Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878, and widely considered one of the greatest works of fiction ever written. It was initially released in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger.

A complex novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy in eight parts, with more than a dozen major characters, it is spread over more than 800 pages (depending on the translation), typically contained in two volumes. It deals with themes of betrayal, faith, family, marriage, Imperial Russian society, desire, and rural vs. city life. The plot centers on an extramarital affair between Anna Karenina and dashing cavalry officer Count Alexei Kirillovich that scandalizes the social circles of Saint Petersburg and forces the young lovers to flee for Italy in a futile search for happiness. Returning to Russia their lives further unravel, Leo Tolstoy.

A second major plot line follows Levin, a character loosely based on Tolstoy himself, who rejects glitzy city life and those same social circles for his rural farm, but struggles with both his love for Kitty, who has rejected him, and with his Christian faith.