At this point I'm wondering why LT didn't call his novel 'Husbands and Wives' - or maybe 'Husbands and Wives and Others' or simply 'Marriage '.
The set up feels not unlike comic operetta or musical comedy where you have the headline lovers with another couple as comic relief. Levin and Kitty go beyond comic relief, but they do raise a smile on a regular basis.
Life in Venice seems so shallow - with Vronsky beginning to realise that - whereas Levin and Kitty are dealing with real life. Happy Ever After never felt convincing and Levin and Kitty are living proof of that. Of course, Anna and Vronsky are going to find that out for themselves.
The Mikhailov section is great. I was taken with the way we can both see the painter's point of view - and get insight into creativity - but also think he's a bit tiresome (at least I thought so). I could certainly see why Anna and Vronsky didn't exactly like having him around.
And poor old Vronsky (I'm still surprised to find me saying that) not only is his painting not that good, we also get a comment about his bald patch!
And a child is on the way. Children - or motherhood, perhaps - seem to be an important part of the story. Anna has abandoned one child, so we can expect Kitty to be a sharp contrast.
I thought it was pretty timeless to watch Levin’s opinion on Kitty evolve from “jeez, all she cares about is caring for the house. How boring and not important!” To watching her care for her brother and be like, “oh wow, guess these skills have some pretty important applications.” Evolution of many relationships!
a fascinating episode. the art v interesting too, when they look at Mikhailov's art it's as if their lives are on hold for a moment, in their contemplation of Pilate and the theme of betrayal which for sure must have been running thro their minds.
Anna's and Vronsky's happiness is rather fragile whereas Kitty and Levin are finding their way towards what will probably be a more solid happiness. another great contrast.
the death scene is amazing. the cycle of life confirmed at the end of that scene, classic solution as you say Henry.
interesting that Tolstoy doesn't make it easy for us to love Anna...
The following sentence near the end of Chapter 18, Part 5 made a big impression on me
“Terrible as it was to Levin to put his arms round that terrible body, to take hold of that under the quilt, of which he preferred to know nothing, under his wife’s influence he made his resolute face that she knew so well , and putting his arms into the bed took hold of the body, but in spite of his own strength he was struck by the strange heaviness of those powerless limbs.”
In the last year I’ve read two well-received books where one of the main characters easily picks up and moves a wounded person. This ruined the books for me since I know from personal experience that moving someone who is weak due to illness is quite difficult.
Those early days of marriage were tough for Kitty and Levin. Interesting that Tolstoy allowed them a short idyll, only to then plunge them into an intense period dealing with his brother's ill health. Then placed them on a freight train toward parenthood. Those two experience quite a cycle early on in married life.
In comparison I felt that the Italian sojourn of Anna and Vronsky was desultory. I felt dusty and tired just reading those chapters. I almost felt faint from the smell of the oil paints and their growing dissatisfaction with their lives. I love Italy, and even I wanted everyone to pack up and leave, although I suspect the return to Russia isn't going to be entirely happy, either.
Wow, this is timely. I wrote my Substack this week about the scene of Nikolay's death (coupled with the scene of the birth of Kitty's first child). Tolstoy's birthday is coming up next week, which is why I was turning to him now. https://clairelaporte.substack.com/p/what-tolstoy-taught-me-about-birth
Ack! The Katy Sammons post had a spoiler in it! Don't read if you don't know what happens in the rest of the book.
I think I laughed out loud when I read the line about Vronksy wearing his Italian Renaissance hat and slinging his jacket over his shoulder with one finger like he was walking around ComicCon in cosplay. It put a heavy underline to the notion that he and Anna are playing at an adult relationship and not having a real, solid, sustainable one.
As much as I like Levin, he has an annoying tendency to always see himself as the smartest guy in the room. "You have hidden things from the most wise and revealed them to children and the foolish" -- what a thought to have about his own wife! So I loved his realization that Kitty has certain "powers" that he not only doesn't possess, but can't really even understand.
I keep thinking Tolstoy is setting Levin up for some sort of spiritual awakening. I can easily see Levin getting to the point that his reasoning and constant over-thinking are not enough for him. I actually thought that Nikolay might have his own awakening and at least die more peacefully, leaving Levin to wonder about another "power" he could not understand. But alas, Nikolay tells his brother he only pretended for Kitty's sake.
