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 think it is very clever the way he sets things up for Anna Arkedyeva (this going to be the eponymous Anna Karenina isn't it?) to arrive.

We are all anxiously waiting to meet her now - just as the characters are eagerly waiting for her arrival ... and she already is full of magic powers to set the world to rights.

Meanwhile poor old Darya Alexandreva - so love the patronymic naming system!

Would it be fun to all change user names to a russian patronym for this thread.

I would be Bumpya Daisyevna.

😂

@Greyslipper

Greya Slipereva! 🤣 that's a good one.

So tempted to change my username @Bumpsadaisie

Done

I think Stepan thinks he’s being nice to Dolly by letting her decide which room Anna is to have and take charge of the arrangements, like he “lets” her do everything for the house and children. He’s trying to extend an olive branch and can’t understand why she basically tells him to shove it.

And me!!@GreyaSlipereva

But thinking further about it I wonder if you should actually be Greya Sliperevna to be accurate (but I bow to any Russian speakers!)

This rather fetching edition just arrived and I'm about to get stuck in and catch up to you all

That's a beautiful one !

I’m late to this, but looking forward to reading this, for some reason it seems less daunting to tackling this in a group than by myself.

Welcome! It is less daunting in a group. I really enjoyed the company on the W+P thread last year. The comments and insights were brilliant too. A great group effort.

I have no idea how to Russify my name, but I am named for Dona St Columb of Frenchman’s Creek and I love her so will keep my name.

I think Oblonsky thinks that the home is Dolly’s domain and he is ‘respecting’ her role by asking her to make the decision.

I hadn’t thought of it before but this is a good little insight into how Anna is viewed, you are right.

Hello, this thread is so busy already, it's great to see! Thank you, StColumb, for starting the thread, and Desdamona for posting the Schmoop summaries!

I'm reading the Penguin Classics edition by Pevear and Volokhonsky.

I’ve ordered the book and plan to catch up and then join in. It should arrive tomorrow. Excited as I have wanted to read for so many years and this year I know I am finally going to! Thank you!

Just finished chpt 2
By god's he does see himself as nothing worse than a loveable rogue doesn't he.

Interestingly, it won’t let me add the ‘n’ @BumpyaDaisyevna

If Dolly were on MN, we'd all be telling her to get her ducks in a row, hire a shit hot lawyer, and LTB.

🤣 Perhaps couples counselling for Stepan and Dolly as a first step? But he would have to book it to show he was committed and taking full responsibility 👍

Would love to join in! I've been trying to get back to regular reading and this read&dissect-a-long sounds fab. Just caught up with the 2 chapters on my kindle version...hooray!

I enjoyed todays chapter - he’s a real shit isn’t he?

@Magentax A perfect succinct comment! Stephen is getting right on my nerves already.

I've been pondering other books written around the same time or earlier. While there's plenty of portraits of unhappy marriages, I don't think married women with children / over the age of 25 or so are written off the way that Tolstoy seems to. Obviously less surprising in books written by women, but I think true for male writers I can think of too. It's a long time since I've read Trollope, for example, but I feel like his women are portrayed very differently as they age.

I also have this edition and was delighted to find that the introduction is by E.B. Greenwood, University of Kent, who I probably would have had the pleasure of meeting had I kept to my plan of reading English Literature at Kent, back in the day. Another life perhaps.
I loathe Steve already. What does he mean when he admits fault, but states that he is not guilty, and 'that's the tragedy of it'?!