Andrew Klavan proves, once again, that he is wiser than I can ever hope to be! Showing life, with all its complexity, both internal and external, allows us to understand a character like Anna, while emphasizing the truth that understanding is not forgiving. We can understand sin without supporting it, a skill that seems lost in this polarized world.
This letter is full of truth. As I’m sure Andrew would want us to recall, Jesus regularly dined with sinners. Our bibles present life and the human condition to us as we really are. While there are many examples of this just look at the life of Jacob.
Wonderful commentary. Tried these novels as a kid in my late teens…just dragged my way through them with no insight as I recall. Need to read them again! Ay 76! Maybe I’m old enough to appreciate them now!!!
Sitting by a fireplace each evening with an "Andrew Klavan Reader" compendium of all his writings would be heaven. In the meantime, Substack will do nicely, thank you very much.
Anna’s beauty (inner and outer) is one of the starting points of the novel. She demonstrates her compassion and emotional intelligence by helping Dolly deal with Stiva’s infidelity (an irony of course); the barometer here are Dolly’s children, who instinctively crowd around her. But Vronsky makes her feel alive as a woman for the first time. Unfortunately, Anna is also a mother and dearly loves her son. Tolstoy’s genius? He makes us feel her beauty and its gradual death spiral from within. It isn’t Karenin‘s fault; “slapping him upside the head” wouldn’t have changed anything. It is the fire that only someone like Vronsky can light. And every step of the way Anna also knows it is wrong. The result? Like her author we never cease loving her. The definition of tragedy.
I’ve got about 80 more pages to go and my friends think you are spying on my bookshelf. Maybe that’s because I read all your recommendations. This novel is the most comfortable read ever. Anna is, as Levin describes, “In addition to her intelligence, grace, and beauty, she also possessed sincerity.” And later, “I am dreadfully sorry for her.” Not a page-turner but one I look forward to getting back into every night. I enjoy spending time with all these characters.
I am wondering what you might be working on now because I will soon be needing another novel. Recommendations are welcome as is the anticipation of another Klavan novel.
I have to admit I'm slightly perplexed at times at how some of my Christian friends can swing so far from one end of the spectrum of viewing things to the complete opposite. It's like they have no concept of nuance. But it has crossed my mind that perhaps it's more a theological problem than a philosophical one. For instance, if your view is that what you believe (alone) determines your righteousness, or if nothing you do actually matters for salvation because "it's all Jesus"...that just doesn't leave a lot of room for the reality of the dance between temptation, grace, and will.
(Not picking a theological fight, just thinking out loud about how one's theology might influence how one would portray the world. I definitely think the same concept applies to Leftists anyway.)
As a reaction to your closing image of a clenched fist, I was reminded of Blake: "He who binds to him self a joy/ Does the winged life destroy./ He who kisses joy as it flies,/ Lives in eternity's sunrise"
It is my great fortune to have discovered Andrew Klavan, first through his novels and then through modern media. It’s been edifying and nourishing to see the world and these crazy times explained through his works and his commentary.
For one, I understand much more about art and its importance in living a fuller life, and in enabling others to do so by sharing one’s art. His take on life and events also gives me hope and re-centers my life on God.
He’s also helped me give myself internal permission of sorts to take affirmative pride in making a home and having raised our children—which I have loved doing—even though society pays more homage to my career.
Finally, through his discussions about the experience of being an artist and specifically a writer, I realized that some core part of me is also a writer. I need to write, although I don’t have a talent for writing fiction. But as Tony Soprano wisely observed, “What are you gonna do?”
Mister Klavan, I like many of us am a fairly avid consumer of culture. I love to travel when I can, and experience life briefly outside of my own fishbowl. I’m a weird introvert that loves being with people, and watch and listen to other people, in other places living and mingling.
This also translates into loving a packed movie theater, or a popular launch of this or that new thing.
Where I am cautious, for good or bad, is when a production looks and sounds like propaganda to me. I shy away from participating in these events because I honestly want deliberate propaganda to die on the vine.
I wonder if at some point you could talk about your position on cultural events that appear to exist primarily to influence with an anti-conservative bent.
