Year of publication of the book: 1875-1877

The writer worked on Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina" for four years, starting in 1873. The work almost immediately received the status of a classic of world literature. It has been translated into many languages ​​and filmed in several countries. Based on the work, plays, ballets and musicals were staged. The most recent adaptation of the Anna Karenina novel was the 2017 Russian TV series Anna Karenina. History of Vronsky.

Roman Tolstoy "Anna Karenina" summary

Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky, a thirty-five-year-old civil servant, is caught by his wife in treason with their governess. Dolly (his wife) took the news too much to heart. She wants to take her six children and leave the house immediately. Stepan himself (aka Steve) does not see anything wrong in his betrayal. He justifies his act by saying that he no longer loves his wife. For all the years of their life together, Dolly has changed both externally and internally, so Stiva did not even think that her wife would react so painfully to the news of the betrayal. He himself is currently awaiting the arrival of his sister, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina.

While working, Stepan Arkadyevich meets his old friend Konstantin Levin. He didn't just come. For a long time he has been in love with Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Dolly's younger sister, and is soon going to propose to her. Levin is a landowner who lives in the provinces and is engaged in farming. His great love for Kitty is also reinforced by the fact that the girl is from a decent noble family, which Konstantin has respected since childhood. Friends started talking and Stiva admitted that he approves of the marriage of Kitty and Konstantin and is happy for him.

The Anna Karenina book goes on to describe Kitty as a young, naive girl of eighteen. She has great sympathy for Levin, she likes to spend time with him and, of course, she cannot help but notice the sympathy on his part. The situation becomes more complicated when Count Alexei Vronsky appears on the horizon. He begins to actively care for the girl, although he does not want to marry her at all. All this becomes a difficult test for Kitty herself, who, due to her youth, cannot understand her feelings. She has affection for both Levin and Vronsky, but still understands that with Alexei she is guaranteed a good future. Having received an offer from Konstantin, she, as in, refuses him.

Further in Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina" you can read about how the next day Count Vronsky goes to the station to meet his mother. There he meets Oblonsky, who is waiting for the arrival of his sister. When the train arrives and the passengers get out of their cars, Vronsky's eyes immediately fall on the beautiful stranger. She turns out to be Anna Arkadyevna Karenina. The woman also pays attention to the count. He catches the sparkle in her eyes and her smile. Suddenly, a drunken railway station watchman falls under a train and dies. Anna sees this event as not a very good sign.

Stiva asks her sister to help reconcile with her wife. Anna persuades Dolly not to leave the house. She urges the woman to remember how the spouses were happy in marriage and assures her that Stepan is very sorry for what he did and does not intend to repeat such an act. Dolly agrees to give this relationship a second chance.

Kitty decides to visit the Oblonskys. She is fascinated by Anna, her manners, voice, grace. The young girl sees in Karenina the ideal of a woman. Soon Vronsky is announced. But as soon as Alexey finds out that Anna is in the house, he refuses to come in. By this action, Vronsky arouses suspicion among those present.

Anna goes to the ball with the Oblonsky and Shcherbatsky families. Kitty is fascinated by Anna's appearance. At the ball, Vronsky flirts with Kitty and invites her to dance. The girl becomes more and more fascinated by the count. She dreams of their future together. Suddenly, Kitty notices Alexei flirting with a woman in a black dress. It turns out to be Anna. From that moment until the end of the ball, Vronsky communicates and dances only with Karenina. Both feel that passion is born between them, it is present in their every gesture, in every word. Anna informs Vronsky that tomorrow she is going back to Petersburg.

The very next day, on the train, Karenina notices the count on the train. Vronsky informs Anna that he is going to Petersburg solely for her sake. Anna is confused: she does not know where this novel will lead her, but she is unable to resist the feeling that is born in her. On the platform, she is met by her husband and eight-year-old son Seryozha. Karenina understands that she is not just indifferent to her husband. With every second near him, she feels a deep disgust for this man.

Alexey Alexandrovich Karenin works at the ministry. He is much older than his wife and by nature is a special unromantic, devoid of love for any kind of art. He spends all his time either at work or reading newspapers or theological literature. Karenin loves his wife, but prefers to talk about his feelings infrequently.

Further in the novel "Anna Karenina" we can read about how Kitty falls ill with tuberculosis in winter. Doctors are sure that the disease manifested itself against the background of a nervous breakdown. All the girl's relatives understand that the fault is the betrayal of Count Vronsky. The Shcherbatskys decide that Kitty needs to unwind. They send her abroad to improve her health and forget about the grief that happened.

In Petersburg, Vronsky often meets with Anna. In this they are helped by the count's cousin. All secular society suspects Anna of treason, but Aleksey Alexandrovich does not guess anything. When Karenin's friends hint at his wife's infidelity, he wants to talk to Anna. Their conversation leads nowhere. A woman skillfully hides a secret relationship and assures her husband that these are all his inventions.

Stiva Oblonsky visits Levin at his estate. All this time, Konstantin was engaged in following the economy and making profitable deals with merchants. In the course of the conversation, Levin learns that Kitty and Vronsky are not together and that the girl is seriously ill.

Vronsky is not satisfied with the relationship he has with Karenina. He asks the woman to divorce her husband and marry him. But with all her love for the count, Anna is afraid of losing her son. She understands that Karenin can forbid her to see the child, but she will not survive this, because Seryozha is the only reason why Anna has been married to Alexei Alexandrovich all these years.

The relationship between Karenina and Vronsky crosses the Platonic level. Anna is thrashing around. She doesn't want to live a lie, but at the same time she doesn't want to talk to her husband. And there is something to talk about, because the woman understands that she is irrevocably in love with the count. Moreover, she is expecting a child from him.

Karenins go to the races, in which Vronsky participates. During the race, the count falls off his horse and is severely injured. Anna's behavior during the fall of her lover betrays the woman. She panics and starts crying. The thought that she might lose Alexei drives her crazy. Karenin does not like this behavior of his wife. Wanting to avoid shame, he persuades Anna to leave here. On the way home, Anna breaks down. Everything that has accumulated in it results in a frank conversation with Karenin. She confesses to her husband that she does not love him and has not been faithful to him for a long time. Karenin is confused. He doesn't know what to do in this situation. He decides to leave Anna in a house outside the city, and he goes to St. Petersburg to make a decision.

Konstantin Levin is visited by his brother Sergey Koznyshev. They spend a lot of time talking about life and the people. Sergei notices that Levin likes to spend space on the ground. He works in the field like everyone else, takes care of the household himself and finds peace of mind during hard work. Later, Konstantin learns that Dolly and her children are coming to the village next door. The woman is not used to living in the countryside, she cannot find a common language with the servants. In addition, the repair of the house is not completed and Dolly will have to deal with all the household problems. In desperation, she accepts Levin's help. In gratitude, she thinks of setting him up with Kitty. Dolly informs Konstantin that he is going to invite his sister to stay in this house. Levin admits that he is afraid to meet with Kitty, because a few months ago she refused him. But Dolly assures the young man that all is not lost for him.

Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Karenin in the novel Anna Karenina thinks about how he should act in this situation. He sees several options for solving the problem. He immediately discards thoughts of a duel with Vronsky and a divorce from his wife. Alexey Alexandrovich does not want to change anything in his life. He is driven by the fear of losing influence in society. In addition, he wants to hurt his wife. Pain commensurate with what he experienced. Therefore, he informs Anna that she can stay with him and her son. But she should continue to lie to everyone, imitating a happy family life. Anna is desperate. She realizes that now she hates her husband even more. He seems to her a soulless, incapable of understanding person. At some point, she wants to pack up and leave him, but she realizes that she does not want to be in the role of a mistress.

Anna is burdened by her life. She does not understand what to do next. Everything is aggravated by the fact that Vronsky begins to move away from her. She catches the chill in his gaze and starts to panic. Anna arranges scenes of jealousy for him. She is afraid that he will leave her, thus destroying her life.

Karenin goes to visit the Oblonskys. Kitty and Levin are also there. Young people spend a lot of time together. Kitty realizes that she is in love with Konstantin. She feels at ease talking to him. Levin also realizes that his feelings for Kitty have only gotten stronger. He again proposes to the girl, and she agrees. The family begins preparations for the wedding.

Karenin receives a letter from Anna. The woman writes that she will die soon. Her pregnancy was not easy, and the woman is afraid of dying in childbirth. Alexei Alexandrovich leaves home. There he finds Vronsky, who was very upset. Karenin is informed that Anna has given birth, but she herself is dying and is calling for her husband. In a feverish state, Anna asks her husband for forgiveness for everything she has done. Karenin's heart can't take it. He forgives his wife and takes care of her and the newborn Anna.

