Book: Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy

The greatest stories have a way of approaching life universally to the effect that after hearing them you feel that all of life's questions are answered. While still in the afterglow of reading such a book you might hear someone complain about something trivial and then think to yourself, "If only they read Anna Karenina their perspective would change and they would be content in life." You feel like you were let in on a little secret. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, is considered by many of the most well-respected authors since its writing to be the greatest novel ever written. It is one of those "universal" type of books. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, although improperly titled, is an extensively enjoyable and exhaustive exposition on finding happiness in life.

That's right, I don't like the title. I think its deceptive and misleading. Because the book is named after one of its key characters, a basic synopsis usually tells her story Anna Karenina and it is quite often summed up something like this: "An elegant lady of Russian society falls passionately in love with a young officer and faces the consequences of her affair." This is what I knew about the book before reading it and I was reluctant to pick it up because of that - stories all about affairs don't sound like much fun. Although on second thought maybe "tawdry love affair" was the exact message Tolstoy and his marketer wanted to put out to get people to pick up the book and hopefully discover it was something more. By now, though, the cat's out of the bag and the only people that read it are either assigned to do so or are working their way down a "Best Novels" list. The only reason I did read it is because I had occasion to read some of Tolstoy's shorter works and learned what an amazing storyteller he is.

Originally published in installments over many years in the 1870's, the story is split in eight parts. The early portions of the book do focus slightly more on Anna Karenina, wife of Count Alexei Karenin, and her beginning an affair and then relationship with Count Vronsky, an officer of the cavalry. Very quickly, though, as much attention is focused on Konstantin Levin, a scholarly farm owner and friend of Anna's brother, Stiva, and his reluctant but budding relationship with Stiva's young sister-in-law, Kitty. Like Anna, Levin undergoes a personal journey throughout the years covered in the book, but with a far different end. Levin is the purest manifestation of Tolstoy's own personal development on every subject discussed including marriage, politics, farming, and faith. By the last fifth of the book Tolstoy focuses almost completely on Levin, allowing the reader to see as he settles into his new life, now married with a child, and reflects on the changes that have happened to him throughout the story.

And so I think this book's title is the greatest misnomer of literary history. Rather than a serial of a passionate love affair, Anna Karenina is Tolstoy's epic treatise on romance, love, marriage, politics, sociology, and God. While much can be learned from Anna's story--and it is told with great skill and precision--her story line could be summed up as a cautionary tale by the end of the book. One of the most chilling passages comes when Anna acknowledges that her choices, and her unwillingness to change, are keeping her from the best part of herself:

"Only Anna was sad. She knew that now, from Dolly’s departure, no one again would stir up within her soul the feelings that had been roused by their conversation. It hurt her to stir up these feelings, but yet she knew that that was the best part of her soul, and that that part of her soul would quickly be smothered in the life she was leading." 

(Location 10405, Garnett translation, Kindle version)

I'm told he originally thought of the title Two Marriages but the plot changed so that wouldn't work. Either way, Levin is just as important of a character as he narrates us through the Tolstoy's main purposes. While at first he seems an anti-social party pooper, he later becomes more likable as he shows us the benefits of more conservative and contemplative decision-making. And by the end, we see the even greater affect of love as he learns the joy of living with trust, and ultimately faith.

The catalyst for the change we see in Levin is his relationship with the much younger Kitty. Though the age difference between the two is socially acceptable for the time period - the importance in emphasizing the gap comes into play as Levin falls in love and is stunned by what he can learn from a young, strong-hearted girl. He starts to reexamine aspects of his life he had written off as he begins to open up to her. Their relationship serves as a distinct counterpoint to that of Anna and Vronsky, not only in propriety but also in selflessness and charity. Near the end of the book, Levin--always engaging his thought in extensive lines of logic to arrive at and justify his frame of mind--begins to see that he intuitively knows the new lessons he's learned about life without having to build up an argument in his mind:

"He did not, as he had done at other times, recall the whole train of thought--that he did not need. He fell back at once into the feeling which had guided him, which was connected with those thoughts, and he found that feeling in his soul even stronger and more definite than before." (Location 13117, Garnett translation, Kindle version)

This final epiphany allows his internal nature to change his perspective on his external reality. He stopped resisting things that before seemed illogical to him but which he felt were true. He can continue to go on in life as before, doing what he did everyday, but with a satisfaction and purpose of goodness filling his soul rather than an uncertain reluctance. What he thinks and does every day, what subjects he contemplates, how he and Kitty express their love for one another and build trust, and how it differs from Anna and Vronsky, covers many aspects of life as you read the book. And the author gives nugget after nugget of wisdom as you do.

