Print this page Chapter by Chapter: Anna Karenina

Would you love to read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina but find the size, large cast of characters and unfamiliar Russian names a little daunting? This friendly and accessible seven-session course is designed to help you finally read and enjoy one of the world’s great novels. Rather than expecting participants to read the entire novel before the course begins, we will work through Anna Karenina together, chapter by chapter. Each session will provide a clear guide to what happens, who the important characters are, and why particular events matter. We will explore the novel’s major themes while also paying attention to Tolstoy’s extraordinary observations of everyday life. The emphasis is on understanding and enjoying the novel rather than studying it academically. Each week, we will identify the most important events and ideas, discuss the characters and their choices, and consider how the different storylines develop.

You don't need to be an experienced reader of classics. You simply need curiosity and a willingness to discover Tolstoy's world.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE OUTLINE

• Meet and understand the major characters, relationships and interconnected storylines.
• Examine key themes including love, marriage, family, society, morality and the search for happiness.
• Discuss Tolstoy's portrayal of everyday life and the social world of nineteenth-century Russia.
• Share insights and responses through friendly group discussion, focusing on enjoyment and understanding rather than academic analysis.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Navigate Anna Karenina with confidence, identifying its principal characters, events and storylines.
• Explain the major themes and ideas that shape the novel.
• Appreciate the novel's enduring significance and its observations of human behaviour and society.
• Discuss and enjoy a classic work of literature with greater confidence and insight.