Having recovered, Anna is again removed from her husband. She is not grateful for everything he has done. Karenin appears to her as a stranger. After a conversation with Oblonsky, Karenin agrees to sign the divorce papers. Vronsky and Anna, their child, leave for Italy, while Alexei Alexandrovich remains in St. Petersburg with his son Serezha.

Before the wedding, Levin worries about the fact that he does not believe in the existence of God. And they are about to get married. Konstantin turns to the priest for help and he finds the necessary words. Young people get married with a pure heart. After the wedding, they move to the countryside. For several months they got used to living together, quarreled, could not understand each other. But after they moved to Moscow, everything improved. Later, Konstantin learns that his brother, Nikolai Levin, is dying. He goes to him. Kitty is traveling with her husband. Nikolai loved to drink and was currently cohabiting with a woman of easy virtue. Konstantin could never accept his brother's lifestyle, so they were not on close terms. Kitty was able to find understanding in her heart. She begins to care for Nikolai, who has only a few days left to live. After the death of his brother, Konstantin feels depressed. Kitty suddenly becomes ill, and the doctor tells the girl that she is pregnant.

A crisis ensues in relations between Karenina and Vronsky. It escalates after the couple arrives back in St. Petersburg. Society does not accept Karenina, considering her act shameful. Anna visits her son for his birthday. Having lived all this time with his father, the boy could not love him. The woman learns that Serezha was told that his mother had died. Anna understands how much she loves her son and does not want to be separated from him.

Because of the conflict in society, Anna increasingly stays at home. She feels despondent, although she tries to occupy herself with reading and caring for her little daughter. Further, in his novel, L. N. Tolstoy "Anna Karenina" tells that one day Karenina goes to the theater. But even there she is expected to be condemned by society. One of the ladies said that she was ashamed to sit next to Anna. The main character can't stand it. She blames Vronsky for everything, although she understands that it was her choice too.

Dolly comes to visit Anna and Alexei. She can observe all the misunderstanding that reigns between lovers. Anna has become insecure, she is terrified to the point of panic that the count might leave her. The main character of the novel "Anna Karenina" is interested in all the affairs of her husband, helps with advice and deed. But all this looks so intrusive that Vronsky feels as if he were in a cage. He understands that Anna is manipulating him with her fits of jealousy and tantrums. The Count realizes that he is tired of this relationship. He goes on business. Karenina takes the separation hard and starts taking medicine containing morphine. Upon her return, Anna again quarrels with Vronsky. Her jealousy reached the limit. She doesn't want him to leave her, not even for a little while. The Count feels that his love for this woman is giving way to irritability. He doesn't know how long his patience will last.

Kitty and Levin move to Moscow. There, Konstantin meets Anna, who managed to make a very pleasant impression. Kitty recalls how not long ago Karenina bewitched Vronsky. She is tormented by jealousy. Konstantin sees this and says that he will limit communication with Anna. After some time, Kitty gives birth to a boy. They give him the name Dmitry.

And, if everything is going well for Levin and Kitty, there is complete discord in the relationship between Karenina and Vronsky. Anna's jealousy crosses all boundaries. She becomes inconsistent in her actions. Her impulsiveness played a cruel joke on her. She either swears her love for Vronsky, or curses him. It becomes hard for the Count in these relations. He understands that the feelings between them have long faded. He is even upset by the news that Karenin has finally filed for divorce. After that, in the novel "Anna Karenina" Tolstoy can read that Alexei Alexandrovich goes to visit his mother. Anna does not want to let him go, but comes to terms with the separation. It is hard for her to realize that the count no longer loves her. In a fit of jealousy, Karenina follows Vronsky to the station. There she recalls how on the first day of their meeting on the platform, the station guard fell under the train. The mind of a woman is clouded. She sees no way out of her current situation. Anna decides to punish both Vronsky and Karenin. As in the main character decides to commit suicide and throws herself under a train.

Vronsky takes Anna's death hard. He starts to blame himself. Unable to bear the thought of the deceased beloved, the count goes to war in Serbia. Karenin takes the daughter of Anna and Vronsky to be brought up.

After the birth of little Dima, Kitty and Konstantin move to the village. There they lead a measured and happy life.

The novel "Anna Karenina" on the Top Books website

Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina" has been considered a classic of world literature for more than one century. Therefore, his high place in, as well as among, cannot cause any misunderstanding. Moreover, it is safe to say that in the future the novel will occupy high places.

You can read the novel "Anna Karenina" by Tolstoy online on the Top Books website.

In the Moscow house of the Oblonskys, where "everything was mixed up" at the end of the winter of 1873, they were waiting for the owner's sister, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina. The reason for the family discord was that Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky was caught by his wife in treason with a governess. Thirty-four-year-old Stiva Oblonsky sincerely regrets his wife Dolly, but, being a truthful person, does not assure himself that he repents of his deed. Cheerful, kind and carefree Stiva has long been no longer in love with his wife, the mother of five living and two dead children, and has long been unfaithful to her.

Stiva is completely indifferent to the work he does, serving as a boss in one of the Moscow presences, and this allows him to never get carried away, not make mistakes and perfectly fulfill his duties. Friendly, condescending to human shortcomings, charming Stiva enjoys the favor of the people of his circle, subordinates, bosses and, in general, everyone with whom his life brings. Debts and family troubles upset him, but they cannot spoil his mood enough to make him refuse to dine in a good restaurant. He is having lunch with Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, who has arrived from the village, his peer and a friend of his youth.

Levin came to propose to the eighteen-year-old Princess Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Oblonsky's sister-in-law, with whom he had long been in love. Levin is sure that such a girl, who is above all earthly things, like Kitty, cannot love him, an ordinary landowner, without special, as he believes, talents. In addition, Oblonsky informs him that, apparently, he has a rival - a brilliant representative of the St. Petersburg "golden youth", Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky.

Kitty knows about Levin's love and feels at ease and free with him; with Vronsky, however, she experiences an incomprehensible awkwardness. But it is difficult for her to understand her own feelings, she does not know who to give preference to. Kitty does not suspect that Vronsky does not at all intend to marry her, and her dreams of a happy future with him make her refuse Levin. Meeting his mother, who has arrived from St. Petersburg, Vronsky sees Anna Arkadyevna Karenina at the station. He immediately notices the special expressiveness of Anna’s whole appearance: “It was as if an excess of something so overwhelmed her being that, against her will, it was expressed either in the brilliance of her eyes, or in a smile.” The meeting is overshadowed by a sad circumstance: the death of a station watchman under the wheels of a train, which Anna considers a bad omen.

Anna manages to persuade Dolly to forgive her husband; a fragile peace is established in the Oblonskys' house, and Anna goes to the ball together with the Oblonskys and the Shcherbatskys. At the ball, Kitty admires Anna's naturalness and grace, admires that special, poetic inner world that appears in her every movement. Kitty expects a lot from this ball: she is sure that during the mazurka Vronsky will explain himself to her. Unexpectedly, she notices how Vronsky is talking with Anna: in each of their glances, an irresistible attraction to each other is felt, each word decides their fate. Kitty leaves in despair. Anna Karenina returns home to Petersburg; Vronsky follows her.

Blaming himself alone for the failure of the matchmaking, Levin returns to the village. Before leaving, he meets with his older brother Nikolai, who lives in cheap rooms with a woman he took from a brothel. Levin loves his brother, despite his irrepressible nature, which brings a lot of trouble to himself and those around him. Seriously ill, lonely, drinking, Nikolai Levin is fascinated by the communist idea and the organization of some kind of locksmith artel; this saves him from self-contempt. A meeting with his brother exacerbates the shame and dissatisfaction with himself, which Konstantin Dmitrievich experiences after the matchmaking. He calms down only in his family estate Pokrovsky, deciding to work even harder and not allow himself luxury - which, however, had not been in his life before.

The usual life in St. Petersburg, to which Anna returns, causes her disappointment. She had never been in love with her husband, who was much older than her, and had only respect for him. Now his company becomes painful for her, she notices the slightest of his shortcomings: too big ears, the habit of cracking his fingers. Nor does her love for her eight-year-old son Seryozha save her. Anna is trying to regain her peace of mind, but she fails - mainly because Alexei Vronsky is trying to get her location in every possible way. Vronsky is in love with Anna, and his love is intensified because an affair with a lady of high society makes his position even more brilliant. Despite the fact that his whole inner life is filled with passion for Anna, outwardly Vronsky leads the usual, cheerful and pleasant life of a guards officer: with the Opera, the French theater, balls, horse races and other pleasures. But their relationship with Anna is too different in the eyes of others from easy secular flirting; strong passion causes general condemnation. Alexey Aleksandrovich Karenin notices the attitude of the world to his wife's romance with Count Vronsky and expresses his displeasure to Anna. Being a high-ranking official, “Aleksey Alexandrovich lived and worked all his life in the spheres of service, dealing with reflections of life. And every time he encountered life itself, he pulled away from it.” Now he feels himself in the position of a man standing above the abyss.

