Anna Karenina is a stylish and beautiful woman belonging to the Russian aristocracy. Anna Karenina, who is married to Aleksey Alexandrovich Karenin, a high civil servant, and has a child, has a loveless and monotonous married life. Later...
When Tolstoy started writing Anna Karenina in 1873, he actually wanted to write a theater play about 'Peter the Great'. But the issue turned into a difficult saga even for Tolstoy. In fact, in a letter he wrote to a friend, he said, “I am in a very bad situation. I can't make any progress. The project I chose is very difficult. "There is no end to the research," he said. He needed a subject that he could master more easily. Then he came up with a topic that was neither exaggerated nor historical, but on the contrary, very personal, sincere, and sad. Look how this situation is explained in the biography of Tolstoy written by Henri Troyat:
“He recalled an incident a year ago that affected him deeply. His neighbor and friend, Bibikov, lived with a woman named Anna Stepanovna Pirogova. This tall, broad-faced woman was his mistress. The man didn't really care about him. He was even making plans to marry someone else. Learning about his betrayal, Anna ran away with only a few belongings. And then came the news that she had thrown herself under trains. Before he died, he also sent a message to Bibikov. In short, he was saying, 'You are the murderer'."
Tolstoy followed this event, which took place in 1872, closely. When he inspected the suicide train station with the police and saw the body, he imagined what this poor woman was going through...
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written, Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. It was initially released in serial installments from 1875 to 1877, all but the last part appearing in the periodical The Russian Messenger.
Perhaps the most important reason why Anna Karenina affected the whole world is 'forbidden love'.
So, who are the heroes of this forbidden love?
Anna Karenina: She is a young, stylish, and beautiful woman belonging to the Russian aristocracy. Anna Karenina, who is married to Aleksey Alexandrovich Karenin, a high civil servant, and has a child, has a loveless and monotonous married life. She stands out with her kindness, emotionality, and humane qualities.
Aleksey Aleksandrovich Karenin: Aleksey, Anna Karenina's husband, is a respected civil servant. He stands out because he thinks he is extremely moral. As the events progress, he even takes the risk of forgiving his wife, his forbidden love, and the child he gave birth to. He even continues to care for the child after Anna's death.
Count Vronsky: A young, handsome, and rich landowner, Count Vronsky is Anna Karenina's forbidden love. He appears as someone who does not believe in marriage.
The famous novel Anna Karenina says, “Happy families are all alike; It begins with the sentence "The unhappiness of unhappy families is unique to itself." The sentence gives rise to research in many fields, such as psychology or advertising. For example, Jared Diamond talks about the 'Anna Karenina Principle' in his book 'Guns, Germs and Steel'. This principle is the proposition in the opening sentence of the novel.
Who are your favorite Anna Karenina women?
Greta Garbo (1935) Swedish-born actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990), who became an icon during Hollywood's silent film era, experienced that famous forbidden love by sharing the leading role with Fredric March in the first American film adaptation. Garbo, who is still considered by many critics as the best actress portraying Anna Karenina, was also selected as the best actress at the 'New York Film Critics Circle Award' at the time the film was released.
Vivien Leigh (1948) British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), whom you may remember from the movie Gone with the Wind, shared the leading role in the British film with Ralph Richardson, who played her husband Karenin. Although she devoted herself to this film at the time, critics unfortunately did not find her as good as Greta Garbo.
Maya Plisetskaya (1976) The film shot by the Soviet Union is a different version prepared by the Bolshoi Ballet. Maya Plisetskaya (87), considered one of the best ballerinas of the 20th century, was the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi. Of course, the film was talked about mostly for its music and ballet.
Jacqueline Bisset (1985) This time, the work was shot not for the big screen but for broadcast on television. Christopher Reeve played the forbidden love of British actress Jacqueline Bisset (68). Bisset was talked about for her beauty rather than her acting.
Sophie Marceau (1997) French actress Sophie Marceau (46), who became famous with the movie Braveheart (1995), was accompanied by the famous actor Sean Bean as her forbidden love. The most talked about thing about the American-made movie was how well the chemistry of the two matched.
