Anna Karenina

Any fan of stories about adultery, gambling, marriage plots, and Russian feudalism would immediately place Anna Karenina at the top of their "greatest novels" list. And that is exactly the ranking given to the novel by publications such as Time magazine since it was first published in its entirety in 1878.

The eight-part towering work of fiction by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy tells the story of two major characters: a tragic, disenchanted housewife, the titular Anna, who runs off with her young lover, and a lovestruck landowner named Konstantin Levin, who struggles in faith and philosophy. Tolstoy weaves together thoughtful discussions on love, pain, and family in Russian society with a large cast of realistically human characters. The novel was especially revolutionary in its treatment of women, depicting prejudices and social hardships of the time with vivid emotion. The novel was especially groundbreaking in its treatment of women, vividly depicting prejudices and social hardships of the time.

Link to read: goodreads.com/book/show/15823480-anna-karenina