Karenin's attempts to stop his wife's irresistible desire for Vronsky, Anna's attempts to restrain herself, are unsuccessful. A year after the first meeting, she becomes Vronsky's mistress - realizing that now they are connected forever, like criminals. Vronsky is burdened by the uncertainty of relations, persuades Anna to leave her husband and join her life with him. But Anna cannot decide on a break with Karenin, and even the fact that she is expecting a child from Vronsky does not give her determination.

During the races, which are attended by all the high society, Vronsky falls from his horse Frou-Frou. Not knowing how serious the fall is, Anna expresses her despair so openly that Karenin is forced to immediately take her away. She announces to her husband about her infidelity, about disgust for him. This news produces on Alexei Alexandrovich the impression of a diseased tooth pulled out: he finally gets rid of the suffering of jealousy and leaves for Petersburg, leaving his wife at the dacha awaiting his decision. But, having gone through all the possible options for the future - a duel with Vronsky, a divorce - Karenin decides to leave everything unchanged, punishing and humiliating Anna with the requirement to observe the false appearance of family life under the threat of separation from her son. Having made this decision, Alexey Alexandrovich finds enough calmness to give himself over to reflections on the affairs of the service with his characteristic stubborn ambition. The decision of her husband causes Anna to burst into hatred for him. She considers him a soulless machine, not thinking that she has a soul and the need for love. Anna realizes that she is driven into a corner, because she is unable to exchange her current position for the position of a mistress who left her husband and son and deserves universal contempt.

The remaining uncertainty of relations is also painful for Vronsky, who in the depths of his soul loves order and has an unshakable set of rules of behavior. For the first time in his life, he does not know how to behave further, how to bring his love for Anna into line with the rules of life. In the event of joining with her, he will be forced to retire, and this is also not easy for him: Vronsky loves regimental life, enjoys the respect of his comrades; besides, he is ambitious.

The life of three people is entangled in a web of lies. Anna's pity for her husband alternates with disgust; she cannot but meet with Vronsky, as Alexey Alexandrovitch demands. Finally, childbirth occurs, during which Anna almost dies. Lying in childbed fever, she asks for forgiveness from Alexei Alexandrovich, and at her bedside he feels pity for his wife, tender compassion and spiritual joy. Vronsky, whom Anna unconsciously rejects, experiences burning shame and humiliation. He tries to shoot himself, but is rescued.

Anna does not die, and when the softening of her soul caused by the proximity of death passes, she again begins to be burdened by her husband. Neither his decency and generosity, nor touching concern for a newborn girl does not save her from irritation; she hates Karenin even for his virtues. A month after her recovery, Anna goes abroad with retired Vronsky and her daughter.

Living in the countryside, Levin takes care of the estate, reads, writes a book on agriculture and undertakes various economic reorganizations that do not find approval among the peasants. The village for Levin is "a place of life, that is, joys, suffering, work." The peasants respect him, forty miles away they go to him for advice - and they strive to deceive him for their own benefit. There is no deliberateness in Levin's attitude towards the people: he considers himself a part of the people, all his interests are connected with the peasants. He admires the strength, meekness, justice of the peasants and is irritated by their carelessness, slovenliness, drunkenness, and lies. In disputes with his half-brother Sergei Ivanovich Koznyshev, who came to visit, Levin proves that zemstvo activities do not benefit the peasants, because they are not based either on knowledge of their true needs, or on the personal interest of the landowners.

Levin feels his merging with nature; he even hears the growth of spring grass. In the summer, he mows with the peasants, feeling the joy of simple labor. Despite all this, he considers his life idle and dreams of changing it to a working, clean and common life. Subtle changes are constantly taking place in his soul, and Levin listens to them. At one time it seems to him that he has found peace and forgotten his dreams of family happiness. But this illusion crumbles to dust when he learns about Kitty's serious illness, and then sees her herself, going to her sister in the village. The feeling that seemed dead again takes possession of his heart, and only in love does he see an opportunity to unravel the great mystery of life.

In Moscow, at a dinner at the Oblonskys, Levin meets Kitty and realizes that she loves him. In a state of high spirits, he proposes to Kitty and receives consent. Immediately after the wedding, the young people leave for the village.

Vronsky and Anna are traveling through Italy. At first, Anna feels happy and full of the joy of life. Even the knowledge that she is separated from her son, that she has lost her honorable name and that she has become the cause of her husband's misfortune, does not overshadow her happiness. Vronsky is lovingly respectful towards her, he does everything to ensure that she is not burdened by her position. But he himself, despite his love for Anna, feels longing and grabs at everything that can give his life significance. He begins painting, but having enough taste, he knows his mediocrity and soon becomes disillusioned with this occupation.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Anna clearly feels her rejection: they do not want to accept her, acquaintances avoid meeting her. Insults from the world poison Vronsky's life as well, but, busy with her experiences, Anna does not want to notice this. On Seryozha's birthday, she secretly goes to him and, finally seeing her son, feeling his love for herself, she realizes that she cannot be happy apart from him. In despair, in irritation, she reproaches Vronsky for falling out of love with her; it costs him great efforts to calm her down, after which they leave for the village.

The first time of married life turns out to be difficult for Kitty and Levin: they hardly get used to each other, charms are replaced by disappointments, quarrels - reconciliations. Family life seems to Levin like a boat: it is pleasant to look at sliding on water, but it is very difficult to rule. Unexpectedly, Levin receives news that brother Nikolai is dying in the provincial town. He immediately goes to him; despite his protests, Kitty decides to go with him. Seeing his brother, experiencing tormenting pity for him, Levin still cannot rid himself of the fear and disgust that the nearness of death arouses in him. He is shocked that Kitty is not at all afraid of the dying man and knows how to behave with him. Levin feels that only the love of his wife saves him in these days from horror and himself.

During Kitty's pregnancy, about which Levin learns on the day of his brother's death, the family continues to live in Pokrovsky, where relatives and friends come for the summer. Levin cherishes the spiritual closeness that he has established with his wife, and is tormented by jealousy, fearing to lose this closeness.

Dolly Oblonskaya, visiting her sister, decides to visit Anna Karenina, who lives with Vronsky on his estate, not far from Pokrovsky. Dolly is struck by the changes that have taken place in Karenina, she feels the falsity of her current way of life, especially noticeable in comparison with her former liveliness and naturalness. Anna entertains guests, tries to take care of her daughter, reading, setting up a village hospital. But her main concern is to replace Vronsky with herself for everything that he left for her sake. Their relationship is becoming more and more tense, Anna is jealous of everything that he is fond of, even of the Zemstvo activities, which Vronsky is engaged in mainly in order not to lose his independence. In the fall, they move to Moscow, waiting for Karenin's decision on a divorce. But, offended in his best feelings, rejected by his wife, finding himself alone, Alexei Alexandrovich falls under the influence of the well-known spiritualist, Princess Myagkaya, who persuades him, for religious reasons, not to give the criminal wife a divorce.

In the relationship between Vronsky and Anna there is neither complete discord nor agreement. Anna accuses Vronsky of all the hardships of her position; attacks of desperate jealousy are instantly replaced by tenderness; quarrels break out every now and then. In Anna's dreams, the same nightmare is repeated: some peasant leans over her, mutters meaningless French words and does something terrible to her. After a particularly difficult quarrel, Vronsky, against Anna's wishes, goes to visit his mother. In complete dismay, Anna sees her relationship with him as if by a bright light. She understands that her love is becoming more and more passionate and selfish, and Vronsky, without losing his love for her, is still weary of her and tries not to be dishonorable towards her. Trying to achieve his repentance, she follows him to the station, where she suddenly remembers the man crushed by the train on the day of their first meeting - and immediately understands what she needs to do. Anna throws herself under the train; her last vision is of a mumbling peasant. After that, “the candle, under which she read a book full of anxieties, deceptions, grief and evil, flared up with a brighter light than ever, illuminated for her everything that had previously been in darkness, crackled, began to fade and went out forever.”

Life becomes hateful for Vronsky; he is tormented by an unnecessary, but indelible remorse. He leaves as a volunteer for the war with the Turks in Serbia; Karenin takes his daughter to her.

