Books

New York: Limited Editions Club, 1951. First Edition Thus; First Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine in a Very Good+ slipcase dust jacket. Top text block edges gilded. Illustrations by Barnett Freedman. ; Number 958 of 1,500 limited printings, Signed by illustrator. ; Signed by Illustrator.

Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Many authors consider Anna Karenina the greatest work of literature ever written, and Tolstoy himself called it his first true novel. It deals with themes of betrayal, faith, family, marriage, Imperial Russian society, desire, and rural vs. city life. The complex novel unfolds against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian high society and tells the tragic story of a married aristocrat and her affair with the affluent Count Vronsky. The novel explores a diverse range of topics throughout its pages and profoundly influences the genres of realist and romantic fiction.

First editions are generally identifiable by their print run, publisher, year of publication, and the absence of later editing dates. Typically for Anna Karenina, the true first editions would be the serialized publications in The Russian Messenger.