Louise Maude, an English translator of Leo Tolstoy's works, lived for many years in Russia. As a close friend of the Tolstoy family, she received express authorization in 1902 to write his biography. After relocating to England, she dedicated herself to translating and promoting awareness of Tolstoy's writings. Her efforts significantly contributed to the understanding of his literary legacy in the English-speaking world.
Anna Karenina is perhaps the greatest novel of all time. It tells the story of Anna, married to the dull, cold Karenin in nineteenth-century St Petersburg. She falls in love with a handsome young soldier, Vronsky. At first Anna is happy, but the story ends in despair and death.
Describing family life set against the backdrop of war, this novel follows the fortunes of the Bolkonsky and Rostov families as Napoleon's armies sweep through Europe, invade Russia and end in Napoleon's defeat. It captures national events, private experiences of individuals, and the triangle of affection that binds the central characters.
"The Constance Garnett translation has been revised throughout by the editors."