Anna Karenina, published in 1877, is an 800-page Russian novel that covers the lives of characters who all seem to have at least two nicknames. If it weren't for the fact that this epic is part of my English curriculum, I probably would not have picked it up. I am really glad I did, however, because despite the fact that the book is long and somewhat confusing with the nicknames that make you think there are dozens of characters, I found reading it a pleasure.

The storyline rivals today's most popular TV soap operas. It focuses mostly on the struggles and triumphs of Anna Karenina, Count Vronsky, Kitty and Levin. The novel is filled with adultery, the worst kinds of gossip, and the pain of society-forced marriages. The characters are often put in situations where society has made it impossible for them to live happily without being shunned.

Anna Karenina submerges its readers into nineteenth-century Russian society. It is a spectacular novel filled with excitement and dramatic situations that shock even modern readers. I recommend it to anyone interested in historical novels or dramatic storylines. Any reader will enjoy reading this and the length is not even a factor.