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.

I wouldn't trust a hair on his balding head!!

I have been popping on and off this thread - have a confession to make. I have finished the book! Could not resist reading on.

I absolutely loved it and look forward to following the discussions on.

Very naughty! 😉I must admit I have found it difficult to stick to a chapter a day so a few times I have read on and so am often out of synch. I didn't have that problem with W and P.

I am perplexed-
what does Anna see in him? It’s clear in chapter 8 that she adores him. My thoughts were that he is so different from Karenin and she is so dazzled by his lightness and liveliness that she hasn’t realised that he’s quite shallow. Or has she burnt so many bridges that panic and adrenaline have kicked in and she’s over excited.

And from a mundane point of view, what are they living on? He was unable to balance his accounts a while back and he had his army income then and surely Anna doesn’t have access to her husband’s money. Is she independently wealthy?

And, Vronsky’s bored. Of course he’s bored. My mother always said that boredom is something for shallow people. We all knew that he was not a man to run away with when he kicked his horse.

18/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 10

•	When Count Vronsky and Golenishchev's cards are sent in to Mikhailov, he is at work in his studio.
•	He has just had an argument with his wife, and turns it into a particularly productive bout of painting. He finishes the drawing of a man just as the cards arrive.
•	He makes up with his wife, forgets his drawing, and goes out to meet his Russian guests.
•	

•	He's anxious about criticism, but all the same he's struck by the vision of Anna standing in the shadow of the entrance. Without being aware of what he's doing, he seizes upon the impression and stores it in his brain for possible future use.
•	Mikhailov does not make a good impression on his visitors. He's unfashionable, his face is not ordinary, and he's stocky, with a fidgety walk.

I agree, JamesGiant, I don't know what Anna sees in Vronsky either! Tolstoy is certainly not taking pains to make him sound very sexy at this point. Anna on the other hand still sounds like a knockout, with all her beauty and charisma.

The fact that both of them have left their former lives behind in order to be together puts a helluva lot of pressure on their relationship.

I agree with JamesGiant and cassandre. This honeymoon phase can't be sustainable. Good point about Vronsky's portrayal being less than flattering. It also seems he is playing a role, one that he'll soon tire of.

19/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 11

•	Mikhailov assumes that Vronsky and Anna are wealthy Russian aristocrats who like to pretend to know a lot about art.

&bull;	Mikhailov first shows them a scene called <span class="italic">Pilate&#039;s Admonition</span>.

&bull;	(Some background information: Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea during the life of Jesus. He weakly allowed Jesus&#039; powerful enemies to press him for Jesus&#039; conviction. Following his crucifixion [in the Eastern Orthodox account of Pilate&#039;s life] Pilate and his wife convert to Christianity, and she is considered a saint. For more on Pilate, <a class="break-all" href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/460341/Pontius-Pilate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out this article</a>e<strong> on his historical and religious roles, and see also our theme on &quot;<a class="break-all" href="https://www.shmoop.com/anna-karenina/compassion-forgiveness-theme.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Compassion and Forgiveness</a>s</strong>.&quot;)
&bull;	
&bull;	Golenishchev compliments Pilate&#039;s facial expression, saying that he seems like &quot;a kind, nice fellow, but a functionary to the bottom of his soul&quot; (5.11.8). Mikhailov is delighted: this is exactly how he imagines Pilate, as a bureaucrat who&#039;s ignorant of what it means when he signs Jesus&#039; death warrant.

&bull;	Mikhailov loves Golenishchev for seeing what he meant to express in his painting.

&bull;	Then, Anna, perceiving that Christ is supposed to be the center of the painting, compliments the pity in Christ&#039;s face. Once again, Mikhailov is in ecstasy, because that&#039;s exactly what he wanted to show: Pilate&#039;s bureaucratic soul represents physical life, while Christ&#039;s pity shows his spiritual depth. Mikhailov is getting symbolic with this painting, because he doesn&#039;t believe in God. He&#039;s trying to paint both Christ and Pilate as <span class="italic">types</span> of men.

&bull;	And then Vronsky has to spoil it all: he comments on the technical aspect of Mikhailov&#039;s painting, and now all that Mikhailov can think is that his painting falls short technically of what it&#039;s supposed to be like. He much preferred Anna and Golenishchev&#039;s more abstract comments.
&bull;	
&bull;	Mikhailov and Golenishchev fall into an argument about Mikhailov&#039;s depiction of the historical Jesus, and Anna and Vronsky start talking to each other.

