The True Story of Anna Karenina

"Anna Karenina" is probably the most mysterious work of Leo Tolstoy. Why does it still provoke debates? We know little about the harsh laws and paradoxical morals of the golden nineteenth century. Pavel Basinsky examines the novel through the eyes of a curious and devoted reader. The facts gathered together surprise, discourage, and provide explanations for many oddities of this tragic love story. Pavel Basinsky is a writer, journalist, and literary scholar. His fascinating documentary books about the life and work of Leo Tolstoy have raised a new wave of interest in the phenomenon of the "Yasnaya Polyana Apostle" ("Leo Tolstoy: Escape from Paradise", "Saint Against Leo", "Lion in the Shadow of the Lion"). He is a laureate of the "Big Book" award. "I acknowledge that there is no true story of Anna Karenina. There are as many Annas Kareninas as there are readers of this novel. But I flatter myself with the hope that my book will help those like me, fans addicted to this novel, to make sense of their personal Annas. Of course, without agreeing with me" (Pavel Basinsky).