Anna Karenina

By: Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Sensual, rebellious Anna falls deeply and passionately in love with the handsome Count Vronsky. When she refuses to conduct the discreet affair that her cold, ambitious husband - and Russian high society - would condone, she is doomed. Set against the tragic love of Anna and Vronsky, the plight of the melancholy nobleman Konstantine Levin unfolds. In doubt about the meaning of life - a mirror of Tolstoy’s own spiritual crisis - Konstantine is haunted by thoughts of suicide.

A magnificent drama of vengeance, infidelity, and retribution, Anna Karenina tells the story of two characters whose emotional instincts conflict with the dominant social mores of their time.

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) was born in Russia. His parents - who died when he was young - were of noble birth. He served in the army in the Caucasus and Crimea, where he wrote his first stories. He is especially known for his masterpieces, War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877).

©Public Domain; Artwork © 2012 Focus Features LLC. All rights reserved (P)1993 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Considered one of the pinnacles of world literature.” ( Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature)

“A sexy and engrossing read, this book tells the tale of one of the most enthralling love affairs in the history of literature.” ( Oprah.com)

intriguing

Poor morals, very well written. Certainly a fictional Ecclesiastes that shows the vanity of life apart from the God of the Bible.

Flawless novel, masterfully narrated

This was the first Tolstoy I have ever read, and I enjoyed this book very much. I did not realize, going in, that this was the dual story of Anna Karenina’s adulterous affair with Count Vronsky, but of Constantine Levin’s journey to love and spiritual life. One person descends morally, the other ascends, their lives, thoughts and personalities masterfully woven and layered by Tolstoy into one of the best books I have ever read!

I was primarily motivated to finally read the book because the movie was coming out and I wanted to experience the book before I saw the movie. After reading the book and seeing the movie poster centered on Anna alone, with her husband and lover in the background on either side, the focus will probably center on Anna exclusively. Hollywood seems to resemble the loose Petersburg circles that Anna moved in, which takes innocence and spits out broken souls like Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan. It would not surprise me that the focus of the movie would be on Anna’s passion, condemning the society that caged her, marginalizing the progress of Levin from awkward and angry, an intellectual misfit who envies the simplicity of peasants, to love, marriage, fatherhood and ultimately a true spiritual awakening. I may be wrong. I hope I am wrong.

Great book, some audio issues

I love the book. I also love Wanda McCaddon. What I don’t love is during some of the pauses, you can hear other audio in the background. It happens a lot. I’m returning the book because I won’t listen to it again because it is so annoying.

Narration Echoed

Is there anything you would change about this book?

There was a slight/faint, but noticeable echo of the narration throughout the entire recording.

Would you be willing to try another book from Leo Tolstoy? Why or why not?

Probably not. 60% great story. 40% unnecessary information, which adds up in a book of this length.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Narrator was great, but recording had the echo issue.

Was Anna Karenina worth the listening time?

Just because it was a classic worth experiencing.

Timeless quality

Where does Anna Karenina rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This has been one of the most engrossing audiobooks I've listened to. I actually knew the story from a long ago reading, but was still gripped and carried along by the performance.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Naturally, Anna is a favorite character, but so is the quiet development of her son's character. Tolstoy is a master of character development generally, so all the main characters have been drawn deeply.

What does Wanda McCaddon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It is read with great precision and expression. The Russian names, often so hard to follow in written form, are understandable, and the dialogue read with characteristic voice inflections, which always let you know who is speaking among the main characters.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this to anyone who is interested in being immersed in a great classic for some time. A great winter companion particularly.

A classic is a classic

I figure it's unnecessary to introduce the storyline so let's just say it is quite a modern love story though set in a different pace (with more parallel stories) than the standard today. For instance, Anna Karenina doesn't make her entrance into the story until around page 70.

Nice narration and I'd highly recommend listening to this book rather than reading it as this recording brings it to life.

Best version

I sampled many different readers before choosing this one. She is by far the best

I made it!

This book was on my bucket list and it's a miracle I made it through this recording. How anyone who could sit and read this baffles me.

The narrator was great but occasionally there were conversations in the background which is understandable since it was recorded in 1993.

The story reads like a classic, why it is named Ana(who is no more significant than most other characters) i do not know. I grew to dread her inner monologues and longed to hear the success of Levins life as she lost grip of her own. The book was also very political and took up a good portion of the content which I also found insignificant.

All in all I'm just happy I finished the recording and I'm excited to see how the movie will play out.

A book worth reading

If you could sum up Anna Karenina in three words, what would they be?

TIMELESS HUMAN BEHAVIOR

What did you like best about this story?

IT MADE ME FEEL I WAS THERE.

Which scene was your favorite?

THE LAS IRATIONAL SCENE WHEN ANA HAS A FIT OF JEALOUSY

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

NO

Any additional comments?

A GOOD WAY WAY TO REMEMBER HISTORY.

Amazing

What an amazing story. I couldn’t stop rereading if to glean away every delicious mortal. Thank you