tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post4107554556083859016..comments2023-02-18T10:02:33.509-06:00Comments on book musings: Anna KareninaAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-68055942599562715952014-07-15T22:21:38.702-05:002014-07-15T22:21:38.702-05:00Hi Joseph! Yes, the title notwithstanding, I felt...Hi Joseph! Yes, the title notwithstanding, I felt the story to be that of two marriages on opposite trajectories. I'm going to head over and read your review now... :)Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-26812926453901149582014-07-15T22:04:10.905-05:002014-07-15T22:04:10.905-05:00Hello Amy, I enjoyed your review especially since ...Hello Amy, I enjoyed your review especially since you were the first (I haven't read all that many yet) that mentioned the parallel between Anna and Levin. That didn't occur to me at first when I closed the book and I was a bit puzzled. Fortunately I was busy and didn't pen my review for a few days, and slowly the contrast became clear to me, as well as the brilliance of this book. Cheers...Joseph (from the Classics Club)<br /><br />http://100greatestnovelsofalltimequest.blogspot.com/2014/07/anna-karenina-by-leo-tolstoy-28-down-72_15.htmlJosephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00466108789532345790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-24664839531323186762013-11-07T17:20:17.307-06:002013-11-07T17:20:17.307-06:00I like that quote. (Googling Mason Cooly now... )...I like that quote. (Googling Mason Cooly now... )Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-72846093363829086412013-11-07T15:21:52.818-06:002013-11-07T15:21:52.818-06:00I enjoyed the book. Tolstoy, I consider him a gen...I enjoyed the book. Tolstoy, I consider him a genius...as Mason Cooly (1927 - 2002) professor of English at Columbia University once said: "Genius knows where the questions are hidden" Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-38206599815336517242013-11-04T18:28:27.562-06:002013-11-04T18:28:27.562-06:00As far as I can tell, literary or other artistic g...As far as I can tell, literary or other artistic genius seems to translate directly into selfishness and jerkiness towards others, esp their nearest! Though I was sort of hoping Tolstoy would turn out to be an exception...Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-53762443879096626282013-11-04T11:24:16.437-06:002013-11-04T11:24:16.437-06:00Unfortunately, yes. Sigh.Unfortunately, yes. Sigh.Amy Reahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07770735473971920979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-40578467932704272662013-11-04T10:26:19.567-06:002013-11-04T10:26:19.567-06:00Say it isn't so, lol! That's why I make a...Say it isn't so, lol! That's why I make an effort not to romanticize an author too much, as I said. For many people, expressed ideals don't necessarily translate into behavior toward their nearest and dearest. Unfortunately.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-69331775740724534662013-11-04T10:18:14.977-06:002013-11-04T10:18:14.977-06:00Unfortunately, it sounds like Tolstoy was kind of ...Unfortunately, it sounds like Tolstoy was kind of a wanker towards his wife. He had some very peculiar ideas about marriage and life in general. Amazing writer, yes, but I feel for Sofia.Amy Reahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07770735473971920979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-48165991039667187432013-11-04T08:13:07.352-06:002013-11-04T08:13:07.352-06:00Oh, do read War and Peace! It's so readable, ...Oh, do read War and Peace! It's so readable, it doesn't feel long. And it is the same kind of reading experience--the 13-year-old girl's thoughts and reactions are as subtle as those of the 30-year-old Prince. Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-39423210048144061752013-11-04T06:21:13.126-06:002013-11-04T06:21:13.126-06:00I had much the same thoughts when I read this. Tol...I had much the same thoughts when I read this. Tolstoy seems to be disarmingly accurate about all aspects of human experience. It really makes the reading experience wonderful. I'm thinking of tackling War and Peace next, although I am somewhat intimidated by it!Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362128444319074118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-1568214626101399662013-11-03T15:42:24.603-06:002013-11-03T15:42:24.603-06:00I didn't know that the Maudes knew Tolstoy; t...I didn't know that the Maudes knew Tolstoy; that's neat. And it makes me feel better about the integrity of the translation. You should look at the P/V translation on Amazon. I read the first couple of pages of each and it seemed that P/V were using fewer, shorter words than the Maudes did, and that annoyed me slightly. (And I didn't get that cover either!)Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-50172382109222493982013-11-03T14:51:48.506-06:002013-11-03T14:51:48.506-06:00Well, the Maude translation is the one I read. I ...Well, the Maude translation is the one I read. I was perfectly happy with it, and I liked knowing that the Maudes actually knew Tolstoy and were friends with him, and shared a lot of his beliefs. I'm just also curious to see what the P/V team would do with it (but I hate their cover, what is that even, bare knees? What?).Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-26998614000000071962013-11-03T00:46:00.977-05:002013-11-03T00:46:00.977-05:00It was a beautiful book, wasn't it? I read th...It was a beautiful book, wasn't it? I read the Louise & Aylmer Maude translation. I had initially bought the Pevear/Volokhonsky one, then discovered it was a new translation, and looked at the older one to compare. Generally I prefer translations done nearer in time to the original. I don't like the language to sound too modern, if the book was not modern. Not that the P/V is super modern-sounding. Probably I would have been happy with that if I hadn't seen the Aylmer one also. I'd be interested in your reaction if you do end up reading both.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784890975490896640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6308674271138009565.post-89681953940170146052013-11-02T23:55:34.675-05:002013-11-02T23:55:34.675-05:00You've made me want to read it again--and it w...You've made me want to read it again--and it was less than a year ago! What translation did you get, and did you like it? Next time I want to read the P/V version, but then I'll have to buy it...thanks for a lovely review that took me back.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.com