After Kitty's birth, which became a deep spiritual shock for Levin, the family returns to the village. Levin is in painful disagreement with himself - because after the death of his brother and the birth of his son he cannot resolve for himself the most important questions: the meaning of life, the meaning of death. He feels that he is close to suicide, and is afraid to walk around with a gun so as not to shoot himself. But at the same time, Levin notices: when he does not ask himself why he lives, he feels in his soul the presence of an infallible judge, and his life becomes firm and definite. Finally, he understands that the knowledge of the laws of good, given personally to him, Levin, in the Gospel Revelation, cannot be grasped by reason and expressed in words. Now he feels himself able to put an undeniable sense of goodness into every minute of his life.

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy

"Anna Karenina"

In the Moscow house of the Oblonskys, where "everything was mixed up" at the end of the winter of 1873, they were waiting for the owner's sister, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina. The reason for the family discord was that Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky was caught by his wife in treason with a governess. Thirty-four-year-old Stiva Oblonsky sincerely regrets his wife Dolly, but, being a truthful person, does not assure himself that he repents of his deed. Cheerful, kind and carefree Stiva has long been no longer in love with his wife, the mother of five living and two dead children, and has long been unfaithful to her.

Stiva is completely indifferent to the work he does, serving as a boss in one of the Moscow presences, and this allows him to never get carried away, not make mistakes and perfectly fulfill his duties. Friendly, condescending to human shortcomings, charming Stiva enjoys the favor of the people of his circle, subordinates, bosses and, in general, everyone with whom his life brings. Debts and family troubles upset him, but they cannot spoil his mood enough to make him refuse to dine in a good restaurant. He is having lunch with Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, who has arrived from the village, his peer and a friend of his youth.

Levin came to propose to the eighteen-year-old Princess Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Oblonsky's sister-in-law, with whom he had long been in love. Levin is sure that such a girl, who is above all earthly things, like Kitty, cannot love him, an ordinary landowner, without special, as he believes, talents. In addition, Oblonsky informs him that, apparently, he has a rival - a brilliant representative of the St. Petersburg "golden youth", Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky.

Kitty knows about Levin's love and feels at ease and free with him; with Vronsky, however, she experiences an incomprehensible awkwardness. But it is difficult for her to understand her own feelings, she does not know who to give preference to. Kitty does not suspect that Vronsky does not at all intend to marry her, and her dreams of a happy future with him make her refuse Levin. Meeting his mother, who has arrived from St. Petersburg, Vronsky sees Anna Arkadyevna Karenina at the station. He immediately notices the special expressiveness of Anna’s whole appearance: “It was as if an excess of something so overwhelmed her being that, against her will, it was expressed either in the brilliance of her eyes, or in a smile.” The meeting is overshadowed by a sad circumstance: the death of a station watchman under the wheels of a train, which Anna considers a bad omen.

Anna manages to persuade Dolly to forgive her husband; a fragile peace is established in the Oblonskys' house, and Anna goes to the ball together with the Oblonskys and the Shcherbatskys. At the ball, Kitty admires Anna's naturalness and grace, admires that special, poetic inner world that appears in her every movement. Kitty expects a lot from this ball: she is sure that during the mazurka Vronsky will explain himself to her. Unexpectedly, she notices how Vronsky is talking with Anna: in each of their glances, an irresistible attraction to each other is felt, each word decides their fate. Kitty leaves in despair. Anna Karenina returns home to Petersburg; Vronsky follows her.

Blaming himself alone for the failure of the matchmaking, Levin returns to the village. Before leaving, he meets with his older brother Nikolai, who lives in cheap rooms with a woman he took from a brothel. Levin loves his brother, despite his irrepressible nature, which brings a lot of trouble to himself and those around him. Seriously ill, lonely, drinking, Nikolai Levin is fascinated by the communist idea and the organization of some kind of locksmith artel; this saves him from self-contempt. A meeting with his brother exacerbates the shame and dissatisfaction with himself, which Konstantin Dmitrievich experiences after the matchmaking. He calms down only in his family estate Pokrovsky, deciding to work even harder and not allow himself luxury - which, however, had not been in his life before.

The usual life in St. Petersburg, to which Anna returns, causes her disappointment. She had never been in love with her husband, who was much older than her, and had only respect for him. Now his company becomes painful for her, she notices the slightest of his shortcomings: too big ears, the habit of cracking his fingers. Nor does her love for her eight-year-old son Seryozha save her. Anna tries to regain her peace of mind, but she fails, mainly because Alexei Vronsky seeks her favor in every possible way. Vronsky is in love with Anna, and his love is intensified because an affair with a lady of high society makes his position even more brilliant. Despite the fact that his whole inner life is filled with passion for Anna, outwardly Vronsky leads the usual, cheerful and pleasant life of a guards officer: with the Opera, the French theater, balls, horse races and other pleasures. But their relationship with Anna is too different in the eyes of others from easy secular flirting; strong passion causes general condemnation. Alexey Aleksandrovich Karenin notices the attitude of the world to his wife's romance with Count Vronsky and expresses his displeasure to Anna. Being a high-ranking official, “Aleksey Alexandrovich lived and worked all his life in the spheres of service, dealing with reflections of life. And every time he encountered life itself, he pulled away from it.” Now he feels himself in the position of a man standing above the abyss.

Karenin's attempts to stop his wife's irresistible desire for Vronsky, Anna's attempts to restrain herself, are unsuccessful. A year after the first meeting, she becomes Vronsky's mistress - realizing that now they are connected forever, like criminals. Vronsky is burdened by the uncertainty of relations, persuades Anna to leave her husband and join her life with him. But Anna cannot decide on a break with Karenin, and even the fact that she is expecting a child from Vronsky does not give her determination.

During the races, which are attended by all the high society, Vronsky falls from his horse Frou-Frou. Not knowing how serious the fall is, Anna expresses her despair so openly that Karenin is forced to immediately take her away. She announces to her husband about her infidelity, about disgust for him. This news produces on Alexei Alexandrovich the impression of a diseased tooth pulled out: he finally gets rid of the suffering of jealousy and leaves for Petersburg, leaving his wife at the dacha awaiting his decision. But, having gone through all the possible options for the future - a duel with Vronsky, a divorce - Karenin decides to leave everything unchanged, punishing and humiliating Anna with the requirement to observe the false appearance of family life under the threat of separation from her son. Having made this decision, Alexey Alexandrovich finds enough calmness to give himself over to reflections on the affairs of the service with his characteristic stubborn ambition. The decision of her husband causes Anna to burst into hatred for him. She considers him a soulless machine, not thinking that she has a soul and the need for love. Anna realizes that she is driven into a corner, because she is unable to exchange her current position for the position of a mistress who left her husband and son and deserves universal contempt.

The remaining uncertainty of relations is also painful for Vronsky, who in the depths of his soul loves order and has an unshakable set of rules of behavior. For the first time in his life, he does not know how to behave further, how to bring his love for Anna into line with the rules of life. In the event of joining with her, he will be forced to retire, and this is also not easy for him: Vronsky loves regimental life, enjoys the respect of his comrades; besides, he is ambitious.

The life of three people is entangled in a web of lies. Anna's pity for her husband alternates with disgust; she cannot but meet with Vronsky, as Alexey Alexandrovitch demands. Finally, childbirth occurs, during which Anna almost dies. Lying in childbed fever, she asks for forgiveness from Alexei Alexandrovich, and at her bedside he feels pity for his wife, tender compassion and spiritual joy. Vronsky, whom Anna unconsciously rejects, experiences burning shame and humiliation. He tries to shoot himself, but is rescued.

Anna does not die, and when the softening of her soul caused by the proximity of death passes, she again begins to be burdened by her husband. Neither his decency and generosity, nor touching concern for a newborn girl does not save her from irritation; she hates Karenin even for his virtues. A month after her recovery, Anna goes abroad with retired Vronsky and her daughter.

Living in the countryside, Levin takes care of the estate, reads, writes a book on agriculture and undertakes various economic reorganizations that do not find approval among the peasants. The village for Levin is "a place of life, that is, joys, suffering, work." The peasants respect him, forty miles away they go to him for advice - and they strive to deceive him for their own benefit. There is no deliberateness in Levin's attitude towards the people: he considers himself a part of the people, all his interests are connected with the peasants. He admires the strength, meekness, justice of the peasants and is irritated by their carelessness, slovenliness, drunkenness, and lies. In disputes with his half-brother Sergei Ivanovich Koznyshev, who came to visit, Levin proves that zemstvo activities do not benefit the peasants, because they are not based either on knowledge of their true needs, or on the personal interest of the landowners.

