"One of the greatest love stories in world literature." —Vladimir Nabokov
"One of the greatest love stories in world literature." —Vladimir Nabokov
In a novel of unparalleled richness and complexity, set against the backdrop of Russian high society, Tolstoy charts the course of the doomed love affair between Anna, a beautiful married woman, and Count Vronsky, a wealthy army officer who pursues Anna after becoming infatuated with her at a ball. Although she initially resists his charms Anna eventually succumbs, falling passionately in love and setting in motion a chain of events that lead to her downfall. In this extraordinary novel, Tolstoy seamlessly weaves together the lives of dozens of characters, while evoking a love so strong that those who experience it are prepared to die for it.
Reviews
"I've read and re-read this novel and every time I find another layer in the story." —Philippa Gregory, author, The Other Boleyn Girl
"Better translators . . . could not be invented." —Tolstoy on Aylmer and Louise Maude
Author Biography
Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) published his first work in 1852, the autobiographical Childhood. He served in the army during the Crimean War and his Sevastopol Sketches (1855-6) are based on his experiences. His two most popular masterpieces are War and Peace (1864-69) and Anna Karenina (1875-8).