ANNA KARENIA
 
“Be bad, but at least don't be a liar, a deceiver!” Anna Karenina is the magnum opus of the Russian novelist, Leo Tolstoy. Written in Tolstoy’s straightforward style and set in 19th century Russia, the novel vividly explores the conflicting relationships, death and the controversy between traditions and liberal thoughts. The protagonist, Anna Karenina, enters into a passionate affair with Count Vronsky while she is trapped in her loveless marriage with Alexei Karenin. Parallel to hers is the story of Levin, a farmer, who advocates the valuable role of rural society in preserving family bondage. Initially released in serial instalments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger, Anna Karenina has been widely read and adapted.