
Anna Karenina
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Narrated by:
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Davina Porter
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By:
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Leo Tolstoy
This is the story of the unhappy family of Anna Karenina. The novel contains much concerning Tolstoy's spiritual crisis and his search for the meaning of life. But it is also chiefly about marriage, and the growth and death of love.
The touching picture of Anna Aarkadyevna Karenina's slow disintegration has fascinated readers for well over a century. Beautiful and charming, Anna lives in a splendid world of her own making. She smokes, rides horseback, plays tennis, takes opium, practices birth control, and (although she is already married) falls in love with a handsome army officer.
Anna's life is played out against a backdrop of dazzling balls and the vastness of Russia's landscape. It is a magnificent story that shimmers with the intensity of intelligence and passion, especially through this superb narration by Davina Porter.
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Editorial reviews
Davina Porter's performance of Tolstoy's dauntingly long and involved world classic makes one feel grateful not to have to make this difficult literary journey alone. Porter's voice is pleasant, expressive and versatile; her Russian pronunciations impressive; and her understanding of the work excellent. In an unhurried and confident fashion, Porter reveals the twisting social and personal tensions that ensnare a very mortal married woman who falls into illicit love. Porter's interpretation gives a warmth and consistency to this demanding novel which silent readers would be hard-pressed to approach, let alone duplicate. This is an outstanding example of performance literature.
Critic reviews
"Porter reads magnificently." (Los Angeles Times)
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Spectacular Book by Tolstoy with A+ reading
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This book is a juxtaposition of two stories, the sad story of Anna Karenina, and the happy story of Konstantin Levin. The book has been analyzed to death over the last 200 years so it is futile to try to do that. I will just give my impressions. When I finished this book, I wanted to cry, not because I was sad, not because I had a feeling of losing something of value, or losing contact with good friends as I sometimes have at the end of a good book, but I think it was because I saw Levin come around to an understanding of who he was, and what his place was in the world. He realized the most valuable things to him were his wife and son. It was like the sun coming out. It made me happy after the tragic story of Anna and her messed up life. In any case, I loved the whole book. I knew it would be long and involved and contain a lot of detail that is not germane to the story. Do not read this book if you don't want to put up with that aspect of the novel. It is a rewarding story with much food for thought and lessons for life. Makes me happy I have made the good decisions I have made, and helps me understand the poor ones. BTW, Davina Porter is about the best narrator of all times. I could listen to her all day . . . and I DID for several days!
Well Worth the Effort
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Not bad, but not great
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Intense read
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Brilliant rendition
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Loved it!
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Would you listen to Anna Karenina again? Why?
Yes I will listen to it again and again. The book itself draws the listener to the story with it being one of the top 5 classics. And when it is read, it comes to life.Who was your favorite character and why?
Levin, always Levin. He tries to figure things out, he is spiritual without realizing it. He is generous, faithful, evolving.What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I think her best characterizations are of Anna and Kitty. When she reads, these women become very real.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
My extreme reaction is that I am addicted to it.Any additional comments?
Thank you Mr. Tolstoy for the gift of this novel.Listened to this four times, never will tire of it
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What made the experience of listening to Anna Karenina the most enjoyable?
This, like many Victorian novels, was written over a period of years, released as a magazine serial. It was meant, at least partially, to be read aloud, in the parlor of an evening. It WORKS.I would suggest, though, that watching the movie first (the new Tom Stoppard-written release is fantastic) makes the book even more accessible, taking care of the notorious problem the book has of giving everybody, in Russian style, multiple names and nicknames.
Davina Porter is still one of the best readers out there, and she does a very good job of interpreting the characters. I listened to the whole thing in a couple of weeks, and I don't always make it through books 1/4 the length of this one.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The discussion of childbirth, nursing, and motherhood - more spot-on than most modern books.Meant to be read aloud! Also, surprisingly modern.
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Any additional comments?
I never had to read this book in college but had a friend who loved it. Now I know why. I would have been too intimidated by the length of the actual paper book but loved listening to it and "couldn't put it down" so to speak. I found myself wondering about the various characters as I went to sleep at night and thinking about the meaning of true love, marriage, relationships and divorce. I'm eager to use this for a book club meeting b/c the discussion questions are endless.A Classic for a Reason
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The Other Great Tolstoi Novel
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