Levin feels his merging with nature; he even hears the growth of spring grass. In the summer, he mows with the peasants, feeling the joy of simple labor. Despite all this, he considers his life idle and dreams of changing it to a working, clean and common life. Subtle changes are constantly taking place in his soul, and Levin listens to them. At one time it seems to him that he has found peace and forgotten his dreams of family happiness. But this illusion crumbles to dust when he learns about Kitty's serious illness, and then sees her herself, going to her sister in the village. The feeling that seemed dead again takes possession of his heart, and only in love does he see an opportunity to unravel the great mystery of life.

In Moscow, at a dinner at the Oblonskys, Levin meets Kitty and realizes that she loves him. In a state of high spirits, he proposes to Kitty and receives consent. Immediately after the wedding, the young people leave for the village.

Vronsky and Anna are traveling through Italy. At first, Anna feels happy and full of the joy of life. Even the knowledge that she is separated from her son, that she has lost her honorable name and that she has become the cause of her husband's misfortune, does not overshadow her happiness. Vronsky is lovingly respectful towards her, he does everything to ensure that she is not burdened by her position. But he himself, despite his love for Anna, feels longing and grabs at everything that can give his life significance. He begins painting, but having enough taste, he knows his mediocrity and soon becomes disillusioned with this occupation.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Anna clearly feels her rejection: they do not want to accept her, acquaintances avoid meeting her. Insults from the world poison Vronsky's life as well, but, busy with her experiences, Anna does not want to notice this. On Seryozha's birthday, she secretly goes to him and, finally seeing her son, feeling his love for herself, she realizes that she cannot be happy apart from him. In despair, in irritation, she reproaches Vronsky for falling out of love with her; it costs him great efforts to calm her down, after which they leave for the village.

The first time of married life turns out to be difficult for Kitty and Levin: they hardly get used to each other, charms are replaced by disappointments, quarrels - reconciliations. Family life seems to Levin like a boat: it is pleasant to look at sliding on water, but it is very difficult to rule. Unexpectedly, Levin receives news that brother Nikolai is dying in the provincial town. He immediately goes to him; despite his protests, Kitty decides to go with him. Seeing his brother, experiencing tormenting pity for him, Levin still cannot rid himself of the fear and disgust that the nearness of death arouses in him. He is shocked that Kitty is not at all afraid of the dying man and knows how to behave with him. Levin feels that only the love of his wife saves him in these days from horror and himself.

During Kitty's pregnancy, about which Levin learns on the day of his brother's death, the family continues to live in Pokrovsky, where relatives and friends come for the summer. Levin cherishes the spiritual closeness that he has established with his wife, and is tormented by jealousy, fearing to lose this closeness.

Dolly Oblonskaya, visiting her sister, decides to visit Anna Karenina, who lives with Vronsky on his estate, not far from Pokrovsky. Dolly is struck by the changes that have taken place in Karenina, she feels the falsity of her current way of life, especially noticeable in comparison with her former liveliness and naturalness. Anna entertains guests, tries to take care of her daughter, reading, setting up a village hospital. But her main concern is to replace Vronsky with herself for everything that he left for her sake. Their relationship is becoming more and more tense, Anna is jealous of everything that he is fond of, even of the Zemstvo activities, which Vronsky is engaged in mainly in order not to lose his independence. In the fall, they move to Moscow, waiting for Karenin's decision on a divorce. But, offended in his best feelings, rejected by his wife, finding himself alone, Alexei Alexandrovich falls under the influence of the well-known spiritualist, Princess Myagkaya, who persuades him, for religious reasons, not to give the criminal wife a divorce.

In the relationship between Vronsky and Anna there is neither complete discord nor agreement. Anna accuses Vronsky of all the hardships of her position; attacks of desperate jealousy are instantly replaced by tenderness; quarrels break out every now and then. In Anna's dreams, the same nightmare is repeated: some peasant leans over her, mutters meaningless French words and does something terrible to her. After a particularly difficult quarrel, Vronsky, contrary to Anna's wishes, goes to visit his mother. In complete dismay, Anna sees her relationship with him as if by a bright light. She understands that her love is becoming more and more passionate and selfish, and Vronsky, without losing his love for her, is still weary of her and tries not to be dishonorable towards her. Trying to achieve his repentance, she follows him to the station, where she suddenly remembers the man crushed by the train on the day of their first meeting - and immediately understands what she needs to do. Anna throws herself under the train; her last vision is of a muttering peasant. After that, “the candle, under which she read a book full of anxieties, deceptions, grief and evil, flared up with a brighter light than ever, illuminated for her everything that had previously been in darkness, crackled, began to fade and went out forever.”

Life becomes hateful for Vronsky; he is tormented by an unnecessary, but indelible remorse. He leaves as a volunteer for the war with the Turks in Serbia; Karenin takes his daughter to her.

After Kitty's birth, which became a deep spiritual shock for Levin, the family returns to the village. Levin is in painful disagreement with himself because, after the death of his brother and the birth of his son, he cannot resolve for himself the most important questions: the meaning of life, the meaning of death. He feels that he is close to suicide, and is afraid to walk around with a gun so as not to shoot himself. But at the same time, Levin notices: when he does not ask himself why he lives, he feels in his soul the presence of an infallible judge, and his life becomes firm and definite. Finally, he understands that the knowledge of the laws of good, given personally to him, Levin, in the Gospel Revelation, cannot be grasped by reason and expressed in words. Now he feels himself able to put an undeniable sense of goodness into every minute of his life.

Discord in the Oblonskys' house. The owner of the house, Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky, was convicted of treason by his wife. He pities his wife, but does not repent of his deed. The prince's sister Anna Arkadyevna Karenina is expected to visit.

Stepan Arkadyevich enjoys the favor of people. He is friendly and condescending towards human weaknesses and shortcomings. Stepan Arkadievich is having lunch with Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, a friend of his youth who has come from the village.

Levin came to propose to Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Oblonsky's eighteen-year-old sister-in-law. It turns out that Levin has a serious rival - Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. Vronsky is not going to marry Kitty, but she does not suspect this and refuses Levin.

Meeting his mother, Vronsky sees Anna Karenina at the station and immediately falls in love with her.

Anna persuades Dolly to forgive her unlucky husband, and peace is restored in the Oblonskys' house. Anna is going to the ball. Kitty admires Anna's grace and naturalness at the ball. She herself expects from this ball that Vronsky will explain himself to her. But suddenly he notices how Vronsky is talking to Anna and in each of their eyes an irresistible attraction to each other is visible. Kitty leaves in despair. Anna leaves for Petersburg. Vronsky follows her. Levin returns to the village.

Anna returns to her usual life, but she only causes her disappointment. She was never in love with her husband, and now his company is becoming completely painful for her. Even her love for her son does not save the situation. Vronsky seeks Anna's favor in every possible way. Their romance is universally condemned.

Anna's husband's attempts to stop his wife's desire for Count Vronsky, as well as Anna's attempts to end their connection, do not end with success. He persuades her to leave her husband, but Anna does not dare to do this, even though she is expecting a child from Vronsky.

Anna openly declares her infidelity to her husband. He decides to punish Anna by forcing her to create the appearance of family life. Anna begins to hate her husband. She is cornered. Vronsky is also not satisfied with such uncertainty in their relationship.

During childbirth, Anna almost dies. She asks forgiveness from Karenin and rejects Vronsky. The humiliated lover tries to shoot himself. They save him.

Soon Anna begins to hate her husband again. Anna recovers and leaves with Vronsky and her daughter abroad.

Levin lives quietly in the countryside, takes care of the household, but as soon as he learns about Kitty's illness, his feelings flare up with renewed vigor. They meet at the Oblonsky's for dinner, and he realizes that Kitty loves him. Kitty accepts Levin's proposal. They get married and immediately after that they leave for the village.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg after a trip to Italy with Vronsky, Anna feels rejected. Seeing her son, she realizes that in separation from him she can never be happy. Anna does not notice Vronsky's feelings. She reproaches him for falling out of love with her. Vronsky calms her with difficulty, and they leave for the village.

Married life turns out to be hard enough for Kitty and Levin. Quarrels are replaced by reconciliations. Levin's brother Nikolai dies and on the same day Levin finds out about Kitty's pregnancy.

Relations between Anna and Vronsky become more and more tense. Anna is jealous of everything he is passionate about. In the autumn they move to Moscow and wait for Karenin's decision on divorce. But he does not agree to a divorce. Anna continues to blame Vronsky for all the hardships of her present situation. There is no agreement, no complete discord between them. Vronsky leaves, Anna wants to try to reason with him and goes to the station. She reminisces about the man who was crushed by the train on the day they first met. Anna rushes over the train.