How do you decide to spend your money and time in our cultural battles of today?
Thank you for your narrative on this important topic.
It truly is a great read. I was devastated by the ending…talk about a reality check! I watched a movie of it and was surprised by the “changed” ending. I found out there were two ending made. A “softened” ending for the American audience and Tolstoy ending for everyone else. The movie makers felt the Americans couldn’t take the real version.
Socialists & other snakes have often lurk in the undergrowth for its their natural habitat, often pop up to convince women along with men that the grass is far greener on the other side. With the knowledge of a promised utopia as yet unrealised because of the straight jacket of morality one is trapped in.
Once you swallow the idea , all those beautiful, elaborates & tapestries we sow to adorn the walls of our souls to give life its meaning of being sometimes called called off spring & family. Are all left discarded like so much untouched needles thread & cloth .
Only to be exchanged for the cold bars & bricks of a meaningless cell walls pot marked by short term ecstasy’s highs & dark holes of emotion recovery. While ultimately wishing you could just slowly pass away as the bread crumbs you left to find your way back you promised to lay down were eaten by the aforementioned undergrowth dwellers leave a drug induced stupor like the murderess in the East of Eden, instead of ascending from the that paradise lost to an eternity just off to the west you turned your back on .
Reading this and remembering Anna, Madame Bovary, Scarlett O'Hara, and Leah of the Bible, a theme appears that echoes moments of my life. Women just want to be seen by men, acknowledged at the least, and cherished at the apex of the "seen" continuum. In Genesis, God prescribes very clearly how man and woman are to behave with each other, prophesies how we will rebel, and stories it throughout the Old Testament. Jesus set the perfect example of respect for women. Paul is vilified by feminists for outlining workable roles within the church. The Bible, religious texts, and great literature relate "the battle of the sexes" struggle through centuries of cultures. Both genders have sharpened powers, pen, and tongues to deny that we are all in this together, and should let no one put us asunder.
Andrew Klavan proves, once again, that he is wiser than I can ever hope to be! Showing life, with all its complexity, both internal and external, allows us to understand a character like Anna, while emphasizing the truth that understanding is not forgiving. We can understand sin without supporting it, a skill that seems lost in this polarized world.
This letter is full of truth. As I’m sure Andrew would want us to recall, Jesus regularly dined with sinners. Our bibles present life and the human condition to us as we really are. While there are many examples of this just look at the life of Jacob.
Wonderful commentary. Tried these novels as a kid in my late teens…just dragged my way through them with no insight as I recall. Need to read them again! Ay 76! Maybe I’m old enough to appreciate them now!!!
Sitting by a fireplace each evening with an "Andrew Klavan Reader" compendium of all his writings would be heaven. In the meantime, Substack will do nicely, thank you very much.
"Andrew Klavan Reader"
Yes! Bring it on.
💯 agreed! A book like that would pair nicely with my Thomas Sowell reader.
Anna’s beauty (inner and outer) is one of the starting points of the novel. She demonstrates her compassion and emotional intelligence by helping Dolly deal with Stiva’s infidelity (an irony of course); the barometer here are Dolly’s children, who instinctively crowd around her. But Vronsky makes her feel alive as a woman for the first time. Unfortunately, Anna is also a mother and dearly loves her son. Tolstoy’s genius? He makes us feel her beauty and its gradual death spiral from within. It isn’t Karenin‘s fault; “slapping him upside the head” wouldn’t have changed anything. It is the fire that only someone like Vronsky can light. And every step of the way Anna also knows it is wrong. The result? Like her author we never cease loving her. The definition of tragedy.
I’ve got about 80 more pages to go and my friends think you are spying on my bookshelf. Maybe that’s because I read all your recommendations. This novel is the most comfortable read ever. Anna is, as Levin describes, “In addition to her intelligence, grace, and beauty, she also possessed sincerity.” And later, “I am dreadfully sorry for her.” Not a page-turner but one I look forward to getting back into every night. I enjoy spending time with all these characters.
I am wondering what you might be working on now because I will soon be needing another novel. Recommendations are welcome as is the anticipation of another Klavan novel.
