Anna Karenina

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina (1878) by Leo Tolstoy deals with subjects of family, betrayal, faith, marriage, desire, Imperial Russian society, and rural vs. city life. Anna, the protagonist, is married to a distinguished official in St. Petersburg and moves in the highest circles of Russian Society with the reputation of a charming woman. Anna's life, however, takes an interesting turn when she encounters a dashing cavalry officer Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky at a party and an extramarital affair begins between the two. The affair scandalizes the social circles of St. Petersburg and forces the young lovers to flee for Italy in a search for happiness. Their lives further unravel as they return to Russia and the complexities in their lives and the lives of people around them increases.