Vronsky leaves for the war with the Turks, Karenin takes his daughter to him. Levin's family returns to the village after Kitty's birth.

In the Moscow house of the Oblonskys, where "everything was mixed up" at the end of the winter of 1873, they were waiting for the owner's sister, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina. The reason for the family discord was that Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky was caught by his wife in treason with a governess. Thirty-four-year-old Stiva Oblonsky sincerely regrets his wife Dolly, but, being a truthful person, does not assure himself that he repents of his deed. Cheerful, kind and carefree Stiva has long been no longer in love with his wife, the mother of five living and two dead children, and has long been unfaithful to her.

Stiva is completely indifferent to the work he does, serving as a boss in one of the Moscow presences, and this allows him to never get carried away, not make mistakes and perfectly fulfill his duties. Friendly, condescending to human shortcomings, charming Stiva enjoys the location of the people of his circle, subordinates, bosses and, in general, everyone with whom his life brings. Debts and family troubles upset him, but they cannot spoil his mood enough to make him refuse to dine in a good restaurant. He is having lunch with Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, who has arrived from the village, his peer and a friend of his youth.

Levin came to propose to the eighteen-year-old Princess Kitty Shcherbatskaya, Oblonsky's sister-in-law, with whom he had long been in love. Levin is sure that such a girl, who is above all earthly things, like Kitty, cannot love him, an ordinary landowner, without special, as he believes, talents. In addition, Oblonsky informs him that, apparently, he has a rival - a brilliant representative of the St. Petersburg "golden youth", Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky.

Kitty knows about Levin's love and feels at ease and free with him; with Vronsky, however, she experiences an incomprehensible awkwardness. But it is difficult for her to understand her own feelings, she does not know who to give preference to. Kitty does not suspect that Vronsky does not at all intend to marry her, and her dreams of a happy future with him make her refuse Levin. Meeting his mother, who has arrived from St. Petersburg, Vronsky sees Anna Arkadyevna Karenina at the station. He immediately notices the special expressiveness of Anna’s whole appearance: “It was as if an excess of something so overwhelmed her being that, against her will, it was expressed either in the brilliance of her eyes, or in a smile.” The meeting is overshadowed by a sad circumstance: the death of a station watchman under the wheels of a train, which Anna considers a bad omen.

Anna manages to persuade Dolly to forgive her husband; a fragile peace is established in the Oblonskys' house, and Anna goes to the ball together with the Oblonskys and the Shcherbatskys. At the ball, Kitty admires Anna's naturalness and grace, admires that special, poetic inner world that appears in her every movement. Kitty expects a lot from this ball: she is sure that during the mazurka Vronsky will explain himself to her. Unexpectedly, she notices how Vronsky is talking with Anna: in each of their glances, an irresistible attraction to each other is felt, each word decides their fate. Kitty leaves in despair. Anna Karenina returns home to Petersburg; Vronsky follows her.

Blaming himself alone for the failure of the matchmaking, Levin returns to the village. Before leaving, he meets with his older brother Nikolai, who lives in cheap rooms with a woman he took from a brothel. Levin loves his brother, despite his irrepressible nature, which brings a lot of trouble to himself and those around him. Seriously ill, lonely, drinking, Nikolai Levin is fascinated by the communist idea and the organization of some kind of locksmith artel; this saves him from self-contempt. A meeting with his brother exacerbates the shame and dissatisfaction with himself, which Konstantin Dmitrievich experiences after the matchmaking. He calms down only in his family estate Pokrovsky, deciding to work even harder and not allow himself luxury - which, however, had not been in his life before.

The usual Petersburg life, to which Anna returns, causes her disappointment. She had never been in love with her husband, who was much older than her, and had only respect for him. Now his company becomes painful for her, she notices the slightest of his shortcomings: too big ears, the habit of cracking his fingers. Nor does her love for her eight-year-old son Seryozha save her. Anna tries to regain her peace of mind, but she fails - mainly because Alexei Vronsky seeks her favor in every possible way. Vronsky is in love with Anna, and his love is intensified because an affair with a lady of high society makes his position even more brilliant. Despite the fact that his whole inner life is filled with passion for Anna, outwardly Vronsky leads the usual, cheerful and pleasant life of a guards officer: with the Opera, the French theater, balls, horse races and other pleasures. But their relationship with Anna is too different in the eyes of others from easy secular flirting; strong passion causes general condemnation. Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin notices the attitude of the world to his wife's affair with Count Vronsky and expresses his displeasure to Anna. Being a high-ranking official, “Aleksey Alexandrovich lived and worked all his life in the spheres of service, dealing with reflections of life. And every time he encountered life itself, he pulled away from it.” Now he feels himself in the position of a man standing above the abyss.

Karenin's attempts to stop his wife's irresistible desire for Vronsky, Anna's attempts to restrain herself, are unsuccessful. A year after the first meeting, she becomes Vronsky's mistress - realizing that now they are connected forever, like criminals. Vronsky is burdened by the uncertainty of relations, persuades Anna to leave her husband and join her life with him. But Anna cannot decide on a break with Karenin, and even the fact that she is expecting a child from Vronsky does not give her determination.

During the races, which are attended by all the high society, Vronsky falls from his horse Frou-Frou. Not knowing how serious the fall is, Anna expresses her despair so openly that Karenin is forced to take her away immediately. She announces to her husband about her infidelity, about disgust for him. This news produces on Alexei Alexandrovich the impression of a diseased tooth pulled out: he finally gets rid of the suffering of jealousy and leaves for Petersburg, leaving his wife at the dacha awaiting his decision. But, having gone through all the possible options for the future - a duel with Vronsky, a divorce - Karenin decides to leave everything unchanged, punishing and humiliating Anna with the requirement to observe the false appearance of family life under the threat of separation from her son. Having made this decision, Alexey Alexandrovich finds enough calmness to give himself over to reflections on the affairs of the service with his characteristic stubborn ambition. The decision of her husband causes Anna to burst into hatred for him. She considers him a soulless machine, not thinking that she has a soul and the need for love. Anna realizes that she is driven into a corner, because she is unable to exchange her current position for the position of a mistress who left her husband and son and deserves universal contempt.

The remaining uncertainty of relations is also painful for Vronsky, who in the depths of his soul loves order and has an unshakable set of rules of behavior. For the first time in his life, he does not know how to behave further, how to bring his love for Anna into line with the rules of life. In the event of joining with her, he will be forced to retire, and this is also not easy for him: Vronsky loves regimental life, enjoys the respect of his comrades; besides, he is ambitious.

The life of three people is entangled in a web of lies. Anna's pity for her husband alternates with disgust; she cannot but meet with Vronsky, as Alexey Alexandrovitch demands. Finally, childbirth occurs, during which Anna almost dies. Lying in childbed fever, she asks for forgiveness from Alexei Alexandrovich, and at her bedside he feels pity for his wife, tender compassion and spiritual joy. Vronsky, whom Anna unconsciously rejects, experiences burning shame and humiliation. He tries to shoot himself, but is rescued.

Anna does not die, and when the softening of her soul caused by the proximity of death passes, she again begins to be burdened by her husband. Neither his decency and generosity, nor touching concern for a newborn girl does not save her from irritation; she hates Karenin even for his virtues. A month after her recovery, Anna goes abroad with retired Vronsky and her daughter.

Living in the countryside, Levin takes care of the estate, reads, writes a book on agriculture and undertakes various economic reorganizations that do not find approval among the peasants. The village for Levin is "a place of life, that is, joys, suffering, work." The peasants respect him, for forty miles they go to him for advice - and they strive to deceive him for their own benefit. There is no deliberateness in Levin's attitude towards the people: he considers himself a part of the people, all his interests are connected with the peasants. He admires the strength, meekness, justice of the peasants and is irritated by their carelessness, slovenliness, drunkenness, and lies. In disputes with his half-brother Sergei Ivanovich Koznyshev, who came to visit, Levin proves that zemstvo activities do not benefit the peasants, because they are not based either on knowledge of their true needs, or on the personal interest of the landowners.

Levin feels his merging with nature; he even hears the growth of spring grass. In the summer, he mows with the peasants, feeling the joy of simple labor. Despite all this, he considers his life idle and dreams of changing it to a working, clean and common life. Subtle changes are constantly taking place in his soul, and Levin listens to them. At one time it seems to him that he has found peace and forgotten his dreams of family happiness. But this illusion crumbles to dust when he learns about Kitty's serious illness, and then sees her herself, going to her sister in the village. The feeling that seemed dead again takes possession of his heart, and only in love does he see an opportunity to unravel the great mystery of life.

