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emkreads's review
4.0
Got this ARC from netgalley and it was really good! I loved getting to know Anna Karenina's story in a simplified form. Classics can sometimes be effy to read (especially if they ain't in your first language) vut this was great! Was it childish? Yeah but honestly it did it! It did the job really well and I recommend it! (Plus, the illustrations are stunning)
geekwayne's review
3.0
'Anna Karenina (Easy Classics)' adapted by Gemma Barder with illustrations by Helen Panayi is a chapter book based on the classic by Leo Tolstoy.
Anna Karenina has a respected husband and son, but she is bored with her life. Along comes Count Vronsky who shows an interest in Anna. Meanwhile, Natasha likes Count Vronsky and Pierre likes Natasha. Who will it end well for and who will it end tragically for?
It's a good adaptation. I'm not sure the themes of love, divorce and affairs would interest the grade level this is intended for, but it's a great story and the illustrations are quite nice.
Anna Karenina has a respected husband and son, but she is bored with her life. Along comes Count Vronsky who shows an interest in Anna. Meanwhile, Natasha likes Count Vronsky and Pierre likes Natasha. Who will it end well for and who will it end tragically for?
It's a good adaptation. I'm not sure the themes of love, divorce and affairs would interest the grade level this is intended for, but it's a great story and the illustrations are quite nice.
melanieloyola_'s review
4.0
note: thank you netgalley for providing me an arc of this book!!!
I had zero intentions to read the original Anna karenina. After dealing with 1000 pages of war and peace, I could not go through with it. But then I stumbled upon this and was super excited to be able to read it.
This was honestly really nice. It was dumbed down enough for me to understand and had illustrations which is always nice. I did not expect much, since it was almost written in a middle grade style, but no middle grade child should read this. It deals with some heavy topics I dont think they should meet this early, but its perfect for people who suck at understanding classics or just dont have the attention span for it (120 pages? This is basically a spark notes book with only the important stuff). While it claims to be suitable for all ages, I defitnely would not give this to 7 year olds.
But now I feel inclined to read the original, so maybe ill go do that now….
I had zero intentions to read the original Anna karenina. After dealing with 1000 pages of war and peace, I could not go through with it. But then I stumbled upon this and was super excited to be able to read it.
This was honestly really nice. It was dumbed down enough for me to understand and had illustrations which is always nice. I did not expect much, since it was almost written in a middle grade style, but no middle grade child should read this. It deals with some heavy topics I dont think they should meet this early, but its perfect for people who suck at understanding classics or just dont have the attention span for it (120 pages? This is basically a spark notes book with only the important stuff). While it claims to be suitable for all ages, I defitnely would not give this to 7 year olds.
But now I feel inclined to read the original, so maybe ill go do that now….
happi_mess's review
4.0
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Everyone thinks that Anna Karenina has the perfect life. She was beautiful, young, rich, and belongs to a known family. In reality, Anna finds her life dull and boring even having a beautiful child and a respected husband. She is missing her younger days when she lived in the city. Anna went to Moscow, in an attempt to help her brother and her sister-in-law repair their relationship. There, she meets Count Vronsky, and her life turned upside down.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Rating: ★★★★.5
One word for this story:
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Okay, who is reading a classic and actually enjoying it?
Who’s getting the time of her life breezing through this classic while still understanding the basic essence of the story in a short amount of time? Can I get a woot woot?
I have always meant to read this classic, however, whenever I saw the book’s thickness and small fonts, I find myself looking at another book. But here I am! I did not want to read a shortened version of this classic in some summary I found on the web. It was such a joy when I found this easy-to-read version that had pictures on it! I never clicked faster in my life.
I wish more books like this would come out, I'd definitely check out the other ones that were already published.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The things that I like
☽ The story in itself feels real. This kind of situation that Anna is in still happens to this day. Nobody can tell me that this does not happen in real life and present time. It deserves to be a classic as it is truly timeless. What happened to this characters in the end were justifiable and fitting to close the story.
☽ The characters were fully-realized. They were very conscious of every move they made. They had emotions. They felt real.