I have to admit I'm slightly perplexed at times at how some of my Christian friends can swing so far from one end of the spectrum of viewing things to the complete opposite. It's like they have no concept of nuance. But it has crossed my mind that perhaps it's more a theological problem than a philosophical one. For instance, if your view is that what you believe (alone) determines your righteousness, or if nothing you do actually matters for salvation because "it's all Jesus"...that just doesn't leave a lot of room for the reality of the dance between temptation, grace, and will.
(Not picking a theological fight, just thinking out loud about how one's theology might influence how one would portray the world. I definitely think the same concept applies to Leftists anyway.)
"Learning to Dine with Sinners"
Does that cover sitting down with Megyn Kelly and not confronting her support of Tucker Carlson?
As a reaction to your closing image of a clenched fist, I was reminded of Blake: "He who binds to him self a joy/ Does the winged life destroy./ He who kisses joy as it flies,/ Lives in eternity's sunrise"
It is my great fortune to have discovered Andrew Klavan, first through his novels and then through modern media. It’s been edifying and nourishing to see the world and these crazy times explained through his works and his commentary.
For one, I understand much more about art and its importance in living a fuller life, and in enabling others to do so by sharing one’s art. His take on life and events also gives me hope and re-centers my life on God.
He’s also helped me give myself internal permission of sorts to take affirmative pride in making a home and having raised our children—which I have loved doing—even though society pays more homage to my career.
Finally, through his discussions about the experience of being an artist and specifically a writer, I realized that some core part of me is also a writer. I need to write, although I don’t have a talent for writing fiction. But as Tony Soprano wisely observed, “What are you gonna do?”
Mister Klavan, I like many of us am a fairly avid consumer of culture. I love to travel when I can, and experience life briefly outside of my own fishbowl. I’m a weird introvert that loves being with people, and watch and listen to other people, in other places living and mingling.
This also translates into loving a packed movie theater, or a popular launch of this or that new thing.
Where I am cautious, for good or bad, is when a production looks and sounds like propaganda to me. I shy away from participating in these events because I honestly want deliberate propaganda to die on the vine.
I wonder if at some point you could talk about your position on cultural events that appear to exist primarily to influence with an anti-conservative bent.
How do you decide to spend your money and time in our cultural battles of today?
Thank you for your narrative on this important topic.
It truly is a great read. I was devastated by the ending…talk about a reality check! I watched a movie of it and was surprised by the “changed” ending. I found out there were two ending made. A “softened” ending for the American audience and Tolstoy ending for everyone else. The movie makers felt the Americans couldn’t take the real version.
Socialists & other snakes have often lurk in the undergrowth for its their natural habitat, often pop up to convince women along with men that the grass is far greener on the other side. With the knowledge of a promised utopia as yet unrealised because of the straight jacket of morality one is trapped in.
Once you swallow the idea , all those beautiful, elaborates & tapestries we sow to adorn the walls of our souls to give life its meaning of being sometimes called called off spring & family. Are all left discarded like so much untouched needles thread & cloth .
Only to be exchanged for the cold bars & bricks of a meaningless cell walls pot marked by short term ecstasy’s highs & dark holes of emotion recovery. While ultimately wishing you could just slowly pass away as the bread crumbs you left to find your way back you promised to lay down were eaten by the aforementioned undergrowth dwellers leave a drug induced stupor like the murderess in the East of Eden, instead of ascending from the that paradise lost to an eternity just off to the west you turned your back on .
At the end, Levin’s philosophical revelations are really similar to what you say, that matter is the language of the spirit.
Reading this and remembering Anna, Madame Bovary, Scarlett O'Hara, and Leah of the Bible, a theme appears that echoes moments of my life. Women just want to be seen by men, acknowledged at the least, and cherished at the apex of the "seen" continuum. In Genesis, God prescribes very clearly how man and woman are to behave with each other, prophesies how we will rebel, and stories it throughout the Old Testament. Jesus set the perfect example of respect for women. Paul is vilified by feminists for outlining workable roles within the church. The Bible, religious texts, and great literature relate "the battle of the sexes" struggle through centuries of cultures. Both genders have sharpened powers, pen, and tongues to deny that we are all in this together, and should let no one put us asunder.