Anna Karenina

By: Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by: Judy Franklin

Length: 35 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Anna Karenina published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy,

It tells of the love affair between Anna and Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Russia, faith is challenged, bonds are broken, love dies and is reborn.

Leo Tolstoy, or Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy 1828 - 1910), was a Russian writer and is regarded as among the greatest of novelists.

Translated by Constance Garnett from the Russian in 1901.

Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.

Public Domain (P)2009 RNIB

excellent narration to an extremely long novel

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It's a classic, so in that sense it was, but overall, I would've preferred having read 5 other books in the time it took me to get through this one.

Which character – as performed by Judy Franklin – was your favorite?

Dolly

Do you think Anna Karenina needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No

Very well read

I had always wanted to read Anna Karenina, but was put off by the length. This audio book was the perfect answer. The narrator was very good and she really helped me keep the characters straight, the action moving, and the "pages" turning.

One thing that would be nice would be to have the individual chapters actually bookmarked instead of each "chapter" being about 2 hours with 20 or so chapters included.

Philosophy

This is more of a philosophic treatise with a bit of sex and betrayal than a story of a forbidden love affair.

Quality writng and unforgeatble story!

What made the experience of listening to Anna Karenina the most enjoyable?

Depth of story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Levin...Because of his personal quest for truth.

Which character – as performed by Judy Franklin – was your favorite?

Anna

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No...Way to long and too much for one sitting.

Surprised

What a wonderful, robust tale. Amazed at the layers; beautiful rendering-drama, romance, suspense, spirituality and history rolled into one.

Judy Franklin is a gifted performer

Would you listen to Anna Karenina again? Why?

I HAVE listened to this recording of Anna Karenina over again. A couple of times, in fact. I will sometimes randomly pick a chapter and listen. Of course Tolstoy's writing is luscious -- but Judy Franklin conveys enough emotion to bring the characters to life and maintain the narrator's voice of distant observation -- with nuance and balance. I was sad when the book ended. I wish she had read more books that appealed to me. I would love to hear more audiobooks with her voice. I'm now listening to War and Peace and the male narrator is quite adequate, but doesn't have the depth that Franklin brings to Tolstoy.

What did you like best about this story?

I'm embarrassed to admit this is the first time I've heard/read Anna Karenina, though I knew the story. Now I know why Tolstoy is considered a genius. His writing is deceptively simple and yet fabulously layered and complex. He dives into the human psyche and lets the reader watch his characters' twist their thinking as they try to convince themselves that as long as they do what society expects, they are morally right. His characters aren't painted in broad strokes like Dickens' characters -- (though I love Dickens). Tolstoy gives his characters considerable room to grow and change. Some, who start out vapid and self-serving, become magnanimous and selfless while the very characters who started out pious and ethical show their flaws. Tolstoy writes some pretty comic passages that ridicule the behavior of the Russian aristocracy.

Although Anna is the typical faithless hussy and meets a tragic end as those women always do in 19th century novels, the novel doesn't condemn her. It's a criticism of the society she lives in.

I highly recommend it.

great read

it's amazing how he can take you into the mind and great of every character!

Very Pleased

An excellent book, of course, and I was very pleased with this narrator. She handled all the voices well, even the male ones and I thought her Anna was brilliant, especially in the later scenes.

Beautifully Read Bargain

Ms. Franklin is a wonderful reader. I can't imagine how anyone could complain about an audible page turning or a slight hesitation in speech. Those are rare indeed. In no case do they disrupt the excellent experience of listening to Tolstoy's masterpiece through the voice of a terrific reader.

awesome

I loved the narrator's choice. I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time but I found that listening to it was easier & also more satisfying.