Anna KareninaAnna Karenina
Score Classic
What it's about
Anna Karenina, a beautiful St. Petersburg society woman married to a cold, high-ranking official, falls in love with the dashing Count Vronsky. Their affair costs her everything society allows a woman. Alongside her story runs another: Levin, an awkward landowner, searches for meaning in farming, faith and his love for the young Kitty.
Why it's worth reading
It's often called the greatest novel ever written, and it's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. Tolstoy understands people completely, and every character, even a dog on a hunt, feels real.
You'll love it if you liked
War and Peace
Madame Bovary
Pride and PrejudiceGood to know
It's long, but more readable than its reputation. The Pevear and Volokhonsky or Rosamund Bartlett translations are good choices. Levin's farming chapters are slower.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller51 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Leo Tolstoy
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Katherine
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From Here to Eternity
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Quick answers
Is Anna Karenina worth reading?
Yes. It's often called the greatest novel ever written, and it's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. It ranks #609 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Anna Karenina about?
Anna Karenina, a beautiful St. Petersburg society woman married to a cold, high-ranking official, falls in love with the dashing Count Vronsky. Their affair costs her everything society allows a woman. Alongside her story runs another: Levin, an awkward landowner, searches for meaning in farming, faith and his love for the young Kitty.
How long does it take to read Anna Karenina?
About 37 hours (1480 pages), or about 11 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Anna Karenina?
If you liked it, try War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert or Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.