Comments about the adaptation:
☽ It served its purpose. It relayed the story in a shorter and more concise way. I got the whole story, not just simply the gist of it which I could easily get in Wikipedia. It is accurate as well.
☽ It made me excited to read other classics. If you are like me who is trying to check out all the to-read classics but is having a hard time with the ones with longer volumes, then I suggest that you pick up this book and the other ones in this collection. I think it's a great way to summarize without being too textbook like and still have that essence of having a story in your hands. With the use of this, I gained another level of adoration for classics.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The things that I DID NOT like
☾ The missing emphasis. What I think was missing that the others were looking for was the emphasis for the message of the book. Anna struggled and Kitty got her happy ending. All of that complex emotion and thought process. But I would not blame the book because in the first place this was meant to be for all ages, which include children.
☾ Appropriation. It has pictures. It has a good story. But I do not think that the story is really applicable for children because of the sensitive topics about relationship and family. I think adults would better appreciate this piece of work. It would be great for this story to not be advertised for all ages.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
In sum: I think the original story and this adaptation is great. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could not stop reading it. I gained a new perspective of Classic works. Now I know where to go if I'm struggling to get through a Classic. I could definitely say that I know what happened in Anna Karenina without having to read almost a thousand pages.
I recommend this to people who are trying to get into Classics, to people who have tried Classics but haven’t found joy and fun in it, and to people who would like to know Classics story but gets daunted by the length and the language. This is great stepping stone and a summary guide.
DO NOT READ THIS IF you are going to complain about the certain missing themes and highlights on the story. This is an EASY-TO-READ level of the original.
Anna smiled at the man. He had short, dark hair and dark eyes. He was dressed in a military uniform, which he wore so proudly it could have been finest fashion. He did not smile back at Anna, but stared directly in her eyes. He took her hand and kissed it. 'It is nice to meet you,' Vronsky said. They held each other's gaze for several seconds.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Everyone thinks that Anna Karenina has the perfect life. She was beautiful, young, rich, and belongs to a known family. In reality, Anna finds her life dull and boring even having a beautiful child and a respected husband. She is missing her younger days when she lived in the city. Anna went to Moscow, in an attempt to help her brother and her sister-in-law repair their relationship. There, she meets Count Vronsky, and her life turned upside down.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Rating: ★★★★.5
One word for this story:
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Okay, who is reading a classic and actually enjoying it?
Who’s getting the time of her life breezing through this classic while still understanding the basic essence of the story in a short amount of time? Can I get a woot woot?
I have always meant to read this classic, however, whenever I saw the book’s thickness and small fonts, I find myself looking at another book. But here I am! I did not want to read a shortened version of this classic in some summary I found on the web. It was such a joy when I found this easy-to-read version that had pictures on it! I never clicked faster in my life.
I wish more books like this would come out, I'd definitely check out the other ones that were already published.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The things that I like
☽ The story in itself feels real. This kind of situation that Anna is in still happens to this day. Nobody can tell me that this does not happen in real life and present time. It deserves to be a classic as it is truly timeless. What happened to this characters in the end were justifiable and fitting to close the story.
☽ The characters were fully-realized. They were very conscious of every move they made. They had emotions. They felt real.
Comments about the adaptation:
☽ It served its purpose. It relayed the story in a shorter and more concise way. I got the whole story, not just simply the gist of it which I could easily get in Wikipedia. It is accurate as well.
☽ It made me excited to read other classics. If you are like me who is trying to check out all the to-read classics but is having a hard time with the ones with longer volumes, then I suggest that you pick up this book and the other ones in this collection. I think it's a great way to summarize without being too textbook like and still have that essence of having a story in your hands. With the use of this, I gained another level of adoration for classics.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The things that I DID NOT like
☾ The missing emphasis. What I think was missing that the others were looking for was the emphasis for the message of the book. Anna struggled and Kitty got her happy ending. All of that complex emotion and thought process. But I would not blame the book because in the first place this was meant to be for all ages, which include children.
☾ Appropriation. It has pictures. It has a good story. But I do not think that the story is really applicable for children because of the sensitive topics about relationship and family. I think adults would better appreciate this piece of work. It would be great for this story to not be advertised for all ages.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
In sum: I think the original story and this adaptation is great. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could not stop reading it. I gained a new perspective of Classic works. Now I know where to go if I'm struggling to get through a Classic. I could definitely say that I know what happened in Anna Karenina without having to read almost a thousand pages.
