#246 | What Is the Core Tension in Leo Tolstoy’s Classic Russian Novel ‘Anna Karenina’?—and Why It Matters Today for Modern Men
Quick SUMMARY:
Douglas Vigliotti dives deep into Leo Tolstoy's timeless masterpiece, "Anna Karenina." Discover why Tolstoy stands as a giant in Russian literature as Douglas unpacks the novel's rich themes, from the fiery pursuit of passion to the comforting embrace of duty. Journey through the contrasting tales of Anna's tumultuous affair and Konstantin Levin's search for joy in family life. Douglas offers insightful reflections on the novel's complex characters and sprawling narrative style, hopefully inspiring men to explore the world of classic literature.
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TOPICS COVERED IN the EPISODE:
Introduction to "Anna Karenina" (00:09) - Douglas introduces the podcast episode and discusses the classic novel "Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy.
About the Author (01:13) - An overview of Leo Tolstoy's life and literary contributions, emphasizing his influence and notable works.
Setting and Narrative Structure (02:20) - Discussion about the novel's setting in Russia and its narrative told from multiple character perspectives.
Iconic Opening Line (03:29) - Exploration of the famous opening line of "Anna Karenina" and its thematic significance regarding family dynamics.
Character Arcs: Anna and Levin (04:49) - Analysis of the two main character arcs, contrasting Anna's tragic story with Levin's comedic journey.
Tolstoy's Architectural Pride (06:01) - Tolstoy's reflections on the internal cohesion of "Anna Karenina" and the structure of the narrative.
Takeaway: Passion vs. Duty (07:22) - Discussion on the novel's message about the consequences of following passion versus the importance of duty.
Narrative Style: Omniscient Perspective (08:33) - Examination of Tolstoy's omniscient narrative style and its impact on character development and reader experience.
Character Complexity and Themes (09:46) - Insight into the unlikability of characters and the deeper themes of morality, relationships, and societal expectations.
Cohesion in Style and Theme (11:03) - Reflection on how the narrative style enhances the themes and messages Tolstoy conveys in the novel.
Length and Approachability of Epics (12:18) - Discussion on the pros and cons of lengthy novels and their accessibility to modern readers.
Conclusion and Encouragement (13:25) - Douglas concludes the episode, encouraging listeners to read "Anna Karenina" and engage with classic literature.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome back to “Books for Men”, a podcast to inspire more men to read and bring together men who do. So this week I have a classic piece of literary fiction to share with you. It is titled “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy. It is a very long book at 800 pages or so, maybe a little over, depending on what edition you read. It originally came out in 1878, but the edition that I read was published in 2004 by Penguin Classics, and I will share a lot more about the author, the book, and, of course, some of my larger takeaways in just a moment. But first, I wanted to remind you about my new book that came out at the end of last year. It is titled “Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story”. And if you are a novelist or an aspiring novelist, or someone who is looking to tell a story of any kind, whether it's on the screen, page, or in your life, perhaps then I think you might enjoy the book, or at least find some relevance in it.
01:13 - If you're interested in learning more, all you have to do is visit the website AristotleforNovelists.com. Okay. Having said that, let's turn back to the work at hand. And as always, I want to start with the writer Leo Tolstoy. He's an iconic Russian writer who lived from 1828 to 1910. So just over 80 years or so, 82 years, he's written everything from novels to novellas, short stories, fables, plays. He's even stretched into non-fiction, with books and articles and essays. He's regarded as perhaps one of the greatest, or at least one of the most influential, writers of all time. Much of that has to do with the book that I am sharing with you today, which has been considered the greatest or one of the greatest novels of all time by many. Including other writers like Faulkner and Virginia Woolf, and countless others, really—even his iconic contemporary, Dostoyevsky. Of course, Tolstoy's other great work, or most widely regarded, was “War and Peace”, which was published nine years earlier, in 1869.
