Anna Karenina

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, first published in book form in 1878, is a sweeping novel that many consider one of the greatest works of world literature. The author himself called it his first true novel. It appeared in serial installments from 1875 to 1877, mostly in The Russian Messenger, with Tolstoy struggling through the final parts in an anguished state, hating the work yet finishing it unwillingly.

The story centers on the extramarital affair between Anna, a married aristocrat, and the dashing cavalry officer Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. Their relationship scandalizes Saint Petersburg society, forcing the lovers to flee to Italy, but their return to Russia only deepens their unraveling. The novel explores themes of betrayal, faith, family, marriage, desire, and the clash between rural and urban life, all set against the backdrop of Emperor Alexander II's liberal reforms and the rapid societal changes they brought.

Trains run as a recurring motif, with key plot points unfolding on passenger trains and at stations. The novel has inspired countless adaptations across theater, opera, film, television, ballet, figure skating, and radio drama. It remains a profound examination of love and consequence in a rigid social order. [edit]