20/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 12

•	Anna and Vronsky get bored and take a look at a smaller painting, which they both find incredibly charming.
•	Mikhailov had forgotten all about that painting because he had finished it three years ago—it's out only because some Englishman is expected to buy it.
•	The painting is of two boys fishing. One boy is focused on drawing the float out from behind a bush, while the other boy is lying on the grass dreaming.
•	Mikhailov feels uncomfortable looking at a painting completed so long ago, and he tries to get everyone to look at a different picture.
•	
&bull;	After the visitors leave Mikhailov continues to work on <span class="italic">Pilate&#039;s Admonition</span>.
&bull;	Vronsky, Anna, and Golenishchev are animated on the way home, and talk at great length about the painter and his paintings. They are particularly impressed by the painting of the boys.
&bull;	Vronsky resolves to buy it.

Am I the only one that can't help reading Pilate like pilates??

Nope I'm doing it too then feeling guilty that I'm not doing anywhere near as much pilates as I should be...

21/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 13

•	Vronsky succeeds in both buying the painting and getting Mikhailov to do Anna's portrait.
•	Soon it's clear that Mikhailov is amazing at capturing Anna's essence.
•	Despite this, Golenishchev looks down at Mikhailov for being uneducated. He thinks that Vronsky, due to his education and birth, has potential to be a better artist.
&bull;	Whenever Mikhailov comes to the <span class="italic">palazzo</span>, he&#039;s hostile. He never accepts their invitations to stay to dinner, and they always feel uncomfortable around him, although it&#039;s clear that he enjoys looking at Anna.
&bull;	
&bull;	Golenishchev speculates that Mikhailov is simply jealous of Vronsky, an opinion that Vronsky accepts with equanimity, believing that anyone of a lower station in life must envy him. Mikhailov finds Vronsky&#039;s paintings irritating and distasteful.
&bull;	Everyone is happy when they no longer have to associate with one another.
&bull;	Vronsky never finishes his portrait of Anna. He realizes that if he continues the painting, all its shortcomings will be exposed. He stops painting altogether, and life in the little Italian town suddenly becomes unbearable.
&bull;	The couple decides to spend the summer on Vronsky&#039;s family estate.p

22/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 14

•	After three months of marriage, Levin realizes that the ideal of marriage is different from its actuality.
•	Prior to his marriage, Levin had always looked at other couples' quarrels contemptuously, believing that family life should be nothing but love-making and happiness.
•	Levin is amazed at all the work that Kitty throws into the business of running a household—redecorating rooms, hiring domestic staff, arranging furniture, and so on.
•	
•	Kitty butts heads with Miss Agatha over household management.
•	Kitty is getting used to being mistress of her own household, and being able to order exactly the things she wants for the home.
•	Levin is amazed at their petty quarrels. Their first quarrel occurred when Levin was a half-hour late. Kitty accused him of loving only himself and not her.
•	In quarreling, Levin realizes that to hurt Kitty is to hurt himself.
•	They argue frequently; this first period of their marriage is the most painful.

I've asked MN to delete first post which is tomorrows chapter!

Kitty sounds like bloody hard work in todays chapter.

23/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 15

•	Kitty and Levin take a trip to Moscow, and after they come back, marital life is much smoother.
•	At this point in the novel, Levin and Kitty are in his study. Levin is working on his book, and Kitty is doing some embroidery.
•	Levin is writing a chapter on why Russian agriculture is unprofitable. In keeping with his thoughts on the subject throughout the novel, Levin blames Russia's increasing poverty on attempts to superimpose foreign modes of civilization on Russia's natural self-organization. He especially blames the introduction of new modes of communication, including the trains, which permits the centralization of Russia's people into a few big cities. The growth of the cities is depriving the countryside of wealth. Instead, the railways should be employed to help the uniform development of farming across the Russian countryside.
•	
•	Kitty is thinking about Levin being jealous of a certain Prince Charsky who was flirting with her in Moscow. She thinks that it's foolish for him to be jealous of the Prince.
•	Kitty looks at the nape of Levin's neck and feels a sense of ownership over it. She feels guilty about possibly interrupting his work, but she stares at him and wills him to turn around and look at her.
•	He turns around, and remarks on how wonderful it is that the two of them are alone together. He wants to know her thoughts.
•	She tells him to continue writing, but he goes and sits next to her and asks her again what she is thinking of.
•	Kitty tells him that she was thinking about the nape of his neck.
•	Levin caresses her hair and kisses her.
•	Kuzma comes in to announce that tea is served.
•	Kitty goes off, and Levin puts his notebooks away in a portfolio that Kitty gave to him, and washes his hands in a washstand that she also had obtained.
•	
•	Levin thinks about his family life and considers it weak and self-indulgent. For the past three months he hasn't done any sort of serious work. He also believes that Kitty has no serious interests at all, which he secretly condemns.
•	What Levin doesn't realize is that Kitty knows that she will soon be busy as a wife, mother, and mistress of the house. She's preparing herself for the life to come—building her nest.

