07-18-2008, 03:17 PM | #41 |
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Levin, your signature is a perfect example of what I'm saying about Tolstoy's Levin. Insufferable. I guess that's a measure of Tolstoy's genius, that he creates a fully realized insufferable person.
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Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster |
07-18-2008, 04:34 PM | #42 |
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That's my favorite quote from the entire book; it's the culmination of the entire book, as well, and the achievement of what Tolstoy accomplished. Sorry you don't like it.
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"Now I say that I know the meaning of my life: 'To live for God, for my soul.' And this meaning, in spite of its clearness, is mysterious and marvelous. Such is the meaning of all existence." Levin, Anna Karenina, Part 8, Chapter 12 |
07-18-2008, 04:37 PM | #43 |
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There are several fully realized insufferable persons on this board, I might add.
I guess that's God's genius. |
07-18-2008, 04:37 PM | #44 |
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Wrong. Note the Guardian didn't even mention Levin.
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Interrupt all you like. We're involved in a complicated story here, and not everything is quite what it seems to be. —Paul Auster |
07-18-2008, 04:41 PM | #45 |
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I know; that's what made me mention Anna Karenina in the first place. The book is always described as a love story, as a romantic tragedy, and I think everyone is missing the point.
I think people do a great disservice to the book, and miss out on a lot of pleasure, by ignoring Levin, whose story is actually half of the book. I don't think Tostoy generally "uses" his characters to make points, but I know he was aware of the contrast between Anna's descent and Levin's ascent, and purposefully contrasted the two. "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
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"Now I say that I know the meaning of my life: 'To live for God, for my soul.' And this meaning, in spite of its clearness, is mysterious and marvelous. Such is the meaning of all existence." Levin, Anna Karenina, Part 8, Chapter 12 |
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