Tolstoy's style feels natural and flows through pages of inner-monologue much more easily than you would expect. Although the action and dialogue of the book is enjoyable, most of the defining wisdom of the book is explored and shared through the internal narrative. The application potential is so dense in this book that there'll be no shortage of moments where you'll want to highlight a passage to come back to later. Now all you have to do is resolve not to be frustrated that you can't pronounce any of the Russian names correctly and you'll be ready to go. Oh and make sure you set aside some time... about six months or so.

Book: Casino Royale

First Edition, 1953

At the Oscars this year they'll be celebrating 50 years of James Bond, one of the most successful film franchises of all time - certainly the longest running. Sean Connery immortalized Bond on film in Dr. No (1962) and one great actor after another has taken up the torch since. But 2013 actually marks 60 years since the incarnation of this iconic character in Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, the first of many spy thrillers following 007's exploits as an agent for the British Secret Service. Reading Casino for the first time, but with the knowledge and cultural memory of all the franchise has become since, is just as refreshing as it was to watch the film of the same name - the reboot starring Daniel Craig. The original James Bond story, this book epitomizes the best Bond has to offer as a straightforward, page-turning thriller with all the essentials and nothing more.

Although I'd seen and enjoyed the 2006 movie before starting the book, I wasn't sure what to expect. My understanding had been that while the basics of the main characters and premise had been set with Fleming's books, the films generally just took a name from a Bond novel, or at times even a line from a book, and then Hollywood threw on its own story. I was surprised to find that this book and movie, although created over 40 years apart, were right in line with each other, in everything from the characters and the plot to the tone and atmosphere. Each supporting character fills their role pleasingly: Vesper Lynd, Felix Leiter, Mathis, and Le Chiffre. Only M has a smaller role, Fleming not yet revealing that character's namesake and autobiographical relationship to Bond (mummy dearest). A part of this may be me putting my own expectations from on the film in the book, but I was not really expecting it to be so well written.

But it was. Fleming has a great command of language that, although not as subtle and transcendant as someone like Hemingway, mirrors that great writer in how he interprets and portrays a strong willed, passionate man with a quiet heart and a dry sense of humor. Don't get me wrong - Fleming is not making any really serious statements on the poignancy of the transient nature of life. He does show parallels between gambling, love, and espionage that teach James a lesson or two. But it's a thriller through and through. It's fundamental, it's elegant, and it drives you along by its style, not over-the-top melodrama.

Having at some point seen all the films, including the newest iteration Skyfall, I am well aware of what is expected from James Bond. The early chapters in the book quickly establish these symbols including the simple handgun, the vices, and the car - a Bentley. One of the greatest revelations of these comes when we learn that the famous drink is actually named for the first ever Bond girl. Over the years these things grew far beyond what they are in this book. And while all that can be fun, this novel and its corresponding film remind me how better it is when you strip it down to the characters and the story. No metal teeth. No remote control Aston Martin, and no spaceships.

Here are the things I like about both the book and the movie that, for me, make it the best of Bond:

Serious story and character
Low-tech
Juxtaposition of intuitive luck and careful calculation
Gritty & strong
Love is a dangerous risk

I really love that the two are so similar. Although the movie does improve on some things, the book establishes a Bond that is less focused on one-liners and conquests than he is on getting the job done. In fact, part of the charm of this Bond is learning that behind the sure-footed, arrogant front, he is able to question his entire lifestyle and contemplate giving it all up. But we know he can't and he knows it too. Despite the mistakes he makes along the way, by the end of the book he's learned why he's there and it is clear he has more to do. And if you're going to keep spying, you might as well keep the Bentley too.

