The tragedy of Anna Karenina is one we are all familiar with. Even though a majority of us have never opened the book. Surprisingly, I've read the 800 or so pages Leo Tolstoy created and I loved every word. In fact, I've loved it so much that I'm reading it again. Something so beautiful yet so tragic is a gem that few know about.
Anna was a sad soul and no one around her really cared for her. She did betray her husband but it was for love and love only. She fell in love with a curious man and that curious man fell in love with her. And she was eaten alive by her own demons.
So why is this article being written? Why should anyone care about something that was written in the 1800s about Imperial Russia? It's the language. The thought that Tolstoy put into his work. He had so much to say and so many pages to say it on.
Language is the key to our civilization. Without it, we wouldn't be able to communicate to one another and we certainly wouldn't be able to create new and amazing things. Tolstoy knew that. And he created a story so powerful and meaningful and hid it behind a few characters and their actions.
What I'm trying to say is Anna Karenina is not the boring work of literature everyone thinks it is. It's a real work of art that goes under appreciated by this generation. No one really cares about the tragedy and no one really cares for Anna.
Anyone can tell you that love is something that is worth waiting for. Love is something to look forward to in life. And Tolstoy portrays that so perfectly. Yet he also portrays love as something that can kill; something that can ruin you silently.
Love isn't something everyone looks forward too but it is something that everyone finds in their life. Some fall in love with people, others fall in love with objects. Some even fall in love with places. Anyone can fall in love with anything.
So what is this article all about? Why am I sitting here writing about love and Leo Tolstoy and tragedy? Because I want you to believe that love can be found in anything. And I want you to believe that love won't always end in tragedy. There will be times when you believe no one loves you or nothing loves you and you are incapable of being loved. And that's wrong. Something or someone out there loves you.
Tolstoy is just one of the many great writers that seems to disappear the longer time goes on. I encourage and implore you to read anything he's written and I promise you will not be disappointed with what you find. But I understand that Anna Karenina is not for everyone. The movie is fantastic at portraying the novel and is one to watch should you ever need a suggestion.