I recommend this to people who are trying to get into Classics, to people who have tried Classics but haven’t found joy and fun in it, and to people who would like to know Classics story but gets daunted by the length and the language. This is great stepping stone and a summary guide.
DO NOT READ THIS IF you are going to complain about the certain missing themes and highlights on the story. This is an EASY-TO-READ level of the original.
thewordwitch's review
2.0
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I give it in exchange for an honest review.
Question: Who is the target audience for this book? Somewhere, in the universe, is there a mother who is thinking, "Man. I loved Anna Karenina. You know who I want to share this with? My second grader." I highly doubt it.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Anna Karenina, there are so many layers of conflict and inner turmoil that the title character deals with, and all of that is lost in this version. And aren't her emotions one of the main reasons for reading it? Also, the content of the story itself isn't something I would feel would be something worth broaching in a classroom. There's an affair, a marriage dissolving into bitterness and anger, and suicide. The target audience for this series is maybe age 10? I don't think infidelity and suicide are topics that kids are really searching for in their next read.
As a teacher, I wouldn't reach for this to become part of my curriculum. The pairing of such an intense story and the childish language is just so bizarre to me.
Question: Who is the target audience for this book? Somewhere, in the universe, is there a mother who is thinking, "Man. I loved Anna Karenina. You know who I want to share this with? My second grader." I highly doubt it.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story of Anna Karenina, there are so many layers of conflict and inner turmoil that the title character deals with, and all of that is lost in this version. And aren't her emotions one of the main reasons for reading it? Also, the content of the story itself isn't something I would feel would be something worth broaching in a classroom. There's an affair, a marriage dissolving into bitterness and anger, and suicide. The target audience for this series is maybe age 10? I don't think infidelity and suicide are topics that kids are really searching for in their next read.
As a teacher, I wouldn't reach for this to become part of my curriculum. The pairing of such an intense story and the childish language is just so bizarre to me.
readingisadoingword's review
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Anna Karenina Easy Classics
This is a concise distillation of the epic classic Anna Karenina.
It's designed for children and as such, skims over some of the more adult themes.
Dolly Oblonsky is somewhat misrepresented - there is no mention of her husband's infidelity, only that she is a nagging wife.
I feel like this could have been portrayed differently.
Even if there was a desire to avoid discussing Steva's affairs, the book does examine Anna and Vronsky's affair, so it seems inconsistent to deal with Dolly and Steva differently.
Otherwise, as a brief introduction to Anna, Vronsky, Karenin, Dolly, Kitty and Levin and as a simplified outline of the story it does its job.
I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a concise distillation of the epic classic Anna Karenina.
It's designed for children and as such, skims over some of the more adult themes.
Dolly Oblonsky is somewhat misrepresented - there is no mention of her husband's infidelity, only that she is a nagging wife.
I feel like this could have been portrayed differently.
Even if there was a desire to avoid discussing Steva's affairs, the book does examine Anna and Vronsky's affair, so it seems inconsistent to deal with Dolly and Steva differently.
Otherwise, as a brief introduction to Anna, Vronsky, Karenin, Dolly, Kitty and Levin and as a simplified outline of the story it does its job.
I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
coffiishot's review
3.0
I am not intending to read the actual work by Leo Tolstoy. This is why I decided to read this abridged novel.
Over all, I enjoyed this adaptation as a quick easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the copy.
Anna Karenina is young and beautiful. She is married to Alexis Karenina who is a lot older than her. She has always felt unhappy and miserable in her marriage, until the reason to assure that feeling was standing before her in the train station named Count Vronsky. A handsome young officer who also felt the same "lust at first sight" if you may.. Forgetting that she is married with a child, Anna decides to fall in love with the Count and meet him secretly; thinking that no one knows. But everybody knows...
Alexis gives her two choices, either she cut ties with Count Vronsky, or she is to never see her son ever again.
The story makes you think about things like:
What is wrong with settling in?
What is wrong with actually going through a divorce despite what society thinks of you?
