Anna Karenina - Volume 1

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” With this iconic opening line, Tolstoy begins his sweeping tale of love, betrayal, and the complexities of the human heart. In Volume I of Anna Karenina, we enter the glittering yet restless world of 19th-century Russian aristocracy, where personal desire clashes with social convention. At the heart of the story is Anna, a beautiful and intelligent woman trapped in a loveless marriage. When she meets the dashing Count Vronsky, their passionate affair ignites a scandal that ripples through society. Meanwhile, in a parallel narrative, Konstantin Levin—a landowner tormented by existential doubt—seeks purpose and truth through work, love, and spiritual reflection. Tolstoy masterfully weaves these lives into a rich portrait of a society in transition, exploring themes of love, fidelity, hypocrisy, and the search for meaning. Volume I sets the stage for one of literature's most profound and tragic masterpieces.