I've begun reading Anna Karenina again. I think this time it will stick. I'm on page 231 (of 870) so that's a good sign. I mostly feel like I know what's going on. Here's what's holding me back (aside from the fact that what I really want to be reading is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, due out in 108 days) it's the fact that each character (of which there are several) seems to have seven names, all of which seem to start with A.Here are some examples:
Darya Alexandrovna; also Darya Alexandrovna Oblonksy, also Dolly
Her husband: Stepan Arkadyevitch; sometimes called Stepan Arkadeyevitch Oblonksy, sometimes just Oblonksy, also referred to as Stiva
Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin; sometimes just Alexey or just Karenin
Of course his wife: Anna Arkadyevna Karenina (do you notice how the last name changes depending on if it's the husband or the wife?)
Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin; or just Levin or just Konstantin Levin
Kitty Schtcherbatsky; full name Katerina Alexandrovna Schtcherbatsky, who may or may not also be Princess Shctcherbatskaya (though that may be her mother)
Count Vronsky; also Alexey Kirillovich Vronksy (with a brother Alexander Vronsky), usually just called Vronsky
There are a million other very Russian names in the book as well. I can't keep track of most of them. I'm not sure if the book is giving me a headache or if it's just the cold I feel coming on...
3 comments:
I, too, have started and restarted Anna... I preferred the library version, but, of course, it was due back before hundreds of pages were consumed. Then J. got me the re-release version when Oprah was all hot to trot with it and I just haven't gotten back into it! Perhaps you will be my inspiration!
I went through a Russian novel stage a number of years ago...War and Peace. Doctor Zhivago, and several others I don't remember right now. I don't believe I read AK but I DO remember having the "name problem" with those novels. One almost needs a "scorecard" to keep track!
Last week I began AK, having never read it before. I made the mistake of reading the introduction written by a scholar who translated the text. Rather than expound on Tolstoy's larger themes, he revealed what ultimately happens to Anna! With that, the book was spoiled for me, so I put it away to read another year. Why would the translator give away a major plot point on the second page of his intro? The bastard!
Post a Comment