Brief summary of the novel
With her marriage in 1874, the young and beautiful Anna Karenin gained a very good position in the high society of St. Petersburg. Her husband Karenin is also an important figure in Russian politics. One day, she receives a letter from her brother Oblonsky, asking her to make amends with her wife Dolly, and inviting her to Moscow. During this journey, she meets the son of Countess Vronsky, who meets them at the station, and a spark ignites between her and the young officer Vronsky. At a big dance ball held in Moscow among complicated love triangles, everyone's eyes are focused on Vronsky and Anna.
While Anna is being dragged towards a love she cannot resist, escaping from Vronsky and returning to St. Petersburg and her family life can neither prevent the gossip about her nor the love she feels in her heart. Meanwhile, her husband Karenin warns Anna that it caused a scandal in the eyes of the public. But this is how the hypocrisy of the Russian people towards the woman who chooses her love will be revealed...
Who is affected by this novel?
When Dostoyevsky's novel Anna Karenina was published, the person who wrote one of the first comments about the work was Dostoyevsky, perhaps Tolstoy's greatest rival. And look what he said about the novel: "Anna Karenina is a perfect, perfect and immortal work of art that none of its counterparts in the European literature of our time can compare with."
In a speech he gave, Orhan Pamuk said the following about the book Anna Karenina: “The most perfect, flawless, deepest and richest novel I have ever read. Tolstoy's incredibly careful, clear, precise, and intelligent gaze, which sees everything, gives everyone their due, and does not miss any light, movement, spiritual fluctuation, doubt, or shadow, makes the reader say 'Yes, this is what life is like!' as you turn the pages of this novel. A book that makes you say. Tolstoy presents the vitality of a horse before the race, the loneliness of an unhappy bureaucrat, the upper lip of a heroine, the fluctuations in a large family, and the incredible and real-life personal characteristics of individual people in their lives lived together, with literary talent, tolerance, and artistry bordering on miraculous. presents it to us. The first novel to be read for education in the art of the novel and to be read many times is Anna Karenina. Nabokov's epilogue about this great novel is an indispensable lesson about literature, novels, and life from another great author, Tolstoy's heir.”
In conclusion, Anna Karenina is a novel strongly influenced by Tolstoy's real-life experiences and pain.
Who is Anna Karenina in love with?
Anna Karenina is a woman married to an extremely powerful man and has an 8-year-old son. While she was living in St. Petersburg, she fell in love with Vronsky, whom she met when she went to Moscow to visit her brother.
What does Anna Karenina's novel want to say?
Anna Karenina makes us question the relationships, love, and death in rich families. The book tells two separate love stories. One of these results in happiness, the other in death. The novel Anna Karenina briefly explains that a marriage without love will not end in peace.
Who is Vronsky?
Vronsky is the young soldier with whom Anna falls in love.
What's going on with Anna Karenina Tolstoy?
The novel, one of the great classics of Russian and World Literature, is a reflection of Tolstoy's experiences and memories. In real life, Anna Stepanovna Pirogova was the lover of one of Tolstoy's friends. The tragic end of this story deeply affected and wounded Tolstoy.
What kind of woman is Anna Karenina?
She is a young, stylish, and beautiful woman who belongs to the Russian aristocracy. Anna Karenina, who is married to Aleksey Alexandrovich Karenin, a high civil servant, and has a child, has a loveless and monotonous married life. She stands out with her kindness, emotionality, and humane qualities.
Which century is Anna Karenina?
Anna Karenina is a masterpiece that sheds light on the spiritual fluctuations of 19th-century Russian society with a striking narrative of love and betrayal.
Is Anna Karenina fiction?
The novel Anna Karenina is not entirely autobiographical or entirely fictional. It is a fiction heavily influenced by Tolstoy's life experiences and real-life observations.
What religion does Tolstoy belong to?
The aim of Tolstoy's religious anarchism is to destroy the realities of church Christianity and replace it with a solid religion. He read the Bible regardless of all interpretations. Tolstoy's religious anarchism consists in denying the false institutions between the individual and God.
What year is Anna Karenina about?
The work is about two independent love adventures between members of the upper class of society in Russia in the 1870s.