ANNA KARENINA
ANNA KARENINA LEO TOLSTOY FIRST PUBLISHED: 1878 “All happy families resemble each other; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” We all have books that imprint a lasting memory on us, not simply for the entertainment value, but rather for the way in which they communicate the truth of the human person. For me, Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is an exemplar in character development and as such presents an unparalleled disclosure of the human condition and the effects of both sin and virtue in the life of man. The story follows four individuals arranged as couples. The first, for whom the novel is named, is Anna. When she comes on the scene, she is nothing short of captivating: beautiful and mysterious in every way. Anna is married, albeit unhappily. As the story progresses, she falls into an illicit affair with the young Count Vronsky, who pursues her with both intensity and persistence. The third is a young woman named Ki...