Musings on Anna Karenina

When Mark Twain was asked what book taught him how to write, he replied "Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina,, Anna Karenina".

I add to the list Miss Havisham's wedding cake.


It seems that Tolstoy, as urban legend has it, was writing a book with Levin has his protagonist, since Levin was a mirror image of himself.


Then one day he and the missus were reading the morning paper over breakfast and found a small blurb about a married woman who threw herself under a train because of her lover.

This fascinated Tolstoy. as he discussed it with his wife, over toast and coffee. What would drive a woman to such despair she would throw herself under a train?

That woman was reborn as Anna.


I was train spotting long before Irvine Welsh wrote his book in 93. I never jumped, but I was fascinated by the trains.

Blame it on my father. When I was five he bought me a Lionel train set complete with a locomotive that blew smoke.



[img]http://www.legacystation.com/Lionel06/pg6-7-590.jpg[img]

Again, I am not suicidal. Just fascinated. I haven't train spotted since my last relationship ended. I am afraid to, it's too close for comfort.

I just know I am tired, I am weary. I could sleep for 1000 years, with apologies to Lou Reed. I just want to go to sleep for 1000 years, and wake up iike Fry in futureama in a better place, even though since I read RUR, robots scare me.