Anna Karenina

Since I didn't have as much time to read during the 1st vingtaine, I haven't gotten very far in Anna Karenina. In the 117 pages that I have read, I have followed the lives of 5 different individuals. Prince Stepan "Stiva" Arkadyevich Oblonsky, Princess Ekaterina "Kitty" Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya, Nikolai Dmitrievich Levin, Princess Anna Arkadyevna Karenina and Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. 

The book begins focusing on Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky, or Stiva. A drama surfaces in the Oblonsky household when Dolly, Stiva's wife finds out about her husband's affair with the family's governess. The Oblonsky house is a mess and Stiva and Dolly do not wish to speak to each other. The family only begins to speak to one another when Stiva Oblonsky reminds Dolly that his sister Anna Arkadyevna Karenina is coming to visit from St. Petersburg. 

In the meantime, Nikolai Dmitrievich Levin has come to Moscow to propose to Dolly's youngest sister, Princess Ekaterina "Kitty" Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya. Levin is an aristocratic landowner who lives in the country. He is very passionate about Kitty and has been dreaming to marry her for some time now. He later delays his proposal learning that Kitty has another suitor, Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. 

Later on, Stiva goes to the railway station to pick up his sister Anna Karenina and bumps into Count Vronsky. Count Vronsky is at the railway station picking up his mother, which has been conversing with Anna Karenina on the train. When the train arrives, Count Vronsky sees Anna for the very first time and is completely under the spell of Anna's beauty and elegance. Count Vronsky leaves the train station with his mother, while Anna leaves with Stiva Oblonsky to his household. 

When Anna Karenina arrives in the Oblonsky household, her brother Stepan informs her of the scene in the house. Anna persuades Dolly that despite the affair, her brother is still in love with her and that he is ashamed of his infidelity. Dolly decides not to get a divorce and chooses to forgive Prince Stepan. 

Kitty visits Dolly and Anna and, like Vronsky, is overwhelmed by Anna's beauty. Kitty is a young woman and is expected to choose a good husband, due to her social status. She believes that Vronsky is in love with her and expects to dance with him at the ball that evening. After her meeting with Anna, Levin confesses his love for Kitty and proposes. Kitty refuses, believing that she is in love with Count Vronsky, and leaves Levin heartbroken. 

At the ball, Count Vronsky dances with Anna. Vronsky was flirtatious with Kitty as a source of amusement, and believed that her response was nothing serious. Kitty sees that Vronsky has fallen in love with Anna and has no interest in marrying her. Kitty is heartbroken. Anna is distressed at her physical and emotional response towards to Count Vronsky and returns home to her Husband Count Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin and her son Sergei "Seryozha" Alexeyich Karenin in St. Petersburg. Count Vronsky follows her on the same train. On the train ride back to St. Petersburg, Count Vronsky confronts Anna Karenina and confesses his love for her, she refuses; this encounter affects her emotionally.  

Devastated from Kitty's refusal, Levin returns to his country home so wallow in sorrow. Anna returns to St. Petersburg, but since her encounter with Count Vronsky, she no longer finds her own husband attractive and is disgusted by his very presence.