08-06-2004, 08:10 AM
These are my suggestions, feel free to add some more...
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
An extremely sexy and engrossing read, this book tells the tale of one of the most enthralling love affairs in the history of literature—it truly was the "Harlequin Romance" of its day. Penned while Tolstoy was wrestling with a religious crisis that nearly destroyed him, the book is filled with passion and soul-searching. Serialized in the Russian Herald from 1875–1877 and published in its entirety in 1878, Anna Karenina was wildly popular and controversial. And even though Count Leo Tolstoy had been writing fiction for more than two decades and had already published War and Peace when he undertook Anna Karenina, the author called it "the first novel I have written."
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
From its very first provocative line the novel sucks you in: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This is a novel about something everyone can relate to: family. The two main characters, Anna and Levin, are eventually linked through marriage—Anna is Levin's sister-in-law's sister-in-law. Through the Oblonskys, Karenins, Levins and Shcherbatskys, we come to understand the complexities of family relationships. We appreciate the ties that bind human beings together in an awareness of the fragility of life. The intricacies of love and relatedness are explored in some of the greatest depth of any novel written before or since. To understand the need for love is to understand what drives Anna Karenina—both the character and the novel.
It's Not As Foreign As You Think
Of all the Russian novels written during the 19th-century, Anna Karenina is perhaps the most taught in college literature courses. Even so, over the years it has grown in stature to nearly mythical proportions as one of the most challenging novels to read. To give Tolstoy credit, this is a complicated, rich story with many layers and much to digest. However, it is also a lot of fun. The characters are well realized and in most cases very approachable. Their experiences, from Stiva's infidelity to Levin's firstborn child, are not so far from our modern-day understanding of life and the world. Tolstoy's prose is generous, giving its reader many ways to interpret it and a lot to consider. Once you've finished Anna Karenina, you'll not only be proud of your accomplishment, but also realize how rewarding a great summer read like this can be! As Oprah says: "Don't be scared. We will do this together."
Courtesans by Katie Hickman
The dictionary defines a courtesan as "a prostitute, or the mistress of a man of rank". However, this is scarcely an adequate description of the five women who light up the pages of this irresistable and seductive book. They were courted for their sexual prowess by powerful men in the 18th and 19th centuries, but their appeal went far beyond the pleasures of the flesh. They were fashion leaders, musicians, liguists and witty conversationalists who rose from lowly beginnings to positions of wealth and influence. Men would ruin themselves to gain their favours.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
An extremely sexy and engrossing read, this book tells the tale of one of the most enthralling love affairs in the history of literature—it truly was the "Harlequin Romance" of its day. Penned while Tolstoy was wrestling with a religious crisis that nearly destroyed him, the book is filled with passion and soul-searching. Serialized in the Russian Herald from 1875–1877 and published in its entirety in 1878, Anna Karenina was wildly popular and controversial. And even though Count Leo Tolstoy had been writing fiction for more than two decades and had already published War and Peace when he undertook Anna Karenina, the author called it "the first novel I have written."
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
From its very first provocative line the novel sucks you in: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." This is a novel about something everyone can relate to: family. The two main characters, Anna and Levin, are eventually linked through marriage—Anna is Levin's sister-in-law's sister-in-law. Through the Oblonskys, Karenins, Levins and Shcherbatskys, we come to understand the complexities of family relationships. We appreciate the ties that bind human beings together in an awareness of the fragility of life. The intricacies of love and relatedness are explored in some of the greatest depth of any novel written before or since. To understand the need for love is to understand what drives Anna Karenina—both the character and the novel.
It's Not As Foreign As You Think
Of all the Russian novels written during the 19th-century, Anna Karenina is perhaps the most taught in college literature courses. Even so, over the years it has grown in stature to nearly mythical proportions as one of the most challenging novels to read. To give Tolstoy credit, this is a complicated, rich story with many layers and much to digest. However, it is also a lot of fun. The characters are well realized and in most cases very approachable. Their experiences, from Stiva's infidelity to Levin's firstborn child, are not so far from our modern-day understanding of life and the world. Tolstoy's prose is generous, giving its reader many ways to interpret it and a lot to consider. Once you've finished Anna Karenina, you'll not only be proud of your accomplishment, but also realize how rewarding a great summer read like this can be! As Oprah says: "Don't be scared. We will do this together."
Courtesans by Katie Hickman
The dictionary defines a courtesan as "a prostitute, or the mistress of a man of rank". However, this is scarcely an adequate description of the five women who light up the pages of this irresistable and seductive book. They were courted for their sexual prowess by powerful men in the 18th and 19th centuries, but their appeal went far beyond the pleasures of the flesh. They were fashion leaders, musicians, liguists and witty conversationalists who rose from lowly beginnings to positions of wealth and influence. Men would ruin themselves to gain their favours.