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Literature Commentary: Anna Karenina

24 Sep
After reading “War and Peace” this past January, I didn’t think I’d be reading anything else by Tolstoy…he’s a bit longwinded, to say the least. (“War and Peace” is more than 1200 pages long, and only about a quarter of that is actually storyline worth reading). However, I resolved not to let past experiences keep me from experiencing one of Western civilization’s most influential writers. Thus, when a friend encouraged me to try Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” I promptly picked it up at the library the very next day.
“Anna Karenina” is, as one critic put it, a “cross-section of Russian life.” The book is essentially comprised of two stories: the story of young nobleman Konstanin Levin and his courtship of the young Princess Kitty Shcherbatsky; and the tragedy of Anna Karenina and her passionate adulterous affair with the charming Count Vronsky.
Levin’s story is, for Tolstoy, autobiographical. Levin is a philosophical, melancholy young man determined to discern the meaning of life and find spiritual fulfillment. As the book opens, he proposes to Princess Kitty and is refused. At the time, Kitty is in love with Count Vronsky – a devilishly handsome, roguish nobleman with a tendency toward “love ’em and leave ’em” behavior. Levin is plunged into despair and retires to his country estate, where he muses on the significance of work and the Russian farmer’s relationship to his property. Eventually he works up the courage to propose to her again…and this time is accepted. The rest of the story chronicles the first few months of Levin’s marriage. Tolstoy extends the plot beyond the stereotypical “happily-ever-after” ending, honestly depicting the joys and sorrows of married life. “War and Peace” also did this, but in that context it felt like an afterthought.
Anna Karenina is married to Aleksey Aleksandrovich, a boring government bureaucrat. When Count Vronsky – having fallen passionately in lust with her – follows her to her hometown, she tries at first to avoid him. Inevitably, though, she finds herself attracted to him…finally going so far as to abandon her husband and child for the sake of her passion. Her degeneration is drawn out with agonizing detail, as she tries vainly to overcome the guilt she feels. Eventually, her world starts to collapse around her.
These two stories occasionally overlap, setting up a balance of character foils and parallel themes that give “Anna Karenina” a lot of depth. It’s vastly better than “War and Peace.”
It’s much more plot-centered, and touches only tangentially on the sociopolitical issues facing Russia. At more than 900 pages, it’s not a quick read, but it doesn’t get bogged down in quite as much unnecessary detail. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its dull moments – it certainly does – but generally there’s more space devoted to character development and less devoted to historical exposition.
Worldview-wise, “Anna Karenina” is a perfect book for complex analysis. I could spend hours discussing all the implications found here, but for the sake of brevity I’ll touch only briefly on the key issues.
Levin’s spiritual journey is described with realism and sensitivity. His inner conflicts over the purpose of existence feel completely legitimate, as he struggles with real issues faced by real people. Poignant inquiries into the meaning of suffering are seamlessly interwoven with meditations on the grandeur of creation, lending the book a richness and depth not present in shorter works.
In contrast, Anna’s abandonment of her faith and family are depicted with heart-wrenching anguish. From the moment she meets Vronsky, her moral convictions are already beginning to erode. One of the most prevalent themes in “Anna Karenina” is that of the value of marriage – a value she throws aside in the pursuit of temporal passion. Eventually, she must come to grips with the meaninglessness of her life as Vronsky’s mistress…and from there, choose whether she will repent or sink into despair.
Should you read it? If, like me, you find Russian history and culture fascinating, you’ll find much to like here. Or if you’re interested in the worldview implications of Anna’s and Levin’s spiritual journeys, “Anna Karenina” is certainly worth reading. If, on the other hand, you’re hoping for fast action and rapid pacing…look elsewhere. But in my opinion, most thinking readers will find it a meaningful and thought-provoking novel.
(Note: While this book does deal with mature subjects, they are handled in such a way that they will not offend most readers.)
VERDICT: 7/10
Long and drawn-out, but undeniably rich in literary depth and vision.

After reading “War and Peace” this past January, I didn’t think I’d be reading anything else by Tolstoy…he’s a bit longwinded, to say the least. (“War and Peace” is more than 1200 pages long, and only about a quarter of that is actually storyline worth reading). However, I resolved not to let past experiences keep me from experiencing one of Western civilization’s most influential writers. Thus, when a friend encouraged me to try Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina,” I promptly picked it up at the library the very next day.

“Anna Karenina” is, as one critic put it, a “cross-section of Russian life.” The book is essentially comprised of two stories: the story of young nobleman Konstanin Levin and his courtship of the young Princess Kitty Shcherbatsky; and the tragedy of Anna Karenina and her passionate adulterous affair with the charming Count Vronsky.

