海角大神

The novel 鈥淎nna Karenina鈥� ranks as one of the greatest works in Western literature. Vladimir Nabokov described it as 鈥渢he supreme masterpiece of nineteenth-century literature.鈥� It regularly sits atop famous writers鈥� lists of favorite books. Bob Blaisdell, a professor of English at the City University of New York, was so enamored that he read the book some 20 times, and then learned Russian so he could read it in the original language.聽

Now Blaisdell, who also reviews books for the Monitor, has written an engaging and insightful book about Leo Tolstoy鈥檚 struggle to complete his masterpiece. 鈥淐reating Anna Karenina: Tolstoy and the Birth of Literature鈥檚 Most Enigmatic Heroine鈥� is packed with telling insights and details about Tolstoy鈥檚 life that shaped the direction of the book.聽

Tolstoy originally conceived of 鈥淎nna Karenina鈥� as a novella that he hoped to knock out quickly. He completed an outline in just a few weeks, but then things slowed down because Tolstoy was a gifted procrastinator. Blaisdell estimates that in 30 of the 53 months that he worked on the book, Tolstoy did not touch the manuscript.

Partly this lack of progress could be attributed to a busy and sometimes tragic family life 鈥� three of his children died as he worked on the book. His professional life included working to reform Russian education. And he was devoted to his hobbies 鈥� horses, travel, and hunting.聽

Tolstoy came to actively dislike the project. At various points he wrote that the book was 鈥渟ickening to me,鈥� 鈥渦nbearably repulsive,鈥� 鈥渢erribly disgusting and nasty,鈥� and 鈥渁 bore, insipid as a bitter radish.鈥� At one point he proclaimed in a letter, 鈥淸I] have stopped publishing my novel and want to give it up, I dislike it so much.鈥�

Thankfully for literature, Tolstoy persevered. Partly, this was the result of the inner fire that can propel genius to accomplish amazing things. Equally important were the roles played by his wife, Sophia, and his friend, Nikolai Strakhov. Sophia 鈥� who would eventually give birth to 13 children, oversee their education, and manage the house by day 鈥� patiently recopied draft after draft of the manuscript at night. 鈥淪he was almost always on the job, right there, the sympathetic, forbearing midwife to artistic creation.鈥�

Strakhov was a critic and for many years Tolstoy鈥檚 closest friend and most perceptive reader. Tolstoy repeatedly sought reassurance from Strakhov that he was on the right track and always received it. Indeed, Strakhov once wrote to Tolstoy, 鈥淵ou and your novels 鈥� for already a long time are the best parts of my life.鈥�

Tolstoy鈥檚 conception of Anna changed as he wrote and this further challenged the author. Initially he saw her simply as a cheating wife who had run off with another man and deserved neither sympathy nor pity for her fate. But over time she became a more complete and rounded person. Indeed, she emerges from the pages of the novel as a beautiful, elegant, charming, and intelligent woman who 鈥渟trikes us ... as a goddess would.鈥� Yes, she was flawed. But the more he wrote, the more her humanity emerged and he began, according to Blaisdell, to 鈥渓ove鈥� her.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the long gestation was that Tolstoy was beginning to wrestle with the thoughts and feelings that, later in life, would lead him to renounce his wealth and become a pacifist and 海角大神 anarchist. He would document and explain this midlife crisis a few years later in 鈥淢y Confession鈥� (published 1882).聽But while writing the novel, Tolstoy found himself torn between bouts of pleasure and happiness and periods of depression and despair聽so severe that he apparently considered suicide. Blaisdell concludes that by writing in such detail about Anna鈥檚 descent into madness and suicide, Tolstoy may have survived his own depression.聽

鈥淐reating Anna Karenina鈥� is the product of a lifetime of study. It demonstrates extensive research and great learning and is written by a gifted storyteller. The good news is that the book is not simply an academic treatise and will appeal to general readers. Indeed, Blaisdell鈥檚 sly humor and deprecating wit add to the pleasure of reading it.聽

This volume is unlikely to be read by those who have never read 鈥淎nna Karenina.鈥� But for those who have, Blaisdell offers intriguing insights and fresh perspectives that will no doubt lead some, including this writer, to reread Tolstoy鈥檚 great masterpiece with renewed appreciation.