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.

And here are the pages with the accents showing emphasis

Thanks Piggy, really useful.

Off to have some breakfast and read chapter 1.

Happy New Year!
I'd like to join too please, I've just ordered a copy which should get here tomorrow so I'll catch up on the first two chapters then.

I've always wanted to read AK and have deliberately avoided screen adaptations over the years with the intention to read it first but have never got round to it so this is a lovely kick to do so 😀

I'd like to join. Have downloaded the kindle version (Barnett translation) for 99p - bargain education
Will read first chapter tonight after I've settled the kids in and then I'm planning to make it my activity with my morning coffee from tomorrow

I've just read Chapter 1 and can't believe I didn't realise the quote about happy / unhappy families is from AK.

Interesting opening chapter, I already can't wait to read more. I'm interested to find out exactly what's happened here as I'm picking up an early vibe from Steve that he loves his wife and is a good guy. He's obviously guilty of something, but whether it's a dalliance remains to be seen!

I'd like to join! Just read my first chapter and found a bookmark in there showing I read nearly 300 pages of it before. No idea why I stopped and can't remember a word! I'm guessing I attempted it during a maternity leave and decided that was foolish and to try again another day so hopefully I'll do better this time.

@ProfessionalTeaDrinker I read it a chapter a day in 2021 and found bookmarks at various points which was amusing.

Can I join please?
I have the kindle version of the Penguin Classic, translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky.
I’ve started this before but never finished so hoping this time I’ll keep going.

Thanks @MaudOfTheMarches, I'll stick with the Rosemary Edmonds translation

The first chapter was very enjoyable, I loved the strong opening lines of the novel. Looking forward to chapter two tomorrow.

Just ordered on Kindle. I usually read in the evening so will make a start tonight. Have always meant to read this so thanks for the read-along!

Just read the first chapter - I think it's going to be a very different experience reading a book so slowly. I've already found myself going back to reread.

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm checking in with my new username (I'm formerly IsFuzzyBeagMise). 'Caora dhubh' is 'black sheep' in Irish, and I've heard that there is farming in AK, so where there is farming, there might be a sheep or two!

I read chapter one this morning and I liked it. I was tempted to read on!

Fuzzy There is farming but I think it's more harvesting, from memory! Personally I love that part though I don't think everyone does.

I’d like to join in. Not read it for years but loved it.

I’m going to try on Audible….

I’m interested as to whether people generally agree with the opening lines?

I’m keen to give this a go, never read any Tolstoy and only have a vague idea of what AK is about. I’ve borrowed the Garnett translation from the e-library app, which may be an issue given that the read along lasts till September and the loan period is 14 days 🤣

Re opening lines - yes, I think I do. I think in happy families, values and the desire to be tolerant are all aligned. Whereas in unhappy families, it’s a myriad of problems.

(This is my first read along and I’m already enjoying reading one chapter and thinking about it but worried my memory will let me down and I’ll have forgotten the beginning of the book in 4 weeks)

The opening lines do give you the impression that happiness is boring, and I don't think thats true. There is a diversity to happiness that mirrors unhappiness but people don't examine them in the same depth. Misery is often more attracting

In short- don't agree (but definitely would have when I was younger)

I took the opening line to be a comment on storytelling and a promise to the reader as though Tolstoy is telling us that stories about the lives of happy families are boring because they are unsurprising (they are all happy in the same way). In contrast, this story is about an unhappy family so is it will be eventful and entertaining.

I think it's true that stories about happy families are all alike/boring but I don't think it's true (in real life) that all happy families are all alike because people have radically different ways of being happy.

Having read the opening lines and some comments on here I'm inclined to think we are being told this is a story of unhappy families and it wouldn't be nearly so interesting for the reader of it were about happy ones. That's not to say that happy families are boring, more that there is far more salicious entertainment to be foooind within the dramas of an unhappy one.

I think that’s it, we are being told to get ready for a good story. Wilkie Collins says something about happy families in one of his novels. Something about them being hard to spend time with because they get on with each other too well 🙃 . I think it’s in Poor Miss Finch… I’ll check.

Shmoop (online educational technology company ) summary of first chapter if anyone is interested:

Part One Chapter One:

We halt this programming to bring you a brief word about Russian names: all Russian names come with a patronymic, or father's name, in the middle. For example, Oblonsky's full name is Prince Stepan Arkadyich Oblonsky, which means that his given name is Stepan (or Stephen), his father's name was Arkady (hence, Arkady-ich), and Oblonsky is his family name.

It's a little different for women: Anna Karenina's full name is Anna Arkadyevna Karenina. Anna is her given name, her father's name is Arkady (so, Arkady-evna; which makes sense, since she and Oblonsky are siblings) and Karenina is her married last name, with an "a" attached because she's a woman. Complex, we know, but sometimes in the novel you might see characters using both the first name and patronymic, and we wanted to get our explanation out there before things get too confusing.

This book is already complex enough: trust us.

We start with the famous first line: "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This along with Moby-Dickck--'s "Call me Ishmael" and Pride and Prejudicece--'s "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" is one of the best-known first lines ever.

Everything is a mess in the Oblonsky household: Stephen Arkadyevich (a.k.a. Oblonsky, a.k.a. Stiva to his friends) has been having an affair with a French governess, and the novel opens with his wife having just found out about it.

His wife, Dolly, is seriously unhappy, and the entire household is a mess.

The third day after the news breaks, Oblonsky wakes up in his study, which we're guessing is currently doubling as the proverbial doghouse.

He's just had a great dream, but then he remembers why he's not sleeping in his own room.

He flashes back to the day his wife Dolly discovered the incriminating note, and questioned him about his relationship with the governess. His reaction? He just smiled stupidly.

Dolly has refused to see him ever since. Oblonsky has no idea what to do next.

Hello @DesdamonasHandkerchief. I am very happy to see that you have arrived and quoted Shmoop. I thoroughly enjoyed the daily summaries on the War and Peace thread. Thank you so much😊😊

Yay! Thank you Desdemona.

I enjoyed the opening chapter. It was a little short for me, but I think it’s a great opening to Oblonsky, who is clearly a dick for carrying on with the governess, but I just warm to the way Tolstoy portrays him.