Anna Karenina: Book III: A New Translation

by Leo Tolstoy, Liam Ferousse (translator)

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, first published in 1878, is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in world literature. Set against the backdrop of Imperial Russia, the novel intricately weaves the lives of its characters, exploring themes of love, infidelity, family, and societal norms.

The narrative centers on Anna Karenina, a sophisticated woman married to Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, a high-ranking government official. Feeling unfulfilled in her marriage, Anna embarks on a passionate affair with the charming Count Alexei Vronsky. Their relationship scandalizes St. Petersburg society and leads Anna into a downward spiral of jealousy, isolation, and despair.

Parallel to Anna's story is that of Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, a landowner who struggles with questions of faith, purpose, and his place in society. Levin's pursuit of happiness through his connection to the land and his love for Kitty Shcherbatskaya offers a counterpoint to Anna's tumultuous experiences, highlighting different paths to fulfillment and the complexities of human existence.

Tolstoy's masterful portrayal of his characters' inner lives and the societal pressures they face provides a timeless exploration of the human condition. His nuanced depiction of the conflicts between personal desires and social expectations continues to resonate with readers, making Anna Karenina a profound study of morality, fidelity, and the pursuit of happiness.

This new translation aims to capture the richness and subtlety of Tolstoy's prose, offering contemporary readers a fresh perspective on this classic work. By preserving the novel's depth and emotional resonance, this edition invites both new and returning readers to immerse themselves in the enduring tragedy and beauty of Anna Karenina.

387 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2025

About the author

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой; most appropriately used Liev Tolstoy; commonly Leo Tolstoy in Anglophone countries) was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. Tolstoy is equally known for his complicated and paradoxical persona and for his extreme moralistic and ascetic views, which he adopted after a moral crisis and spiritual awakening in the 1870s, after which he also became noted as a moral thinker and social reformer.

His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.