Cover of Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

by Leo Tolstoy

First published
1877
Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free

About the book

"Anna Karenina" by graf Leo Tolstoy is a novel first published in book form in 1878. The story follows Anna, a married socialite in Imperial Russian society, whose extramarital affair with cavalry officer Count Vronsky scandalizes Saint Petersburg and forces them to flee to Italy. A parallel narrative traces landowner Konstantin Levin's pursuit of marriage and his struggles with faith and estate management. The novel explores themes of betrayal, family, marriage, desire, and the clash between rural and urban life against Russia's rapid social transformation.

  • Adultery
  • Didactic fiction
  • Love stories
  • Married women
  • Russia

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #1399. Anna Karenina on Wikipedia.

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