Although Anna Karenina has been described as “the European novel” by Frank Leavis, the geographical setting of the novel and, increasingly, its temporal and cultural setting, render it a foreign novel to most readers. A Karenina Companion offers a wealth of information, including a great deal that has previously not been available in English, for the scholarly and literary appreciation of this great novel.

Chapter 1 is a biographical introduction and Chapter 2 an examination of the way in which the novel was composed. In Chapter 3 the author brings together Tolstoi’s own substantial comments on his work. Chapter 4 adduces the main differences between the latest edition of the text and what has been the standard edition for over 50 years. Chapter 5 outlines what Tolstoi was reading as he was writing the novel. The final chapter provides a survey of significant secondary literature, with English-language works listed in appendices.

A Karenina Companion will facilitate both the reading and understanding of the novel by English speakers and the writing of informed and reliable critical appreciations.