This was an interesting section on the art front. I read Tolstoy's What is Art last year and didn't enjoy it very much I have to say. I think I prefer to learn who Tolstoy was and what his views were through his fiction.
Sorry to be posting so late. Thanks again Henry for a great summary, as always. I was very moved by the death of Nikolai, the way the dying progressed, the struggle of all the people in the situation, Levin and Kitty included. The death was foretold in a earlier chapter when Nikolai goes to live with Levin and the inability of the latter to express his emotions and the whingeing of the former came across so life-like. I only recently discovered Leo Tolstoy also wrote 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich'. Would you recommend reading that?
Thanks Poonam - great to get your thoughts! And yes absolutely – I would recommend The Death of Ivan Ilyich, perhaps the greatest of Tolstoy’s shorter works.
Thank you so much for looking this up and for sharing such a detailed reply!
I’m really surprised – it honestly never occurred to me that the timeline itself might be the clue, with the writing coming before the painting. That changes the way I think about the connection.
I really appreciate your answer and the resources you linked!
At this point I'm wondering why LT didn't call his novel 'Husbands and Wives' - or maybe 'Husbands and Wives and Others' or simply 'Marriage '.
The set up feels not unlike comic operetta or musical comedy where you have the headline lovers with another couple as comic relief. Levin and Kitty go beyond comic relief, but they do raise a smile on a regular basis.
Life in Venice seems so shallow - with Vronsky beginning to realise that - whereas Levin and Kitty are dealing with real life. Happy Ever After never felt convincing and Levin and Kitty are living proof of that. Of course, Anna and Vronsky are going to find that out for themselves.
The Mikhailov section is great. I was taken with the way we can both see the painter's point of view - and get insight into creativity - but also think he's a bit tiresome (at least I thought so). I could certainly see why Anna and Vronsky didn't exactly like having him around.
And poor old Vronsky (I'm still surprised to find me saying that) not only is his painting not that good, we also get a comment about his bald patch!
And a child is on the way. Children - or motherhood, perhaps - seem to be an important part of the story. Anna has abandoned one child, so we can expect Kitty to be a sharp contrast.
I'm gripped!
Thanks as ever Bren! Me too – and I know! Poor Vronsky and his bald patch. More and more he’s surprisingly sympathetic.
I thought it was pretty timeless to watch Levin’s opinion on Kitty evolve from “jeez, all she cares about is caring for the house. How boring and not important!” To watching her care for her brother and be like, “oh wow, guess these skills have some pretty important applications.” Evolution of many relationships!
a fascinating episode. the art v interesting too, when they look at Mikhailov's art it's as if their lives are on hold for a moment, in their contemplation of Pilate and the theme of betrayal which for sure must have been running thro their minds.
Anna's and Vronsky's happiness is rather fragile whereas Kitty and Levin are finding their way towards what will probably be a more solid happiness. another great contrast.
the death scene is amazing. the cycle of life confirmed at the end of that scene, classic solution as you say Henry.
interesting that Tolstoy doesn't make it easy for us to love Anna...
The following sentence near the end of Chapter 18, Part 5 made a big impression on me
“Terrible as it was to Levin to put his arms round that terrible body, to take hold of that under the quilt, of which he preferred to know nothing, under his wife’s influence he made his resolute face that she knew so well , and putting his arms into the bed took hold of the body, but in spite of his own strength he was struck by the strange heaviness of those powerless limbs.”
In the last year I’ve read two well-received books where one of the main characters easily picks up and moves a wounded person. This ruined the books for me since I know from personal experience that moving someone who is weak due to illness is quite difficult.
Those early days of marriage were tough for Kitty and Levin. Interesting that Tolstoy allowed them a short idyll, only to then plunge them into an intense period dealing with his brother's ill health. Then placed them on a freight train toward parenthood. Those two experience quite a cycle early on in married life.
In comparison I felt that the Italian sojourn of Anna and Vronsky was desultory. I felt dusty and tired just reading those chapters. I almost felt faint from the smell of the oil paints and their growing dissatisfaction with their lives. I love Italy, and even I wanted everyone to pack up and leave, although I suspect the return to Russia isn't going to be entirely happy, either.
