Anna Karenina Leatherbound Classics Edition

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE LEATHERBOUND CLASSICS EDITION OF ANNA KARENINA.ANNA KARENINA is the story of how two parallel tales play out in late Czarist Russia. The most famous part is the tragic, Illicit romance of the title character, Anna Karenina with the young, rich, handsome Count Vronsky. The "other" part (which is often neglected, but just as important) is the inner life and trials of the nobleman farmer, Konstantin Levin as he works out the mysteries of life and comes to understand who he is and what he believes. In my personal opinion, Konstantin is actually the main character of this book, even though it is Anna who is the primary focus of attention to most readers. Pay attention to Konstantin, because this is the person who represents Tolstoy himself and is the actual voice of the author.As one of the most famous novels ever written, it has been made and re-made into movies, plays and ballets. But none of the representations of this book do it justice and I highly advise anyone who wants to know this story to simply READ THE BOOK before watching any of the performances based on ANNA KARENINA. I am the type of reader who devours a book in one or two sittings. I even read DAVID COPPERFIELD in a marathon in which I could neither eat or sleep until I had finished! Not so with ANNA KARENINA. It is long, complex and very slow reading, but I was surprised how well written and easy to grasp the story was as it played out in a much longer effort than I am ordinarily used to. But it kept my attention and kept my mind active with the moral dilemmas which begged the reader to join Tolstoy in sorting out the issues of "good vs evil". Read it with an open mind and be careful not choose any particular character as the "villain" before you finish the book and think long and hard about what you just read.I highly recommend it for people who love a good "yarn", who don't mind a long, slow, but engaging story, and who enjoy the process of exploring the mysteries of life. I am not the most patient reader, but I found this to be so well written that I savored it - even enjoying a section that contained a long description of peasants mowing a field - that went on for pages and pages and pages!My only other comment regards the specific edition of this book that I purchased. I wanted something that would last and last through multiple readings without falling apart, and I wanted it to be beautiful so that I could enjoy it even when it is closed and on my bookshelf. This high quality book is a treasure! It has all the things I look for in a good book.*First, it is a true "hardbound" book and not just a jumble of pages glued into a hard cover. The high quality paper pages are stitched into the binding and hinge in the traditional way. The spine is flexible and sturdy so that the book can be opened with ease with no threat to the soundness and long term readability of the binding. When you open it, you will not hear the cracking of too much glue which is a warning sign that the pages might come out later. The only breaking in I had to do was during the initial first reading when I had to turn each page carefully because the gold on the page end were sticking together. Once accomplished, this book was a joy to handle with pages that turn easily and a book that opened where I wanted it to open and STAYED open with no resistance.*Next, the paper used is good quality and the print is clear and large enough to "really" read. This is not one of those books that is beautiful on the outside, but made with the kind of shoddy craftsmanship that says the book is intended to look good on a shelf but that it will never be read. It is easy to see the print and easy to read.*Then, there are beautiful, marbled end pages that set the inner leaves off much as a frame sets off a picture.*Last, this book is really, really beautiful! The white leather, gilt pages and lovely artwork on the cover make this book stand out on the shelf and contribute to a classy atmosphere in my reading room.So, my opinion of the content of this book is that it is a first rate piece of writing that lives up to the reputation of being one of the "great stories", while being down-to-earth enough to be accessible and enjoyable to the average reader. And my opinion of this edition is that the quality of the book and binding are worthy of a first rate book! Excellent choice for those who want their books to be beautiful and ALSO want to really read the contents.

used this as a prop for a production of Anna in the Tropics. The book is so beautiful, it became a character within the play all on its own

It looks very nice! I’m pleasant ! Thank you!

This edition is absolutely beautiful inside and out! I love how the cover shimmers in the light.It was sealed for protection so that was nice. I will say though, the cover has some gunk on the binding and tears...which leads me to believe this isn't actually new, but then again, who knows, anything can happen.I've been wanting to read this story after seeing the movie in theaters a long time ago. Heard many good things about this writer so I'm sure I will love it.

I love Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, deservedly one of the world's greatest masterpieces of literature. Though I have several editions at home, I never had a handsome edition for my library until now. This 2012 Barnes and Noble edition is part of its leather bound series and is a beautiful edition. There is no Introduction or any other features such as a List of Characters found in some other editions, but contains only the text which is translated from the original Russian by Constance Garnett. I found Ms. Garnett's translation efforts to be adequate though I prefer the 2000 Penguin edition, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (which also won the PEB/ Book-Of-The-Month Club Translation Prize), Anna Karenina.The cover is gorgeous and there is a satin page marker. This makes a handsome addition to one's home library.

First!!!!, IF YOU'RE A COLLECTOR OF BARNES AND NOBLE LEATHERBOUND CLASSICS: then you will want to know that this is an authentic B&N Leatherbound Classic 2012 print edition of Anna Karenina. See the last two images, which verify the B&N association and print, publisher, copy page.Pros1. It is an authentic leatherbound classic with all of its gold inlays and satin bookmark ribbon.2. It is of moderate size, not too big and not too small. Comfortable for reading. It is about the same size at the Iliad and the Odyssey copy.3. Beautiful design that matches the theme of the book.4. It is an older version, which is of a group with nice, traditional designs. The newer models have horrendous new age designs that are off-putting and do not necessarily match the theme of the books, And they cannot be called "timeless" for collectors.5. See last image. It is a fine addition to my growing collection.I am not leaving a book review, as if you are here, you already know the story and are buying this collector's book because you love the story and want to keep it.Cons1. I've always loved this leatherbound version. The design is very nice. What I don't like is that unlike other leatherbound classics, the gold foil seems to come off easily on this one. See images 1 and 2.2. The place where the pages meet the cover edges has no buffer zone whatsoever. Therefore, the pages are right up against the edge of the book offering less protection to the gold foil on the edges of the pages.3. The leather on this book scuffs very easily, see image of the corners.

I was amazed at the price of this book. It is beautifully bound. Of course, the story and writing are classic. If you've never read it, you are in for a treat. Tolstoy was a genius novelist and historian.

Now I know why Tolstoy is so revered. His words just flow so beautifully.