Anna Karenina

5b Leo Tolstoy. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, 1899. 

Notes

Anna Karenina is a classic novel by Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in serial form between 1875 and 1877. It tells the tragic story of Anna, a beautiful, intelligent, and aristocratic woman who becomes trapped in a loveless marriage and falls passionately in love with the dashing Count Vronsky. As their affair unfolds, Anna struggles against the rigid expectations of Russian society, leading to social ostracism, inner turmoil, and ultimately, her downfall. Interwoven with Anna’s story is a parallel narrative of Konstantin Levin, a landowner seeking meaning through work, love, and faith—serving as a philosophical counterpoint to Anna’s emotional journey. The novel explores themes of love, fidelity, duty, family, and the clash between personal desire and social convention, making it one of the greatest works of realist literature.

Leo Tolstoy, born in 1828 into Russian nobility, is widely regarded as one of the most important novelists of all time. In addition to Anna Karenina, he is best known for War and Peace, an epic that combines history, philosophy, and fiction to depict life during the Napoleonic Wars. Tolstoy's later years were marked by a deep spiritual crisis that led him to embrace a form of Christian anarchism and pacifism, rejecting his earlier literary fame and wealth. His moral and religious writings had a profound influence on figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Tolstoy's legacy continues through his powerful insights into human nature, society, and the quest for meaning.

Description

Navy blue hardback boards with decorative embossed knot designs on the upper board and spine. Gilt lettering on upper board and spine as well. Illustrated frontispiece. Minimal bumping to upper and lower spine. Fine condition overall.