02:20 - But even Tolstoy has said that “Anna Karenina” was his first ‘true novel’. And even though Tolstoy was a pioneer when it comes to realism, I don't think he necessarily meant true in that sense, and even in the introduction of the translation that I read, it does a good job of reminding you of this, insisting that. And I'm using quotes now, “For Tolstoy, a ‘true novel’ was evidently something more specific than a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length. So it had to do something that none of his novels previously had done, and I will get into that a little bit more when I talk about some larger takeaways. But I think this is probably a good way for me to move into the book. So what is it? Well, first, the setting. It's mostly in Russia, Moscow, and Petersburg, but also dabbles in Germany. And although the novel is called Anna Karenina, it is more of a widespread narrative than that, and told from the point of view of seven different characters who are either all related or connected through marriage.
03:29 - And actually, the novel's first line is sort of iconic in its own right. You may have heard it at some point, maybe knowing where it came from, maybe not knowing, but it goes. And I'm using quotes. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Obviously, the quote works well as an anecdote and in its own right, but it's also sort of foreshadowing everything that this novel is really trying to push forward. And it centers around this idea of discontentment or dissatisfaction with life. And again, I'll get into that more in a moment when I talk about some of the takeaways. But basically the two most important arcs to the narrative, and what I would consider to be the structural spine of the story is first, of course, with Anna, who is an unfulfilled mother and wife to a cold Russian government official, and she seeks love and excitement in the form of an affair with the charming Count Vronsky. Parallel to that story is the story of Konstantin Levin, a landowner who is grappling with the existential nature of life but pursues happiness through marriage, hard work, and family life.
04:49 - And it's really following these two stories and the juxtaposition of what they both stand for. One being a tragic arc. And the other being a comedic arc. And since this is my podcast, I will plug my own book here. If you've read “Aristotle for Novelists”, you'll know what makes up a tragic arc and what makes up a comedic arc. But it's the combination of both of those things and pitting them together that paints the picture of what this novel is really about. And going back to that introduction, they share a quote from Tolstoy himself in a letter that he wrote, and he says, “Your judgment of Anna Karenina seems wrong to me. On the contrary, I am proud of my architecture. But my vaults have been assembled in such a way that the keystone cannot be seen. Most of my effort has gone into that. The cohesion of the structure does not lie in the plot or in the relations, the meanings of the characters. It is in an internal cohesion. Look well and you will find it.”
06:01 - And getting back to what I had mentioned at the top of this episode about that true novel, I think this is what Tolstoy was really getting at, and what he was perhaps so proud of with this novel is indeed that cohesion of just how well everything works together to depict the story or the meaning and what he's trying to explore. It's worth it to note that cohesion is another thing that I talk quite a bit about in “Aristotle for Novelists”, as there is an overall importance to that, to even now what I would consider Tolstoy to think as a working novel. Okay, so you might be asking yourself, what is this book actually trying to say or tell us? And I'm not going to share too much more about the plot and what actually happens in the book, but I will share as my first larger takeaway. In broad terms, it sort of makes the case that following your passion will only lead to pain, misery, and ultimately your demise, while being dutiful and committed might suck, but it also leads to the more meaningful aspect of life, or it provides meaning in one's life.
07:22 - I don't think I need to belabor which character arc represents what, because it's probably painfully obvious, but for me, this was a really interesting idea to think about and ponder. As somebody who, pretty much to this point in his life, has followed his passions, and the book paints a pretty grim picture for those who elect that path in their life. And it made me just question a lot of different aspects of my own life and also the world more broadly, which I think is the strength of a work like this and why it's stood the test of time. This leads me to my second large takeaway, which is about the style. So Tolstoy's chosen method of telling this story and it's written in an omniscient approach that head-hops. This isn't always common, especially in modern literature. Unless, of course, you read fantasy or sci-fi, where it's more common. A book that I shared on this podcast that utilizes the same style of narration really effectively was “The Godfather”. I will link that episode up in the show notes for anybody who is interested in checking it out.