23/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 16

•	Levin goes upstairs to find Miss Agatha and Kitty sitting amiably over tea. Kitty has won over Miss Agatha and they are no longer at odds.
•	Kitty is reading a letter from Dolly, describing a recent children's ball that Grisha and Tanya attended. She hands Levin a letter from Masha.
•	Levin reads the letter. It says that Masha had found Nicholas in Moscow and that he is very ill. In fact, Nicholas is dying. Levin wants to go to Moscow at once.
•	Kitty insists on coming along, arguing that her duty is to be at her husband's side.
•	
•	Levin believes that Kitty will be a burden. He wants to shield her from Masha because Masha was once a prostitute, and he also believes that the only reason she wishes to go is to escape the monotony of the country.
•	Finally, they make up and it's decided that Kitty will go.
•	Levin is still unhappy about this outcome. He shudders at the idea of Kitty being in the same room as Masha.

25/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 18

•	Levin can't cope with his brother's situation at all. It fills him with disgust and helplessness. He's caught between impulses: he can't bear to be in the room with Nicholas, but he also can't bear not to be with his brother
•	Kitty has an entirely different approach. She considers it her womanly duty to help her brother-in-law, and to this end she sets to work making his life infinitely more comfortable for him. Kitty has the room (and Nicholas) cleaned, calls for a doctor, and visits the pharmacist.
•	Nicholas begins to call Kitty "Katya," and he sings her praises. She thinks incessantly of what Nicholas might need and can always anticipate his next request.
•	
•	When Nicholas kisses Levin on the hand, Levin is overcome with tears and must leave the room.

Done it again!!! Sorry, This is todays chapter:

25/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 17

•	The hotel where Nicholas and Masha are staying is pretty gross. It was built with modern conveniences, but because its clients are all provincial and dirty, it has sunk even lower than the old-style hotels that were just dirty in the first place.
•	Levin meets Masha in the hallway and they go to meet Nicholas.
•	But before they move from their spot, Kitty comes out of the room. Masha becomes very embarrassed.
•	Kitty asks after Nicholas.
•	
•	Levin goes to see Nicholas by himself. He is unprepared for what he finds. The room is filthy, and Nicholas is like a living corpse.
•	Levin is disgusted by his sick brother. He feels awkward and doesn't know what to say.
•	At the first opportunity, he goes and gets Kitty. She begs her husband to let her see Nicholas, arguing that she may be of some use.
•	When she sees him she is immediately full of compassion.
•	She takes charge of the situation.

Poor Nicholas Levin. That was a long and difficult death (sorry...read up to chapter 20).
I think that Kitty really came into her own caring for him. Did she have previous nursing experience or does it come naturally to her? She referred to Soden, that she learned a lot there and had seen worse. Anyway, they would have been lost without her. She brought some comfort to the poor man.

26/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 19

•	Levin thinks of the axiom that wisdom comes from the mouth of babes, not wise men, and thinks about it in regards to his wife and Miss Agatha.
•	Although he considers himself to be more intelligent than either of them, he finds that he and all the other intelligent men on the earth know only a fraction about death when compared to the instinctive knowledge that Kitty and Miss Agatha demonstrate.
•	The two women would not be able to answer deep philosophical questions about death, but they certainly seem to know what to do about death when faced with it. When confronted with the fact of Nicholas's impending death, Levin is paralyzed while Kitty is galvanized.
•	
•	Levin still feels unbearably awkward in his brother's presence. Because Kitty thinks only of Nicholas's well-being, she doesn't have the same problem with awkwardness.
•	Miss Agatha and Kitty don't limit themselves to just Nicholas's physical needs. They also send for a priest and concern themselves with Nicholas's spiritual needs.
•	That night, Levin goes back to his room and feels ashamed. He can't think of anything.
•	Kitty, in contrast, is extremely active. The narrator compares her to a man preparing himself for battle.
•	Levin finds eating, drinking, sleeping—all physical activities—absolutely impossible, but Kitty finds them necessary.
•	It becomes impossible for Levin to eat that night, and it's even harder to fall asleep.
•	They converse about Nicholas's religious needs, and Kitty has a sly look on her face when she addresses this issue. She is convinced that Levin, despite his disbelief, is a good Christian.

