Anna Karenina

“Anna Karenina” is one of the most celebrated classics of Russian literature. It does an excellent job of portraying the society of elites and the impact scandals have on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book, but the second half was a bit depressing.

The novel sheds light on many issues prevalent in high society, particularly how wives often turn a blind eye to their husbands' extramarital affairs. However, when a married woman does the same, she is ostracized by the very same society.

I love how this book exposes so many double standards and highlights internalized misogyny.

There are also various subplots involving other characters, like Levin, who is deeply unhappy with his life but doesn't end up taking the same path as Anna. Instead, he stumbles upon optimistic nihilism, which is honestly a hilarious way to wrap up the book, ngl.