Music: Ryan Adams - Gold

Gold (2001)

No, not Bryan Adams. I'm guessing that at least one of the people reading this might only have heard of Bryan Adams. If through this post I redirect just one person from Bryan Adams to Ryan Adams then the entire existence of this blog up til now is justified. I guess Bryan Adams isn't all that bad... I guess. But I've already dwelt too much on the subject. The focus is Ryan Adams. No "b." Ryan Adams is Top 5 material for me - that is, he is on my list of Top 5 Favorite Artists of All Time. This is a list in my head that fluctuates from time to time - but Ryan is always on it. Not at the top - that's U2 - but he's always there.

And Gold (2001) is my all-time favorite Ryan Adams album. No question. Well... Jacksonville City Nights (2005) might stand shoulder-to-shoulder. But my perspective is kind of unique because among hardcore Ryan Adams fans Gold doesn't usually jump to the top - for some its at the bottom of the heap. Not a surprise as it is his most commercially succesful album - hardcore fans of any group often see that as a negative (the "I liked it before it was popular" syndrome). But it was my first Ryan Adams experience and that usually means something. I can barely remember how I found him. Back when the most popular browser was Netscape I used to spend hours looking for new music on CDnow.com following their "You might also like these artists..." links and downloading song samples on limewire. I think that's how I found it. Dont worry, I always bought the album (if the music was good). I'm kind of traditional that way.

Whether or not it's your first Ryan Adams album or not doesn't matter. Gold is Adams' second studio album and his most eclectic - rich with a classic feeling mix of genre influences including rock, country, and blues. His record company seems to have had some difficulties labeling the album - it was nominated for both rock and country awards at the Grammy's. The video for "New York, New York" played on country music TV channels but most of the album doesn't fit the glossy pop makeover of modern country music - it has more in common with the stuff from a few decades before. I once saw his music as part of a "Renegade Country" endcap at Best Buy, partnered with the likes of Wilco and Brandi Carlile.

The music video for "New York, New York" - filmed just a few days before 9/11

When I say its his most eclectic album I say so knowing full well Adams full career span is prolifically diverse. Active for about 13 years now as a solo artist, he's released 13 full-fledged studio albums, four of which could be classified as double albums, with three releases coming in one year alone (2005's Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, and 29). Each has its own distinct style that stands alone from the others while still being Ryan Adams. One is completely shredder metal. But the rich vintage feel of Gold is probably his most feel-good album.

Although there are no weak points on Gold, Adams' finest stuff is the run from tracks 2-5, which covers everything from heartsick love songs ("Answering Bell", "La Cienega Just Smiled") to rip-roaring harmonica tunes ("Firecracker") to transcendent blues ("Rescue Blues"). Take "Firecracker" for instance. A quick-driving guitar riff, Hammond organs in the back, and a soaring bluesy harmonica whenever Ryan's not singing lyrics like this: "So when does the plane go down? / 'Cause I'm gonna ride it till it hits the ground / Then go out with a fight / 'Cause I just wanna be your baby tonight." It only gets better from there.

Ryan as the quintessential cab driver to the rescue

First these songs loosen you up. Then they excite you. Then they make you blissfully melancholy. And finally they leave you feeling kind of grateful. Some have said the best music, literature, film, art, etc., leaves you changed after you experience it. It invigorates you to the degree that you know its more than just entertainment. You're a different person after experience it. If you're not feeling that after the 9-minute blues journey story-song of "Nobody Girl" or the simple hard-rock driver that is "Enemy Fire" than maybe you just need to turn up the volume or put on some better headphones. I understand that maybe it won't have that effect on you. But maybe you'll get that lovin' feeling. Or maybe I'm just holding on too tightly to that teenage emotion.

Even Bono couldn't resist covering Ryan ("When The Stars Go Blue", track 7)

For the aficionados and Gold-lovers out there look for the deluxe version with an extra disc of songs - Adams originally meant it to be a double album. Seeing as how he's on my Top 5 it really was an obligation for me to get it once I found out about it. There are a couple gems on there. And if you made it this far and you're still wondering when I'm going to talk about "Summer of 69" then please hit the "blog self destruct" button now, as it is clear I have failed you.