In Moscow, at a dinner at the Oblonskys, Levin meets Kitty and realizes that she loves him. In a state of high spirits, he proposes to Kitty and receives consent. Immediately after the wedding, the young people leave for the village.

Vronsky and Anna are traveling through Italy. At first, Anna feels happy and full of the joy of life. Even the consciousness that she is separated from her son, that she has lost her honorable name and that she has become the cause of her husband's misfortune, does not overshadow her happiness. Vronsky is lovingly respectful towards her, he does everything to ensure that she is not burdened by her position. But he himself, despite his love for Anna, feels longing and grabs at everything that can give his life significance. He begins painting, but having enough taste, he knows his mediocrity and soon becomes disillusioned with this occupation.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Anna clearly feels her rejection: they do not want to accept her, acquaintances avoid meeting her. Insults from the world poison Vronsky's life as well, but, busy with her experiences, Anna does not want to notice this. On Seryozha's birthday, she secretly goes to him and, finally seeing her son, feeling his love for herself, she realizes that she cannot be happy apart from him. In despair, in irritation, she reproaches Vronsky for falling out of love with her; it costs him great efforts to calm her down, after which they leave for the village.

The first time of married life turns out to be difficult for Kitty and Levin: they hardly get used to each other, charms are replaced by disappointments, quarrels - reconciliations. Family life seems to Levin like a boat: it is pleasant to look at sliding on water, but it is very difficult to rule. Unexpectedly, Levin receives news that brother Nikolai is dying in the provincial town. He immediately goes to him; despite his protests, Kitty decides to go with him. Seeing his brother, experiencing tormenting pity for him, Levin still cannot rid himself of the fear and disgust that the nearness of death arouses in him. He is shocked that Kitty is not at all afraid of the dying man and knows how to behave with him. Levin feels that only the love of his wife saves him in these days from horror and himself.

During Kitty's pregnancy, about which Levin learns on the day of his brother's death, the family continues to live in Pokrovsky, where relatives and friends come for the summer. Levin cherishes the spiritual closeness that he has established with his wife, and is tormented by jealousy, fearing to lose this closeness.

Dolly Oblonskaya, visiting her sister, decides to visit Anna Karenina, who lives with Vronsky on his estate, not far from Pokrovsky. Dolly is struck by the changes that have taken place in Karenina, she feels the falsity of her current way of life, especially noticeable in comparison with her former liveliness and naturalness. Anna entertains guests, tries to take care of her daughter, reading, setting up a village hospital. But her main concern is to replace Vronsky with herself for everything that he left for her sake. Their relationship is becoming more and more tense, Anna is jealous of everything that he is fond of, even of the Zemstvo activities, which Vronsky is engaged in mainly in order not to lose his independence. In the fall, they move to Moscow, waiting for Karenin's decision on a divorce. But, offended in his best feelings, rejected by his wife, finding himself alone, Alexei Alexandrovich falls under the influence of the well-known spiritualist, Princess Myagkaya, who persuades him, for religious reasons, not to give a criminal wife a divorce. In the relationship between Vronsky and Anna there is neither complete discord nor agreement. Anna accuses Vronsky of all the hardships of her position; attacks of desperate jealousy are instantly replaced by tenderness; quarrels break out every now and then. In Anna's dreams, the same nightmare is repeated: some peasant leans over her, mutters meaningless French words and does something terrible to her. After a particularly difficult quarrel, Vronsky, against Anna's wishes, goes to visit his mother. In complete dismay, Anna sees her relationship with him as if by a bright light. She understands that her love is becoming more and more passionate and selfish, and Vronsky, without losing his love for her, is still weary of her and tries not to be dishonorable towards her. Trying to achieve his repentance, she follows him to the station, where she suddenly remembers the man crushed by the train on the day of their first meeting - and immediately understands what she needs to do. Anna throws herself under the train; her last vision is of a mumbling peasant. After that, “the candle, under which she read a book full of anxieties, deceptions, grief and evil, flared up with a brighter light than ever, illuminated for her everything that had previously been in darkness, crackled, began to fade and went out forever.”

Life becomes hateful for Vronsky; he is tormented by an unnecessary, but indelible remorse. He leaves as a volunteer for the war with the Turks in Serbia; Karenin takes his daughter to her.

After Kitty's birth, which became a deep spiritual shock for Levin, the family returns to the village. Levin is in painful disagreement with himself - because after the death of his brother and the birth of his son he cannot resolve for himself the most important questions: the meaning of life, the meaning of death. He feels that he is close to suicide and is afraid to walk around with a gun so as not to shoot himself. But at the same time, Levin notices: when he does not ask himself why he lives, he feels in his soul the presence of an infallible judge, and his life becomes firm and definite. Finally, he understands that the knowledge of the laws of good, given personally to him, Levin, in the Gospel Revelation, cannot be grasped by reason and expressed in words. Now he feels himself able to put an undeniable sense of goodness into every minute of his life.

Briefly at first, then chapter by chapter:

The novel describes actions that originate in 1873. The first character Tolstoy introduces is Steve Oblonsky, who cheated on his wife Dolly. To reconcile with his wife, he calls his sister, Anna Karenina, for help. In parallel with this, Stiva is having lunch in a restaurant with his friend Levin, who came from the village to propose to Kitty Shcherbatskaya (Oblonsky's wife's sister)

However, Kitty faces a difficult choice, as during this period she develops a romantic relationship with Count Vronsky. Levin makes an offer, which is refused. He goes back to the village.

Anna meets Vronsky at the station, where the count meets his mother. A tragic situation occurs - the watchman dies under the train.

After reconciling Steve and Dolly, Anna returns to Petersburg. Vronsky, in love with her, follows her.

Arriving home, Anna has more and more feelings for Vronsky. Neither her husband (Alexei Karenin), who is much older than her, nor her eight-year-old son Seryozha saves the situation. Anna begins a relationship with Vronsky, about which society begins to suspect. The husband tries to warn Karenina against mistakes, but all to no avail. Vronsky offers Anna to leave her husband and leave with him, she does not dare to do this for a long time, even considering that she is expecting a child from Vronsky.

At some races, Vronsky could not stay on his horse. Anna, unable to contain her emotions, shows them in front of everyone. The husband takes Anna away from the races and talks to her. Karenin decides to leave everything as it is. If she does not agree, then he will deprive her of the child.

Karenina gives birth to a daughter. The birth was extremely difficult. Thinking that she is dying, she asks for forgiveness from her husband. Anna survives. After a while, she leaves her husband. Travels with her daughter and Vronsky abroad.
Levin makes another attempt to propose to Kitty. She agrees, and they leave to live in the village.

Anna and Vronsky travel. Anna is happy, but Vronsky has nothing to do. They return to Petersburg, where society rejects them. There are frequent quarrels between them. Anna believes that Vronsky's love is fading away. They move to Vronsky's country house, but even there relations remain difficult, which Dolly, who has come to visit them, understands.

Having quarreled greatly, Vronsky goes to his mother on the estate, Anna goes after him. At the station, remembering the circumstances from the acquaintance, he throws himself under the train, deciding that this is the only way out of the situation.

Vronsky goes to war. Karenin takes his daughter. Kitty gives birth to Levin's heir.

The novel teaches that you should always think before you act, and that suicide is not the way out of the current difficulties.

Summary of Anna Karenina in parts (chapters)

Part 1

Anna Arkadyevna Karenina (nee Oblonskaya) travels from St. Petersburg to Moscow in cold February 1873 to reconcile her frivolous brother and his wife.

Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky is already thirty-four years old, but in secular society he is called by the childish nickname of Steve. He is good-looking, good-natured and not serious. The wife, Daria Alexandrovna (Dolly), suffers from her husband's extreme fickleness. She is a year younger than him, gave birth to seven children, two of whom died in infancy, because she grew old and became ugly ahead of time. Recently, Darya Alexandrovna found out that Stiva had an affair with a French governess.

Meanwhile, Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin, a friend of Oblomov, arrives in Moscow from the province. He wants to propose to Kitty, Darya Alekseevna's younger sister, but he is afraid that the lovely young girl will not accept him as her husband. Kitty likes Levin, but she is infatuated with the brilliant and handsome officer Vronsky. It does not occur to her that he does not have any serious intentions, dragging after her.

Vronsky's old mother is traveling on the same train with Karenina. Meeting her at the station, Vronsky runs into Anna, a spark runs between them. A few minutes later, an accident occurs: a homeless man gets under the locomotive, Anna is afraid of a bad sign.