Levin’s story is, for Tolstoy, autobiographical. Levin is a philosophical, melancholy young man determined to discern the meaning of life and find spiritual fulfillment. As the book opens, he proposes to Princess Kitty and is refused. At the time, Kitty is in love with Count Vronsky – a devilishly handsome, roguish nobleman with a tendency toward “love ’em and leave ’em” behavior. Levin is plunged into despair and retires to his country estate, where he muses on the significance of work and the Russian farmer’s relationship to his property. Eventually he works up the courage to propose to her again…and this time is accepted. The rest of the story chronicles the first few months of Levin’s marriage. Tolstoy extends the plot beyond the stereotypical “happily-ever-after” ending, honestly depicting the joys and sorrows of married life. “War and Peace” also did this, but in that context it felt like an afterthought.

Anna Karenina is married to Aleksey Aleksandrovich, a boring government bureaucrat. When Count Vronsky – having fallen passionately in lust with her – follows her to her hometown, she tries at first to avoid him. Inevitably, though, she finds herself attracted to him…finally going so far as to abandon her husband and child for the sake of her passion. Her degeneration is drawn out with agonizing detail, as she tries vainly to overcome the guilt she feels. Eventually, her world starts to collapse around her.

These two stories occasionally overlap, setting up a balance of character foils and parallel themes that give “Anna Karenina” a lot of depth. It’s vastly better than “War and Peace.”

It’s much more plot-centered, and touches only tangentially on the sociopolitical issues facing Russia. At more than 900 pages, it’s not a quick read, but it doesn’t get bogged down in quite as much unnecessary detail. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its dull moments – it certainly does – but generally there’s more space devoted to character development and less devoted to historical exposition.

Worldview-wise, “Anna Karenina” is a perfect book for complex analysis. I could spend hours discussing all the implications found here, but for the sake of brevity I’ll touch only briefly on the key issues.

Levin’s spiritual journey is described with realism and sensitivity. His inner conflicts over the purpose of existence feel completely legitimate, as he struggles with real issues faced by real people. Poignant inquiries into the meaning of suffering are seamlessly interwoven with meditations on the grandeur of creation, lending the book a richness and depth not present in shorter works.

In contrast, Anna’s abandonment of her faith and family are depicted with heart-wrenching anguish. From the moment she meets Vronsky, her moral convictions are already beginning to erode. One of the most prevalent themes in “Anna Karenina” is that of the value of marriage – a value she throws aside in the pursuit of temporal passion. Eventually, she must come to grips with the meaninglessness of her life as Vronsky’s mistress…and from there, choose whether she will repent or sink into despair.

Should you read it? If, like me, you find Russian history and culture fascinating, you’ll find much to like here. Or if you’re interested in the worldview implications of Anna’s and Levin’s spiritual journeys, “Anna Karenina” is certainly worth reading. If, on the other hand, you’re hoping for fast action and rapid pacing…look elsewhere. But in my opinion, most thinking readers will find it a meaningful and thought-provoking novel.

(Note: While this book does deal with mature subjects, they are handled in such a way that they will not offend most readers.)

VERDICT: 7/10
Long and drawn-out, but undeniably rich in literary depth and vision.

 
2 Comments

Posted by on September 24, 2009 in Classic

 

Literature Commentary: The Lost Symbol

20 Sep

Dan Brown, author of the notorious “Angels and Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code,” hasn’t published a new book in six years. After reading the aforementioned books during this past Apologetics season, I thought it might be time to try out his latest thriller, “The Lost Symbol.” Maybe he’d returned to his roots…after all, his early books “Deception Point” and “Digital Fortress” were pretty run-of-the-mill action novels without any philosophical underpinnings. And after all, what better way to spend a birthday than engaged in worldview analysis? 😉

But as it turns out, Brown’s anti-Christian agenda is back…just in time to ensnare a new generation of readers.

Robert Langdon, the protagonist of both “Angels and Demons” and “The Da Vinci Code,” turns up at the Capitol for a meeting with his former colleague Peter Solomon. It just so happens that Solomon has been kidnapped…and his severed hand – marked with strange symbols – has been left behind as a warning. Langdon quickly ascertains that Solomon was on the trail of recovering the Washington Pyramid, an ancient Freemason artifact that holds the key to unlocking unspeakable power.

