{"id":9387,"date":"2025-12-28T15:35:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T23:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nicksenger.com\/readalong\/?p=9387"},"modified":"2025-12-31T11:48:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T19:48:37","slug":"preparing-for-the-2026-tolstoy-chapter-a-day-read-along-anna-karenina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nicksenger.com\/readalong\/preparing-for-the-2026-tolstoy-chapter-a-day-read-along-anna-karenina\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for the 2026 Tolstoy Chapter-a-Day Read-Along: Anna Karenina"},"content":{"rendered":"

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With January 1 just around the corner, it\u2019s time to get ready to begin our 2026 Year of Tolstoy<\/a>. We\u2019ll be reading it the way we always do\u2014one chapter a day, steadily and without pressure. If you\u2019re already signed up, consider this a chance to take a breath, gather your book, and ease into the rhythm of the year ahead.<\/p>\n

From January 1 through August 27, we\u2019ll be taking Anna Karenina<\/em> one chapter at a time. Then we\u2019ll move on to Tolstoy\u2019s final novel, Resurrection<\/em>. To really make this a Year of Tolstoy, I’m also going recommend a couple of parallel reads that you might consider.<\/p>\n

I’ve been anticipating this year’s books for quite a while. While I\u2019ve read War and Peace<\/em><\/a> and several of Tolstoy\u2019s short stories, I have never read either Anna Karenina<\/em> or Resurrection<\/em>, so this read-along will be a genuine first encounter for me, which makes our shared journey even more meaningful.<\/p>\n

About Anna Karenina<\/em><\/h4>\n

First published in 1877, Anna Karenina<\/em> is often described as a novel about love, marriage, family, and society\u2014but those labels barely scratch the surface. At its heart, it is a book about the inner lives of men and women: their longings, contradictions, failures, hopes, and quiet moments of awakening.<\/p>\n

Tolstoy has an unmatched ability to make us feel as though we are living inside his characters\u2019 thoughts, watching their lives unfold not as abstract ideas but as deeply human experiences. If War and Peace<\/em> shows Tolstoy at his most expansive\u2014surveying history, nations, and sweeping movements\u2014Anna Karenina<\/em> brings that same genius to the level of everyday life: conversations, relationships, moral choices, and the search for meaning.<\/p>\n

Many readers consider Anna Karenina<\/em> the greatest novel ever written. When William Faulkner was asked to name the three greatest novels ever written he responded, “Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina<\/em>.” That\u2019s one reason why reading it slowly, one chapter a day, can be such a gift. This is not a book to rush through. It rewards patience, rereading, and reflection.<\/p>\n

Reading Alongside Anna Karenina<\/em><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>I really want to immerse myself in Tolstoy this year, so in addition to our daily chapters from the novels, I\u2019ll be incorporating two complementary reading practices, both of which you are welcome to join if they appeal to you.<\/p>\n

First, I\u2019ll be reading Tolstoy\u2019s A Calendar of Wisdom.<\/em> This book is a collection of short daily reflections drawn from Tolstoy\u2019s own writings and from thinkers he admired. As I’ve dipped into it here and there the last few months, I\u2019ve found it to be filled with food for thought\u2014something brief, thoughtful, and grounding to read either before or after the day\u2019s chapter. While it\u2019s entirely optional, I highly recommend it if you\u2019re looking to deepen the reflective side of your reading. You can order it from Amazon (affiliate link)<\/a>, or you can read it online for free<\/a>, thanks to Rory Flint.<\/p>\n

Second, throughout the year I\u2019ll also be dipping into The Everyman\u2019s Library two-volume collection of Tolstoy\u2019s short stories, thanks to a Christmas gift from my wife. Tolstoy\u2019s short fiction is extraordinary\u2014clear, piercing, and often spiritually resonant\u2014and reading a story now and then can enrich our understanding of the larger novels without overwhelming the daily rhythm. Again, this is optional, but I wanted you to know what else will be in my reading life as we move through the year. It, too, is available via Amazon<\/a>, but you can also find all the stories online for free at Project Gutenberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sharing the Experience<\/h4>\n

One of the great joys of the chapter-a-day read-along is the sense of quiet community it creates. Even when we\u2019re reading alone, we\u2019re not really reading alone.<\/p>\n

I encourage you to share a favorite line, a brief reflection, or a passing question on social media using the hashtag #tolstoyreadalong. I\u2019ll be posting daily quotes and occasional thoughts on Instagram<\/a>, Threads<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Bluesky<\/a>, and X<\/a>, and you\u2019re always welcome to join the conversation in whatever way feels natural to you.<\/p>\n

As always, I ask that we respect the reading experience of others by avoiding spoilers. One of the pleasures of this format is discovering the novel slowly, together.<\/p>\n

Getting Ready<\/h4>\n

As January 1 approaches, now is a good time to:<\/p>\n