‘Desultory’ is the word! Thanks, as ever, Susan.
Wow, this is timely. I wrote my Substack this week about the scene of Nikolay's death (coupled with the scene of the birth of Kitty's first child). Tolstoy's birthday is coming up next week, which is why I was turning to him now. https://clairelaporte.substack.com/p/what-tolstoy-taught-me-about-birth
Thank you for sharing Claire – a really lovely post.
Ack! The Katy Sammons post had a spoiler in it! Don't read if you don't know what happens in the rest of the book.
I think I laughed out loud when I read the line about Vronksy wearing his Italian Renaissance hat and slinging his jacket over his shoulder with one finger like he was walking around ComicCon in cosplay. It put a heavy underline to the notion that he and Anna are playing at an adult relationship and not having a real, solid, sustainable one.
Ah! Apologies – thanks for the warning to others!
No worries!
As much as I like Levin, he has an annoying tendency to always see himself as the smartest guy in the room. "You have hidden things from the most wise and revealed them to children and the foolish" -- what a thought to have about his own wife! So I loved his realization that Kitty has certain "powers" that he not only doesn't possess, but can't really even understand.
I keep thinking Tolstoy is setting Levin up for some sort of spiritual awakening. I can easily see Levin getting to the point that his reasoning and constant over-thinking are not enough for him. I actually thought that Nikolay might have his own awakening and at least die more peacefully, leaving Levin to wonder about another "power" he could not understand. But alas, Nikolay tells his brother he only pretended for Kitty's sake.
This was an interesting section on the art front. I read Tolstoy's What is Art last year and didn't enjoy it very much I have to say. I think I prefer to learn who Tolstoy was and what his views were through his fiction.
Me too!
Sorry to be posting so late. Thanks again Henry for a great summary, as always. I was very moved by the death of Nikolai, the way the dying progressed, the struggle of all the people in the situation, Levin and Kitty included. The death was foretold in a earlier chapter when Nikolai goes to live with Levin and the inability of the latter to express his emotions and the whingeing of the former came across so life-like. I only recently discovered Leo Tolstoy also wrote 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich'. Would you recommend reading that?
Thanks Poonam - great to get your thoughts! And yes absolutely – I would recommend The Death of Ivan Ilyich, perhaps the greatest of Tolstoy’s shorter works.
Thanks for all the brilliant links! So glad we don't have to wait eight months for the next bit...
What really caught my attention was the part that describes a painting – it immediately reminded me of the image you chose for your post.
This is a painting by Mihály Munkácsy, and the description in the novel is strikingly close to it – even the painter’s name there is Mikhailov.
As you note in the caption, the work was first exhibited about five years _after_ the text was published.
- Could there have been an earlier version or sketch that Tolstoy might have seen, or is this simply a case of thematic similarity?
- Do we know whether Munkácsy and Leo Tolstoy ever met or corresponded?
- Are there any sources – catalogues, exhibition records, letters – that shed light on a possible connection between the writer and the painter?
Thanks in advance! I’d love to know more about this.
I’ve done a little digging! It seems in the late 1870s Munkácsy signed a ten-year exclusive contract with an Austrian dealer called Charles Sedelmeyer, who became something of an agent / manager for him. Sedelmeyer encouraged him to create his three masterpieces, the ‘Christ Trilogy’, by giving him the book The Life of Jesus by Ernest Renan (1863), pointing him towards the episode in Anna Karenina (1876) and pointing him towards the sculpture Christ before the People (1878) by Mark Matveyevich Antokolsky: https://rusmuseumvrm.ru/data/collections/sculpture/20/sk_452/index.php?lang=en Here’s a blog post with more info by the artist Cathy Locke: https://www.musings-on-art.org/blogs/artists/munkacsy-mihaly-munkacsy?srsltid=AfmBOoqiCi0VopcCJgihNRrvZlEWME8hAKWbUkMFMO1UOAMiZoBVmy1l
Thank you so much for looking this up and for sharing such a detailed reply!
I’m really surprised – it honestly never occurred to me that the timeline itself might be the clue, with the writing coming before the painting. That changes the way I think about the connection.
I really appreciate your answer and the resources you linked!