Meanwhile, Solomon’s sister Katherine works as a specialist in Noetic Science – essentially, the study of psychic abilities and how they affect the material world. When a hideously tattooed Masonic cultist breaks into her laboratory – destroying her research and attempting to kill her – she is inadvertently thrust into Langdon’s search for answers.

As the book progresses, Langdon discovers that the Pyramid contains a code leading to the “Ancient Mysteries” – a reserve of knowledge somehow linked to the Noetic Science that Katherine has been studying. He follows the clues around Washington D.C. in true “National Treasure” style, unscrambling a series of puzzles that lead to the Ancient Mysteries.

So what’s the big revelation? The answer is stunning. According to Brown, the truth of the Ancient Mysteries is that “man is God.” The vault of secret wisdom is, in fact, none other than the…Bible.

What? After “The Da Vinci Code,” wasn’t it obvious that Brown didn’t think much of the Bible?

Here is where “The Lost Symbol” outstrips its predecessors. Brown cunningly avoids making controversial statements designed to polarize the religious community – in fact, the fictional Langdon even makes an offhand mention of how his book on the Sacred Feminine (a key “Da Vinci Code” concept) caused a stir among some book groups. Of course, Brown hastily continues, it wasn’t meant to spark such ill feeling.

As the final pages of “The Lost Symbol” make clear, Brown believes that there is indeed spiritual wisdom contained in the Bible…but that the Church has twisted the underlying meaning of the Scriptures. He cites familiar Christian passages to support his “theory” that man is a god-in-embryo: “The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” is understood to mean “the body is merely a vessel of the god-force.” “The Kingdom of God is within you” is interpreted as “man himself is God.” Even Christian words such as “atonement” are given twisted meanings: according to Brown, “atonement” really means “at-one-ment” – essentially, man becoming a deity in his own right. The Hebrew word “Elohim” – a plural form of God’s name that Christians understand to be referencing the Trinity – is construed to mean that all the individuals in the world are parts of the same God consciousness.

But that’s not all. He goes on to argue that this concept is found in American symbols as well. “E Pluribus Unum” – Latin for “one out of many” – is read to mean that there is one unifying God-force-spirit that proceeds from the collective minds of humanity.

It’s pure Cosmic Humanist propaganda. In fact, Dan Brown and William P. Young (author of “The Shack”) would probably get along rather well together. The scary part is that it’s…good.

If I did not understand the real meaning of the Biblical passages Brown cites – or have an understanding of our Founding Fathers’ beliefs – I’d be sold on Brown’s theory. He is persuasive, convincing, authoritative, and direct…unashamedly proclaiming his message that all religions essentially worship the same God, the “God within.” He doesn’t deny the reality of a spiritual world – not at all – but instead assumes that God is somehow an emanation of humankind’s united consciousness.

From a literary standpoint, the book is excellent. It’s a smart, sophisticated thriller that clips along at a breakneck pace. The symbol search is ingeniously conceived…it’s fascinating to follow Langdon and Katherine as they try to solve the mystery before time runs out. But Brown’s lastest book is far, far more than just an adventure story…”The Lost Symbol” is a savvy work that will likely undermine the faith of Christians for months and years to come. (Columbia Pictures has already acquired the film rights.)

So should Christians read it?

For starters, don’t buy it. I certainly wouldn’t want to encourage anyone to invest $30 in Brown’s humanistic agenda. If you’re like me, and curious about what it has to say, read it at the bookstore or borrow it from the library. (You might have to wait a while to get one from the library…last time I checked there were 387 holds on it.)

I cannot recommend this book to anyone who is not fully convinced of the validity of Scripture, and that faith in Jesus is the only means of salvation. Mature Christians may find it informative, thought-provoking, and even engrossing at parts. It’s a good story. Too bad it’s not true.

VERDICT: 7.5/10
A good book. A devastating worldview.

Side note: Brown’s own story is convicting for Christians. In a recent PARADE magazine interview, the controversial author shed some light on the reason he writes such skeptical, anti-Christian books. As a young teenager, he learned about evolution and the Big Bang and found them to be diametrically opposed to the faith he was taught at church. When he asked his pastor for a Christian response to these atheistic claims, he received the terse response, “Nice boys don’t ask those kinds of questions.” What an inappropriate and confusing thing to say to a young man wavering in his faith!

I pray that Brown can one day embrace the true God, and begin to start reversing the damage he has done through his books. I would encourage all Christians reading this to pray for his soul…because I wouldn’t want to be in his place when he answers to God for what he’s done.

 
2 Comments

Posted by on September 20, 2009 in Thrillers

 
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