Anna Karenina (Annotated): A Forbidden Love

Leo Tolstoy's Russian classic Anna Karenina is widely regarded as one of the peaks of world literature.<br/>It is a dense work that explores issues of betrayal, faith, family, marriage, Imperial Russian society, desire, and rural vs. urban life. The book's core section is about Anna's adulterous affair with the young dashing bachelor Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky, which scandalizes Saint Petersburg's social circles and causes the young lovers to leave to Italy in search of happiness. A parallel love tale centered on Kitty and Levin's difficult courtship and happy marriage provides a vivid counterweight to the tragedy and is believed to resemble Tolstoy's own marital experience. The story takes place amid Emperor Alexander II of Russia's liberal reforms and the ensuing significant societal transformations.<br/><br/>Title Details Original text Literary fiction 7 x 10 in Matte Cover White paper<br/>Unique Elements Historical Context Detailed XIX Century Historical Map