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I may have been wrong about Stiva

I feel a lot of pity for Karenin. He goes to show that it is so important to forge friendships because that’s really what you have to turn to when family and love lets you down. And of course the one friend he does have is in the perfect place to take advantage of him, and perhaps no better method of exploitation exists than religion.

I love you Stiva. Makes me wanna throw a fire dinner party. There’s the contrast of women being demonized for cheating and men being forgiven, yet they’re all technically Christian so isn’t forgiveness a principle? Only for men. Regardless of that you can’t help but admire the lengths Stiva goes to make it up to Dolly, as Anna tells herself Alexi is a machine to rid herself of any remorse.

Remember when a while back Kitty became way too into her faith? Even if she’s less devout now she clearly still holds it, and with Levin revealing he’s an atheist, I think that’s their biggest worldview clash. Curious to see how that plays out.

Also the discussion of painting of Christ by an atheist feeling like it’s missing something was interesting, and if atheists should paint religious figures or not

Cut from Vronsky gaining a new understanding of Anna from a stranger painting her to Levin struggling with separation of identity with Kitty because of their weird ability to understand each other.. to loved properly is to be understood and Vronsky just can’t understand Anna. She may be a pos (kinda understandable from circumstances), but she is complex and that’s more than he can say.

Something I really appreciate this book for is showing the importance of conversation, and the pairing of dialogue with insights to characters minds shows communication gaps. These people think about conversations long after, seeking out not only friends, but strangers and mutuals, often opening their minds or at the very least making them rethink their own opinion strengths.

The full quote doesn’t fit here but Levin talked about how arguments between intelligent people are often not really about proving each other of something, but spent clarifying what is important to you about something and trying to prove how that thing is worthy of noticing and loving and such and that the opponent will come to agree usually that it is important, maybe not the most, but still gain an appreciation

Fuck I’m really seeing a new side to Alexi Karenin. Forgiving both Anna and Vronsky in such a pure way? To raise Vronsky’s child??? For such an emotionally unavailable and detached man, he really is good at heart it seems. We can’t blame Anna for in love with someone else, that’s only human, but idk she’s such a mess and obviously not ill intentioned like she fully admitted to the affair. Fuck Vronsky

“It’s true that it’s time to die. And that everything is nonsense. I’ll tell you truly: I value my thought and work terribly, but in essence - think about it - this whole world of ours is just a bit of mildew that grew over a tiny planet. And we think we can have something great - thoughts, deeds! They’re all grains of sand”

Levin just put existential crises in the most poetic way.

Levin: There’s less charm in life when you think about death — but it’s more peaceful

Stiva: On the contrary, the last days are the merriest

Fuck man, sometimes I think about what I’d do if I had confirmation I was in my final days of life and just that thought is freeing. I need to make more updates bc this book is great. The complexity of Anna, the shallowness of the Alexis. Levin and Kitty as the light

I have to read 6 books at once or I get bored

Over 800 page book as a slow reader will be a challenge so I’m going to post updates as I go.

I was easily hooked into this book with distinct descriptions of character’s psyches and opinions. It sounds fucked, but this book kinda humanizes a guy who cheated on his wife - showing the complexities of morality, marriage, attraction, relationships + family.

“Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”

A main character not getting a first name and solely being called “the wife” or “Mrs. Bennet.” Damn. I mean, her entire life mission is to marry off her daughters and make fun of one for coughing so deserved perhaps.

SO MUCH LORE HELP

“How’s the book?” HORRIFYING I LOVE IT