Anna Karenina
“The daunting elements of classic literature that might discourage a timid reader become irrelevant, thanks to a skilled narrator…Wanda McCaddon makes this literary cornerstone downright enjoyable. It’s not that she turns herself into every character or offers over-the-top drama. Instead, it is her consistency and sensitivity to the author’s tone that make this a wonderful listen. Her familiarity with the text and understanding of its nuances illuminate the work, making what might have seemed lofty, absolutely lively.”
AudioFile
An Entertainment Weekly Pick of Tragic Love Stories to Read after “Seeing Me Before You”
A Paris Review Selection of Anti-Beach Read Recommendations
Sensual, rebellious Anna falls deeply and passionately in love with the handsome Count Vronsky. When she refuses to conduct the discreet affair that her cold, ambitious husband—and Russian high society—would condone, she is doomed. Set against the tragic love of Anna and Vronsky, the plight of the melancholy nobleman Konstantine Levin unfolds. In doubt about the meaning of life—a mirror of Tolstoy's own spiritual crisis—Konstantine is haunted by thoughts of suicide. Through these and other characters, Tolstoy weaves a vast and rich tapestry of nineteenth-century Russian society.
A magnificent drama of vengeance, infidelity, and retribution, Anna Karenina tells the story of two characters whose emotional instincts conflict with the dominant social mores of their time.
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“The daunting elements of classic literature that might discourage a timid reader become irrelevant, thanks to a skilled narrator…Wanda McCaddon makes this literary cornerstone downright enjoyable. It’s not that she turns herself into every character or offers over-the-top drama. Instead, it is her consistency and sensitivity to the author’s tone that make this a wonderful listen. Her familiarity with the text and understanding of its nuances illuminate the work, making what might have seemed lofty, absolutely lively.”
AudioFile
“Flawless as a work of art.”
Fyodor Dostoevsky
“For years, I made a point of rereading Anna Karenina every summer. I am still bowled over by its freshness and its immediacy.”
Anne Tyler, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author
“A sexy and engrossing read, this book tells the tale of one of the most enthralling love affairs in the history of literature.”
Oprah.com
“Considered one of the pinnacles of world literature.”
Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature
“In grandeur as is pathos, in the sweep of it as in the touching detail, it moves me now…just as it moved me long ago.”
Jan Morris, Welsh historian and author
“Russian high society, star-crossed lovers, family structures, and social class collide in Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina…Despite being set in the nineteenth century, this novel is relatable, readable, and full of high drama that will keep you turning the (many, many) pages.”
Amazon.com
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.