08:33 - But anyway, for me, when I read anything that's omniscient in this book was no exception. It takes a bit of getting used to, and although the characters are definitely their own, it does challenge you a little in that way, especially if it's not something that you are used to. Just a note on those characters. A really interesting part of this book is that all of the characters are extremely unlikable, or at least from my point of view. People often cite the complexity of each character because, as you can imagine, in 800 pages or so, you go very deep into each of these characters. And I do think that that's a strength. But I think what's even more important about this book, it's something that I've already made mention to, and it does a great job at making you think about much deeper topics about life, especially ones that are interpersonal things like hypocrisy, jealousy, marriage, relationships, fidelity, and of course, much larger things like morality, God's role, religion, and in a broader sense, as we think about our own life.
09:46 - Even in a modern world, the difference between a fast city lifestyle versus a slower country lifestyle. And it's funny to see Tolstoy talk about cohesion as such an important part of this story, because even in the way that Anna is written, which is much more dramatic and in a much more entertaining way, as in, I wanted to read those parts more and more than the 11 parts. So, like just a couple quotes from Anna, she'll say, “Everything is finished. I have nothing but you. Remember that.” Or, “I've always loved you. And when you love someone, you love the whole person as they are and not as you like them to be.” So all of her parts are really focused on the struggles of motherhood and the complexity of the situation that she's in, being somebody who's strayed from her marriage in a time when this was not really looked on fondly. And as the novel goes on and on, she becomes more paranoid and disillusioned with her own decisions. Some things have been thrust upon her by society, and some of her own making.
11:03 - Whereas the Levin parts, while they still deal with the complexities of relationships, tend to be a little bit more boring and drawn out. And if I'm being honest, I hated reading those parts. They got to be really annoying, especially reading about all of this farming and boringness, I would say. But going back to what Tolstoy mentioned before, there is an essential ness to this boring slowness, to the life and the message that he is trying to depict with Konstantin Levin and to me, that linking of style with theme and plot really gets at the heart of what he was talking about with cohesion, and makes it compelling, even if it's a slog to get through some of the Levin parts, or at least for me. And that leads me perfectly to how I want to end this. And that's talking about epics in general, so just the length. The pros of that are that you get to spend a lot of time with this book. I took an entire month to read it. I read it while I was traveling, and then when I got home, it probably wasn't the best travel book.
12:18 - It was maybe a little too thought-provoking for travel, but it's very memorable in that way. The con being that it's extremely long, and I think for many people this makes it unapproachable, not just in its length but also in the content. And just to conclude, when I think about novels that are the greatest of all time. I see why people include this in it, but for me, if I were making my own list, which maybe I will do someday and release it on this podcast, of course, I think approachability has to be in the discussion. And it's not to say that this novel isn't readable. In fact, it's probably the most readable of all these classic Russian works. But I do think in a modern society, as in the one we are living in today, it is a very big ask. However, since you are a listener of this podcast, I know you are up for the challenge. If you do dive into it, you will maybe question why you did at times, but ultimately you will be satisfied that you did.
13:25 - All right, so that's all I've got. If you enjoyed this podcast, I want to remind you to click subscribe on whatever podcast platform you're listening to this on, because in doing so, it helps more people find the show, and in return, that helps inspire more men to read. Of course, if you want to tell me what you thought about this podcast or the podcast more broadly, there are two ways that you can contact me: on Instagram @DouglasVigliotti. It's the only social media that I have or via my website DouglasVigliotti.com. As I mentioned at the top of this episode and throughout the episode in drips and drops, I have a new book out. It is titled “Aristotle for Novelists”. If you're interested in learning more about that, you can visit the website AristotleforNovelists.com. All of these links will be in the show notes. And last but not least, I wanted to thank you so much for listening. And if you want more information on this podcast specifically, which includes signing up for the monthly newsletter, then all you have to do is visit the website BooksforMen.org.
