What Happened to Anna K.: A Novel (edition 2008)

I really liked this. Granted, I've never read Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, but this seems true in spirit to the original, if modified. ( )

At first, the experience of reading this book was like Anna's relationship with the man who became her husband: it wasn't thrilling, but it was easy to go along with. However, midway through the book the plot picked up and swept me along. The world Irina Reyn created feels very real. You can see it. You can hear the voices. You can even smell the food. And she lets you in on Anna's inner world, from her childhood in Russia to her coming of age as the daughter of Russian defectors making a new life in New York City. By the time Anna's choices begin to catch up with her, I was hooked. What Happened to Anna K is a modern retelling of Anna Karenina, but it stands alone as a good story in its own right.

I purchased this book awhile ago, while I was still in the middle of the original Anna Karenina, anticipating wanting to read a modern take on the story. Early on, I thought it would be interesting to see how it could translate to a contemporary setting, how it might compare and what may be different due to technology and possibly location.

The first thing I noticed was how well the author managed to capture the same tone that existed in the original novel. It’s hard to describe, and maybe the tone exists in the original because it’s a translation, but I got the same feel out of this novel and I really enjoyed that.

To read the rest of my review, please visit:
http://www.dorolerium.com/?p=3391 ( )

Modern day version of Anna Karenina but I found it more sad and tragic in the modern day world. Subjects focus on dreams, not reality. ( )

Interesting modern adaptation of Tolstoy's classic. The Russian soul behind the story tends to get a bit overly dramatic and self-conscious at times, but that probably goes with the territory. ( )