Every few years, I re-read Anna Karenina because I read
fast and I've read every book in my place at least twice. And each time I read
this book by Tolstoy (warning: there are going to be spoilers because this book
came out in 1877), I identify with a different character. Most of this is due
to Tolstoy's writing, making most the characters act like real people, and some
of it has to do with me being a human and growing and changing in between
readings.
The one character I simply can't stand is Kitty. The first
time I read this book, back in high school I think, she struck me as a spoiled,
entitled little princess. Spoiler: everyone in Russia in the 1800's was either
a prince or a princess of some place, so she really, truly was a princess. I
have never once felt bad for her, while I do feel bad for the guy she
eventually marries. Because she's spoiled, expects every man around to be madly
in love with her all the time, and never seems to become more than a flat
character...in spite of Tolstoy pretending that she's great, caring, and
self-less in a sick room.
This most recent re-reading, I started with an open mind,
knowing that Kitty bugged me in the past, and yet again I was irked by her
within the first two pages of her introduction. There are characters you are
supposed to not like and most of those are peripheral characters (hooray).
Even if you don't like Mr. Karenin, you do feel sorry for him because he's in a
tight spot and getting conflicting advice from everyone and is acting like an
ass periodically. But Kitty is a major enough character that she just keeps
showing up and pouting through various chapters.
All of this is just an early-morning rant because I haven't
had coffee yet and I'm half-way through the book. I've known people in real
life called Kitty and they are always awesome. And I like cats and kittens and
kitties. It's just this Princess Ekaterina Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya ("Kitty")
who drives me up the wall.
Oh look! My coffee's ready!!!!
An Erinku (returning to the 21st century):
Today is a day
for running in sunshine
for getting new walking shoes
for an afternoon in a coffeeshop
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