27/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 20

•	The following day, Nicholas is given communion and extreme unction (i.e., last rights, where a priest prepares a soul for its afterlife).
•	The extreme unction raises everyone's hopes. Nicholas momentarily does much better, and Levin and Kitty believe in the possibility of a miracle recovery.
•	All hope disappears when Nicholas wakes up with a violent coughing fit.
•	
•	Nicholas later confesses to Levin that his well-being after extreme unction was all a charade for to make Kitty feel better.
•	That evening, Masha rushes to their rooms and says that Nicholas is dying.
•	Both Kitty and Levin go to Nicholas's bedside. Levin tells Kitty to leave.
•	Levin stays by Nicholas's bedside waiting for the end, but Nicholas lingers on. Every time Levin tries to tiptoe out of the room, Nicholas asks him not to leave.
•	At dawn, Levin goes back to his own room. He wakes up expecting to hear of his brother's death, but Nicholas's condition has reverted to its previous state.
•	Nicholas begins suffering in earnest. Nothing pleases him. He's irritable and difficult.
•	Everyone begins hoping for his death, but no one talks openly of it. As for Nicholas, he keeps talking about the possibilities of recovery. They all indulge him in this delusion, a deceit that especially hurts Levin.
•	
•	Nicholas continues to suffer.
•	On the tenth day after their arrival, Kitty gets sick. She throws up and can't get out of bed in the morning.
•	That night, she visits Nicholas.
•	Masha predicts that tonight Nicholas will die.
•	Her prediction comes true after the priest reads the death service over Nicholas.
•	For Levin, his brother's death renews his own interest in death and the feeling of its nearness and inevitably.
•	The doctor confirms that Kitty is pregnant.

28/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 21

•	Having agreed to everything that Anna wanted, Karenin is left completely alone in Petersburg, and it turns out he's bad at coping.
•	Karenin had just forgiven and decided to love Anna and her illegitimate child, and now he's abandoned, disgraced and laughed at by society.
•	For the two days after his wife's departure, Karenin goes about his business as usual and suppresses all his despair.
•	
•	He falls apart after a clerk from a fashion house comes to settle an unpaid bill for some of Anna's clothes. He can't bear the contempt he sees on everyone's face.
•	What makes matters worse is that Karenin has no friends, no one to talk with about his situation.
•	Karenin has no family, and all through his studies and career, he never formed any close friendships. He has people to network with, but no people he can really trust.
•	Karenin thinks about his early life with Anna. When he had achieved the post of Governor, Anna's aunt introduced the two of them. It got to the point where Karenin felt it was inevitable to propose to Anna, and after much debate, he finally did.
•	Karenin's closest relationships are entirely official in nature and never touch the personal sphere.
&bull;	As for his female friends (the most important of whom is Countess Lydia Ivanovna, whom we met in <a class="break-all" href="https://www.shmoop.com/anna-karenina/part-1-chapter-31-summary.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Part 1, Chapter 31</a>1*), Karenin doesn&#039;t even think of them. All women intimidate him on some level.

29/05/23

Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 22

•	Strangely enough, despite his hesitancy around her, Countess Lydia pays Karenin a call. Countess Lydia goes straight to Karenin's study and finds him in the depths of despair over this weird split between his moment of forgiveness for Anna and the painful social consequences of his actions.
•	She says lots of rote spiritual things about accepting "He Who Dwells in Karenin's Heart," adding that Karenin's forgiveness of Anna arose from Christ.
•	
•	Countess Lydia offers (uninvited) to run Karenin's household, but everything she does is wrong. Secretly, the one who winds up doing all of the work is Karenin's valet Kornei, who pragmatically becomes the real organizer of all of Karenin's household stuff.
•	Countess Lydia's first act as the supposed manager of Karenin's life is to find Seryozha and inform him that his father is a saint and his mother, Anna, is dead.
•	Countess Lydia's presence helps Karenin by distracting him from his despair and giving him moral support. At the same time, she talks constantly about religion, converting Karenin to a "new kind" of Christianity popular in Petersburg, which promises salvation to its followers.
•	In his heart, Karenin feels that this brand of religion is much less powerful than his personal epiphany about forgiveness for Vronsky and Anna. But he embraces it anyway, because it makes him feel superior to the unsaved (even if he doesn't really believe in the kind of salvation this type of Christianity offers).

I've just caught up again! I agree Fuzzy, the way that death unfolded was harrowing. It seemed a very realistic portrayal.

And Kitty came into her own caring for Nikolai, as you said. It was satisfying to see her prove Levin wrong when he thought she wanted to accompany him to see his brother for purely selfish reasons; he seriously underestimated her!

On the other hand I feel a bit grumpy with Tolstoy's emphasis on the woman as carer/caregiver. It really feels like he has an agenda to push here about women's ideal role. I'm thinking too of the end of Ch. 15, when we're told that Levin finds Kitty a bit too frivolous and lacking serious interests of her own. What Levin doesn't realise, says the narrator, is that Kitty is intuitively preparing herself for her True Vocation as wife and mother! OK then 🙄😬

I guess not all women are natural household managers though. The portrait of Countess Lydia's inept attempts to take charge of Karenin in today's chapter were quite comical!