Finished reading Anna Karenina
Some time ago I wrote about how I decided to read the novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It was some time in May that I started reading it. Given the length of the book and the fact that I chose to read the German translation, I knew it would take some time to finish.
I also knew the only way to read a lengthy book without getting bored is not to rush, to actually enjoy the story and experience it instead of counting the pages already read or the ones remaining.
Last week, I finished the book. As I expected, it took a few months. But I was happy that I chose to read this great work.
The novel is not just one story. It tells the stories of different people who are somehow related to each other and have their own lives happening at the same time.
The aspect that impressed me the most was how the writer managed to go deep into the thoughts of each of his characters. If the characters were real people, they could not put their thoughts into words as clearly and understandably as Tolstoy did.
One related point that I like to take away is a thought from one of the characters, Levin, which states that you read books to get to know the thoughts of their writers, to learn about the world from another viewpoint. This idea stayed with me for a few days. Before, I expected to learn something practical from each book that I read, some life lesson or advice with a measurable impact on my own life. After reading that idea and thinking about it, I realized the main impact books can have is to open doors to the new thoughts, ideas, and worldviews.
Books allow us to look at topics or stories through different glasses. And this is valuable in itself.
After finishing Anna Karenina, I paused reading novels for a few weeks and took some parenting books as my next reads to prepare myself for my new role as a father.