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Currently rereading (for the umpteenth time!) Stephen King's Dark Tower series. First time I read the last volume, I absolutely hated the ending! But the more I read the series, the more I come to see that it's really the only possible ending.
Well, I just finished Anna Karenina. It was a good read. I think it may have been misnamed, as Kostya Levin seemed to me to be more the story. At least he was the more sympathetic character. The story was a bit slow in the middle, but came together at the end. I recommend it.
I just started Changing Places, by David Lodge. A mid-seventies era pulp comedy. Probably just brain-candy.
What did you take from Anna's death? The lessons we learn from Levin are fairly clear, but I was unsure what to do with this about Anna. Was it a simple societal lecture about ostracism? Surely there must be more to it than that.
I believe Tolstoy had a dislike for women. My copy had a long intro about him, and about his writing of Anna...said he origonally wrote her as an unlikeable charachter, and not beautiful I think? For some reason he changed his mind and wanted her to appeal more to the readers, but HE did not like her. Anna HAD to die, didn't she? In her society there wasn't any redemption available for what she did. Just like Madame Bovary HAD to die! I think that it boiled down to Anna living only for herself lead her to ruin. Levan was concerned about a greater good, and became more spiritual as the story went on and was rewarded with contentment.
BTW, my favorite part of the book is Levan going to harvest with the peasants!
I recently purchased several Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I plan to read those as I've gained back some time and my schedule is starting to ease up for the next month.
My husband bought it for my birthday. I can't avoid crying with certain stories
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I just finished "The Cobra Event" by Richard Preston. It has a couple of boring chapters but over all it's a good non-fiction novel.
Hopefully I'll be able to read "World without End" - Ken Follett. Love him!
I believe Tolstoy had a dislike for women. My copy had a long intro about him, and about his writing of Anna...said he origonally wrote her as an unlikeable charachter, and not beautiful I think? For some reason he changed his mind and wanted her to appeal more to the readers, but HE did not like her. Anna HAD to die, didn't she? In her society there wasn't any redemption available for what she did. Just like Madame Bovary HAD to die! I think that it boiled down to Anna living only for herself lead her to ruin. Levan was concerned about a greater good, and became more spiritual as the story went on and was rewarded with contentment.
BTW, my favorite part of the book is Levan going to harvest with the peasants!
You make a good point. I guess I am taking it as a bit of a morality play.
My favorite part was Tolstoy's very apt description of the euphoria and worry Levin goes through during the birth of his child. Reminded me of my first...
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