At her brother's house, Anna struggles to convince Dolly not to break up with her husband. When the shaky peace is restored, Kitty comes to visit her sister. A friendship develops between the girl and Anna. Going to the ball, Kitty invites Anna to go with her family. Vronsky will be there, Kitty expects an explanation of her feelings from him, but remains disappointed. All evening Vronsky does not leave Anna, and she enjoys his attention. When parting, she announces that she is returning to her husband in St. Petersburg.

Alexey Alexandrovich Karenin has a high position in the ministry. He is much older than his wife, and there has never been a spiritual intimacy between them. Their son, Seryozha, is eight years old, and both of them come to meet Anna at the station on her return. Immediately she notices Vronsky, who has come for her from Moscow. Seeing her with her family, Vronsky despairs of getting Anna's heart. But he remains in St. Petersburg and accepts invitations to those houses where he can meet her.

In Moscow, Kitty falls ill from grief, Levin returns to his estate empty-handed.

Part 2

Kitty's illness causes general concern, doctors suspect she has tuberculosis. The girl leaves for a foreign resort in order to change the situation and distract herself from thoughts about Vronsky.

In the village, Levin meets his brother Nikolai. He drinks and debauches, but Levin feels sympathy for him. After the marriage failed, all Levin's forces are focused on his estate and taking care of Nikolai.

Vronsky's cousin Betsy acts as a matchmaker, arranging frequent dates for Anna and her cousin. Anna, who did not know strong passion before, quickly falls in love with Vronsky, she is not inferior to him yet, but the woman's heart is already conquered. For a young officer, an affair with a noble married woman gives more brilliance in society, but all Vronsky's thoughts are occupied by Anna. Karenin tries to warn his wife against a mistake, Anna herself fights with her feelings, but is unable to overcome them.

Stiva Oblonsky comes to Levin to chastise him for his lack of perseverance. He informs a friend about Kitty's condition, in which the girl found herself due to a broken heart.

In Petersburg, the romance between Vronsky and Anna becomes the subject of gossip in secular society after Anna, in front of a large crowd of people, expressed her feelings when Vronsky fell from his horse during the races. Karenin must decide what to do: challenge Vronsky to a duel, give his wife a divorce, or pretend that nothing is happening. He chooses the latter, which causes Anna's outright hatred. Now she is losing her last respect for him. Anna is pregnant by Vronsky, but thanks to her husband's act, she cannot even part with him.

Part 3

Trying to distract himself from the memories of Kitty, Levin puts all his strength into the development of the economy. Sergei Ivanovich Koznyshev, his mother's brother, comes to visit Levin to look at the results of his work, which are of interest to him insofar as he himself is considering land reform, although he understands little in practical terms. Work for Levin is a cure for extraneous thoughts, including about the imminent death of his brother Nikolai, who is ill with tuberculosis. Dolly visits the neighboring village of Ergushevo, which belongs to the Oblonskys. The estate is in terrible desolation, the woman soon gives up, but Levin gives her support. In gratitude for his help, Dolly wants to set him up with Kitty again.

Karenin composes a message for Anna, where he severely condemns her behavior. He believes that his wife's romance will not last long, and then everything will return to normal, but for now he is ready to endure her antics, but he begs to be careful for the sake of Serezha's future. Anna is outraged by these words, she wants to leave her husband, but because of her son and the opinion of the world, she does not dare. Vronsky, having learned that his mistress is expecting a child, wants to leave the service and settle his money problems. His mother is outraged by the scandalous connection, but cannot force Vronsky to leave Anna.

Sviyazhsky, the leader of the county where Levin's estate is located, wants to woo his daughter for him. In conversations with Sviyazhsky, Levin expresses his revolutionary ideas regarding the development of agriculture, but does not meet with understanding. Busy with work, he does not know that Kitty has arrived.

Part 4

Childbirth turns out to be very difficult for Anna, weakened physically and morally. A girl is born, Anna almost perishes. In delirium, she begs her husband for forgiveness, Karenin is touched by her condition, he pities his wife and recognizes the child. Vronsky is rejected. Karenin announces to him that he is going to take his family to Moscow. Having lost his head from grief, Vronsky tries to lay hands on himself, but he is saved. However, having recovered from her illness, Anna begins to feel disgust for Karenin again, even more strongly than before. She takes her daughter and runs away with Vronsky abroad.

Levin plunged headlong into writing a book on the reorganization of the economy. Among his peasants, he is respected, he himself admires the peasants for their spiritual qualities, but is outraged by their carelessness, a tendency to deceit and drunkenness. It seems to Levin that his feelings have cooled down, but at the sight of Kitty, sick and weakened, they flare up again. Kitty reciprocates his feelings, they fix the day of the wedding.

Traveling in Italy, Vronsky and Anna experience their first difficulties. Anna suffers from the loss of her good name, Karenin files for divorce and forbids her to see her son. She is tormented by a blind passion for Vronsky and is afraid of his cooling off, because if she loses her lover, she will lose everything she has left. Vronsky, on the other hand, misses his usual wild life and comrades in the regiment. He tries to occupy himself with painting, but it quickly gets boring. Still in love with Anna, he slowly grows weary of her impulsiveness.

Part 5

To forget about the misfortunes that have fallen on him, Karenin sets to work with renewed vigor, but he is no longer given promotions in the ministry. Countess Lidia Ivanovna supports him, looks after the household and brings up Serezha. After returning from a trip, Anna writes a secret letter to Lydia Ivanovna, begging her to let her see her son, in response she receives only insults.

Anna soon realizes that the light has rejected her. Former acquaintances do not want to know her. Once she went to the theater, she finds herself in the center of a scandal - respectable ladies leave the hall because they do not want to sit next to her. Humiliated and insulted, Anna showers Vronsky with reproaches, which pushes him even more away from her.

Levin and Kitty are getting married. Their first months of life together are difficult, they do not understand each other well and constantly quarrel. One day, the news reaches Levin that brother Nikolai is dying. He goes to him in Pokrovsk, Kitty volunteers to follow her husband, despite his protests. Familiar with the disease, she deftly takes care of Nikolai. There is deep harmony between the spouses. Kitty announces her pregnancy, making her husband even more happy.

Part 6

Dolly pays a visit to Vronsky and Anna at his estate in Vozdvizhensky, she notes to herself that Anna looks brilliant, but her behavior is forced and false. Anna's main fear is the loss of beauty. She is not too interested in her daughter, although Vronsky adores the baby. All her thoughts are focused on keeping her lover. With her jealousy and thirst for attention, she plagues Vronsky. When he leaves for the provincial meeting, she sends after him false news that their daughter is seriously ill. Vronsky returns immediately, seeing the deception, he becomes furious. Anna becomes hysterical and becomes addicted to morphine. Meanwhile, Karenin, having fallen under the influence of a religious girlfriend, decides not to divorce his wife.

Levin's brother, Sergei Ivanovich, begins courting Varenka, Kitty's girlfriend, but never dares to propose. Oblonsky, who is staying at the Levins' house, flirts with Kitty herself, which leads to an open quarrel.

Part 7

The Levins move to Moscow, where it will be easier for Kitty to give birth. Levin does not like secular life, he feels out of place. Visiting Vronsky and Karenina, he notices that Anna is incredibly beautiful, which greatly offends Kitty, who has not forgotten the insult to the woman who took her lover away. She soon starts having contractions. Levin is frightened by the severity of childbirth, but everything ends well, a healthy boy, Mitya, is born.

Anna and Vronsky can no longer be together. Vronsky did not stop loving Anna, but her mood swings, scandals and fits of passion drive him crazy. She finally loses her mental health, Anna is haunted by an obsessive nightmare, she suspects her lover of everything. One day she decides to follow him when Vronsky goes to meet his mother. Once at the station where they once met, Anna feels drawn to the sight of the railroad where the unfortunate ragamuffin died. At the moment of clouding her mind, she throws herself under a train and dies.

Part 8

Having lost Anna, Vronsky realizes how dear she was to him. In a moment of repentance, he decides to go to war in Serbia, he gives his daughter to the care of Karenin. The Levins give part of the estate to the Oblomovs, whose financial situation has been greatly shaken. They return to the estate. Although he is happy with his wife and son, Levin is going through a deep mental crisis, he thinks a lot about the meaning of life and is afraid to lay hands on himself.

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Summary Bazhov Fragile twig

Danilo and Katya lived together, in peace and harmony. They had eight sons. And over time, a daughter appeared. The boys were all well-bred, smart. Somehow a misfortune happened, son Mitya fell, and his hump appeared. Damaged something