Why is it not ok to have a simple life?
Do we really have to fulfill all of our desires?
and much more....
it feels weird to have this story targeted for younger generation. I mean topics like (Adultery, divorce, lust, cheating..... and much more) In my opinion aren't suitable to children or the younger generations.
Over all, I enjoyed this adaptation as a quick easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for the copy.
Anna Karenina is young and beautiful. She is married to Alexis Karenina who is a lot older than her. She has always felt unhappy and miserable in her marriage, until the reason to assure that feeling was standing before her in the train station named Count Vronsky. A handsome young officer who also felt the same "lust at first sight" if you may.. Forgetting that she is married with a child, Anna decides to fall in love with the Count and meet him secretly; thinking that no one knows. But everybody knows...
Alexis gives her two choices, either she cut ties with Count Vronsky, or she is to never see her son ever again.
The story makes you think about things like:
What is wrong with settling in?
What is wrong with actually going through a divorce despite what society thinks of you?
Why is it not ok to have a simple life?
Do we really have to fulfill all of our desires?
and much more....
it feels weird to have this story targeted for younger generation. I mean topics like (Adultery, divorce, lust, cheating..... and much more) In my opinion aren't suitable to children or the younger generations.
franckensteine's review
3.0
3/5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for providing this e-arc!
I'm somewhat older in terms of the marketed audience this book is meant for but nonetheless i enjoyed this and can recommend tho but upon reflection this wan't the best summary and perhaps not the best if the child intends to reread the unabridged chunk of a novel
Thanks to Netgalley and Sweet Cherry Publishing for providing this e-arc!
I'm somewhat older in terms of the marketed audience this book is meant for but nonetheless i enjoyed this and can recommend tho but upon reflection this wan't the best summary and perhaps not the best if the child intends to reread the unabridged chunk of a novel
graypeape's review
3.0
I am conflicted about this book. On the one hand, looking at it purely as an adaption, Gemma Barder has done a good job of condensing over 800 pages of text down to 120 pages. While much is lost, of course, the bones of the story are there, and it was an interesting read. I admit, I've not read Anna Karenina yet, but reading this adaption honestly did make me more interested in reading the original, so there's that, that's a plus to me. However...
The publisher's blurb on Netgalley lists this book thus: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for younger readers and teens." Their blurb on GoodReads says this: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for children aged 7+." Now, the style of language in the adaption is suitable for children as young as seven, but the subject matter? Not so much. Nor do I think it would interest a child that young. An adaption of Anna Karenina would be better suited toward middle grade/high school students, with the language bumped up to their level, while still simplified from the original, in my opinion. I'm giving this 3 stars because I feel Barder did a good job within the parameters set for her, but I do think perhaps the publisher should rethink the audience, beef up the length of the adaptions in their Easy Classics Epics Collection to about double what they are now, and raise the language up to a higher level suited to older children and teens. Again, just my opinion, others mileage may vary.
#kidsTolstoy #NetGalley
The publisher's blurb on Netgalley lists this book thus: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for younger readers and teens." Their blurb on GoodReads says this: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for children aged 7+." Now, the style of language in the adaption is suitable for children as young as seven, but the subject matter? Not so much. Nor do I think it would interest a child that young. An adaption of Anna Karenina would be better suited toward middle grade/high school students, with the language bumped up to their level, while still simplified from the original, in my opinion. I'm giving this 3 stars because I feel Barder did a good job within the parameters set for her, but I do think perhaps the publisher should rethink the audience, beef up the length of the adaptions in their Easy Classics Epics Collection to about double what they are now, and raise the language up to a higher level suited to older children and teens. Again, just my opinion, others mileage may vary.
#kidsTolstoy #NetGalley
karlamcclatchey's review
4.0
Another short and easy to read introduction to a classic novel. The illustrations in this easy classics are lovely - the children love to see them, especially with the family tree as it helps identify all the characters. While the overarching theme is love, the novel obviously deals with adultery too. My daughters did not like Anna at all for betraying her husband and son. They did however love Kitty and Constantine. A great read, but with warnings: adultery; illness, and horrific accidental deaths do make this a darker classic.