Anna Karenina

De: Leo Tolstoy

Narrado por: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Winner: Audible's Best of 2016 - Classic

"Anna Karenina is one of my favorite books. But when I agreed to read it for Audible, I had no idea how much work it would be, how intense it would be, and how deeply I would fall in love with it. There were places where I thought 'if I don't give Alexey Alexandrovitch the respect that he deserves in my reading of this scene, a critical part of the book will be ruined. If I don't give EVERYONE the utmost respect and understanding, I'm not doing justice to this brilliantly compassionate book.' But at the same time, I also wanted to have a light touch in the way I played the different characters, so that the magnificence of the novel could shine through. I feel like performing this novel is one of the major accomplishments of my work life - it was so challenging and so deep, a real pleasure." (Narrator Maggie Gyllenhaal)

Leo Tolstoy's classic story of doomed love is one of the most admired novels in world literature. Generations of readers have been enthralled by his magnificent heroine, the unhappily married Anna Karenina, and her tragic affair with dashing Count Vronsky. Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, The Honourable Woman) cites Tolstoy's epic as one of her favorite books of all time, and her love for the literature permeates her performance. Anna Karenina is a masterpiece not only because of the unforgettable woman at its core and the stark drama of her fate but also because it explores and illuminates the deepest questions about how to live a fulfilled life.

Public Domain (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Top Notch Performance

I've listened to several audiobook recordings of this classic novel. This one may be the best.

The narrator is a famous American actress who obviously devoted a lot of time and effort. I admire her because audiobook narrators are famously underpaid. I'm sure she didn't do this just for the money. You can tell she loves this story, which in my opinion is the greatest love story in novel form.

One of the unique aspects of this version is that most of the other narrators are British. This narrator has a naturally clear and seamless American delivery. It caused me to pick up subtleties that I didn't feel listening to the Brits (though I thoroughly enjoyed them).

This audiobook is worth your money. I plan to re-listen to it in a few months.

A note on this translation:

This is the famous Constance Garnett translation, which, for many years, was the gold standard and the one beloved by so many great writers such as Faulkner and Hemmingway. There are several recent translations, most of which I've read. This and all translations are very good. I wish there were audiobook versions of the recent translations, but I understand that Audible and other recording companies probably can't afford to pay the translators so they use this and other old translations whose copyrights have expired. This is another reason why this narrator has done such an admirable job. Her performance makes this version, which was written in 1901, sound relevant and fresh.

Audio book A+

I'm so glad I bought this in audio. It's so good from Maggie Gyllenhaal. I feel like this book is a difficult, and long read \listen but it is so worth it! I'm so excited to check this off my list.

Makes a potentially intimidating first-time read accessible and enjoyable!

Maggie Gyllenhaal is a fantastic narrator, turning a daunting Russian classic into a textured, accessible and enjoyable read! If this is your first time visiting Anna Karenina, you’ll be amazed by how modern and enjoyable the ride is. Would recommend this audiobook for any first timer who wants to start Anna Karenina but hesitates over page count, Russian names, etc. Will make you want to return to the book on your own (sans narration) and do so confidently!

Tolstoy presentation of human behavior is amazing

The narrater is very talented and enjoyable to listen. Tolstoy, as always, present skills and understanding of various types of people in such unmatched ability. He is certainly one of the great and Anna Karenina is a the cream of his work along with War and Peace.

great book!

i loved this book from beginning to end. the narrator was amazing. thank you for this tremendous effort.