I found out (page 236, Italian version) that Anna is pregnant. She tells V.(her lover and the baby's father) who politely discusses with her the opportunity of leaving her husband. However, she is even more tormented now as she is torned between two different and intense kinds of love: her first son who is more likely to stay with her husband and V. who makes her immensely happy. She is also trapped in the social restraints imposed by the culture and the society she lives is and does't know what to do. Is the quest for happiness worth it? Can she live without her son? How can she deal with the conventions of the Russian society?
to be continued
This is perhaps my favorite European novel. Perhaps this is also the most accurate and detailed account of life in Russia during the reign of Alexander II. Certainly, thanks to numerous re-printings and translations, it is the most accessible description of the Era.
ReplyDeleteTolstoy also wrote some wonderful short stories that are a joy to read. "Hadji Murat" is perhaps the most famous of these, and another is "Fr. Sergius"
Hi, thank you so much for your comment.
ReplyDeleteIt is also my favorite novel. It's weird though as I wouldn't say it is "European". From an Italian perspective it is filled with Russian culture which is very far from European one.
I haven't read Tolstoy's short stories. Thanks for your suggestions.