Anna Karenina cover art

Anna Karenina

 Preview
Free with 30-day trial
A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.

Anna Karenina

By: Leo Tolstoy
Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Free with 30-day trial

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $44.99

Buy Now for $44.99

About this listen

Winner: Audible's Best of 2016 - Classic

"Anna Karenina is one of my favorite books. But when I agreed to read it for Audible, I had no idea how much work it would be, how intense it would be, and how deeply I would fall in love with it. There were places where I thought 'if I don't give Alexey Alexandrovitch the respect that he deserves in my reading of this scene, a critical part of the book will be ruined. If I don't give EVERYONE the utmost respect and understanding, I'm not doing justice to this brilliantly compassionate book.' But at the same time, I also wanted to have a light touch in the way I played the different characters, so that the magnificence of the novel could shine through. I feel like performing this novel is one of the major accomplishments of my work life - it was so challenging and so deep, a real pleasure." (Narrator Maggie Gyllenhaal)

Leo Tolstoy's classic story of doomed love is one of the most admired novels in world literature. Generations of readers have been enthralled by his magnificent heroine, the unhappily married Anna Karenina, and her tragic affair with dashing Count Vronsky. Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight, The Honourable Woman) cites Tolstoy's epic as one of her favorite books of all time, and her love for the literature permeates her performance. Anna Karenina is a masterpiece not only because of the unforgettable woman at its core and the stark drama of her fate but also because it explores and illuminates the deepest questions about how to live a fulfilled life.

Public Domain (P)2016 Audible, Inc. Classics Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fiction Romance Russia
All stars
Most relevant
There's no denying that Anna Karenina is a masterpiece, but like all masterpieces, it can also be a hard read. It's long. There are lots of people with confusing names. There are parts about politics that drag on and you have no idea why you're still reading. And did I mention it's long?
Though this has been one of my favorite books for a long time, I'm so glad I decided to listen to the audio version as I think it clarifies some of the things that can be missed in the reading of it. The names for one thing become a lot clearer when you hear someone else say them correctly.
Maggie Gyllenhaal does an outstanding job of the reading and is able to portray the characters and the feeling of each scene in such a perfect way. Some might wonder at the ability to carry off so many male voices without them all blending into one or not seeming masculine enough but she both articulates the individuals and expresses the male characters wonderfully.
Whether you have previously read the book or it's a new work of fiction for you, I highly recommend listening to this version of Anna Karenina.

The best way to experience Anna Karenina

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I'm not sure I would have ever picked up Tolstoy in another format, but the performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal (particularly when she finds her rhythm a few chapters into the book) make this story not just digestible but utterly delightful. Unquestionably Tolstoy was a master of human insight, and his articulation of such diverse characters and their struggles ensure his observations transcend both time and culture.

Long but worth it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I would have liked it better if Maggie Gyllenhaal had tried to use slightly different voices for the different characters, Although I understand how many characters there are makes that hard but I did find it very hard to differentiate sometimes and her voice became a little monotonous at times.
The story is wonderful though and well worth the listen. Plus the book is ENORMOUS so if you've thought about reading it, this is a great way to do it!

Wonderful story and a pretty good reading

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
such an amazing story of life and love in Russia. crosses generations and could be set in any era. absolutely perfect.

exceptional

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great interpretation of reader, the book is rich in characters and opinions, amazing insights on religion,politics,love and philosophy.

Time travelling to the 1800s, to Tolstoy himself.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved the book until the ending....author seemed to loose interest....as did I.
Well read.

Poor ending

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
i tried reading this story in high school and didn't make it very far, the second time around it had something for me that i couldn't see before. the insights into different ways and representations of love are beautiful and descriptive and the philosophical tangents are intriguing and engaging.

Russia with love

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
vivid and well narrated. very long so your in for quite a journey.. worth it I think

wonderfully narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Well read classic, for anyone who has wanted to read this book, but not found the time

Any additional comments?

Russian novels can be hard to follow with so many similar names and nicknames. Listening to the brilliant Maggie Gyllenhaal read Anna Karenina made this story come alive.

Wonderful audiobook

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book has been on my must read list for quite some time. 35 plus hours of listening time, I thank God for Maggie's masterful narrating. Dare I say that Tolstoy could have told the same beautiful story using a lot less words. I found myself getting frustrated with some of the detailed political and academic conversations, they just seemed to go on and on. While the writing was good, the telling was incredible . The pronunciations of Russian and French names and words was so good as was the speed and dynamics of the voice. Glad I read it, almost didn't make it!

How many words is too many?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.