race from the stands. Gosh, you could cut the tension with a knife. It's all falling apart. I feel sorry for their son, who is completely confused by it all and being kept at arm's length by his father as if he has something to do with it. Poor child!

I’ve caught up and seem to be a chapter ahead now.

These are some of my favourite chapters in the book. I think Alexei is drawn so well and the insight into his mind is so interesting.

5/3/23

Part 2, Chapter 29

•	Anna falls apart very visibly after Vronsky is thrown down.

•	Karenin offers to escort her out twice. Both times she refuses, and actually recoils in revulsion from his touch on her arm.

•	Anna listens to the conversation, trying to get news about Vronsky's well-being.
•	

Finally an officer tells her group of friends that Vronsky is unhurt.
•
Anna starts to cry.
•
For the third time, Karenin offers to escort her out of the premises.
•
Princess Betsy tries to intervene, but Karenin insists on taking his wife home.
•
Anna is still visibly shaken.
•
As Karenin and Anna drive home in their carriage, he opens a conversation about Anna and Vronsky by rebuking Anna for her public display of distress and emotion regarding Vronsky.
•
Anna does not respond, and for a wild moment Karenin believes that all his suspicions are false, and that she's not in love with someone else.
•
Finally Anna tells her husband that she is in love with Vronsky, that she is his mistress, and that she hates Karenin.
•
Karenin freezes up, and all he asks is that Anna maintain appearances until he figures out what he wants to do.
•
Vronsky sends Anna a note. He's still going over tonight. Anna is excited to see him.
•
Karenin already feels like a distant memory to Anna.

6/3/23

Part 2, Chapter 30

•	Snow is falling and everything is indistinct. People shout directions at each other.
•	

All of a sudden, Vronsky materializes in front of Anna.
•
He asks if she needs anything.
•
She feels happy and proud. There is no need to ask why he has come, but she does anyway.
•
Somewhere, a romantic soundtrack swells as Vronsky tells Anna that he needs to go wherever she is.
•
Anna's heart is happy with this love confession but her mind is not: she tells Vronsky that what he's saying is wrong, and that he must forget about her. He tells her that he will not, and she shouts, "Enough!" and returns to her train compartment.
•
She can't sleep all night because she's so tense.
•
The first person she sees in Petersburg is her husband. It's not exactly a happy reunion. The way he talks to her is half-mocking and hypocritical. Suddenly, she feels dissatisfied with Karenin's physical appearance and manner; this feeling had always been there, but she is only just noticing it consciously.
•
The first question Anna asks is whether her son is well.

Desdemona, I think that's the summary from part 1 chapter 30? Rather than part 2?

Ah yes...I think Tarahumara is correct.
There's a feeling of déjà vu here 😄 * *

I thought I was going mad - I’m a couple of chapters ahead and I didn’t remember reading that at the weekend at all! Glad it’s not just me forgetting what I’ve read as soon as I’ve read it!

Ooops!
I listened to it today and meant to double check because it didn't sound familiar! That's what comes of posting before reading and trying not to spoil the plot for myself!

I'll try again!

6/3/23

Part 2, Chapter 30

•	Now we jump to Germany and the Shcherbatskys. (Remember that Kitty is at a German spa trying to recover from her heartbreak over losing Vronsky.)
•	

The novel observes that, in any international gathering of people, such as Kitty's German spa, each individual has their own predetermined place in the society of that gathering.
•
After some time, Kitty is bored with her predetermined clique, and spends her time observing all the classes of people who have come to visit this spa.
•
Kitty dreams beautiful lives for all these people, because that's part of her nature.
•
She develops a close friendship with a woman named Varenka, who is accompanying an elderly invalid named Madame Stahl. (Both women are Russian.)
•
Varenka isn't attractive in the conventional sense, though her features are quite beautiful. Tolstoy notes that Varenka lacks the same qualities that makes Kitty attractive to men: vivacity and a fire for life.
•
We learn that Varenka is a young woman of indeterminate age who spends her time helping other people.
•
Kitty idealizes Varenka, because Varenka has numerous interests in life, as well as a consistent system of values.
•
Kitty and Varenka cross paths frequently, and both seem to want to get to know each other. Kitty figures out that Varenka is neither Madame Stahl's paid companion nor her relative, which adds to Varenka's general mystique.
•
Varenka is constantly doing things for other people.
•
A new Russian couple arrive at the springs shortly after the Shcherbatskys' arrival; they arouse general disapproval with their unattractive looks and poor dress.
•
In Kitty's dreams, the couple has a sweet and beautiful romance.
•
When she realizes that the man in the couple is Constantine Levin's brother, Nicolas, she begins to dislike the couple immensely. (The woman, by the way, is Masha Nikolaevna, the former prostitute whom Nicholas treats as his wife.)

Now that is familiar!

Yes! Back on track! I read it very early this morning and in my groggy state was wondering how I had missed Anna taking another train journey :)

Thanks Desdamona!

7/3/23

Part 2, Chapter 31

•	Kitty's begins asking her mother if she can be friends with Varenka.
•	

Her mother is initially resistant, since she is sure that Varenka is just Madame Stahl's paid companion. Princess Shcherbatsky was acquainted with Madame Stahl's sister-in-law, and Princess Shcherbatsky is offended that Madame Stahl has not approached her to make her acquaintance.
•
Finally, Princess Shcherbatsky assents after they learn that Varenka intervened and made peace between Nicholas Levin and his doctor. Nicholas behaved badly when he felt that the doctor was not treating him correctly, going so far as to raise his stick at the doctor threateningly. Varenka took Nicholas's arm and led him away before he could do any more damage.
•
Princess Shcherbatsky decides that there is no harm in their friendship, and that it will perhaps do Kitty some good.
•
Princess Shcherbatsky approaches Varenka directly and mentions that Kitty's taken with her, and wants to become friends. After the introduction, Kitty feels free to join Varenka for a chat. The two express mutual interest in friendship.
•
We finally find out the relationship between Varenka and Madame Stahl: they are not related by blood, but Madame Stahl raised Varenka.

I thought we could add some thoughts on the section up to the end of chapter 29. I think I expected the book to be quite hard going, but actually I’m finding it an easy read. The triangle of Anna, Karenin and Vronsky is timeless. Everyone around Anna and Vronsky can sense something is going on but no one is sufficiently confident to point it out; Anna feels Vronksy’s presence when he is near and can’t help but tune into it; Anna’s feelings towards her husband are now negative despite being ambivalent pre the affair; Karenin knows there is something going on but isn’t certain what to do. The whole thing is timeless and very human. I really felt for Anna’s son as I’ve seen that exact expression of awkwardness in my nephew when he was faced with the same scenario.

(Whenever I try to picture Karenin, I see Daniel Day Lewis as Cecil in the film of A Room With A View. Tall, awkward and self important. Showing my age there!)

Thanks @DesdamonasHandkerchief!