Count Vronsky's Daughter by Carola salisbury

4 1/2 Stars

This is a must read for any Tolstoy fan. No, its not to his standard so don't expect it, BUT! if you're like me and just cant get enough Tolstoy this book is satisfying.

Its not perfect, the story deviates down a few side streets in the form of famous artists/ entertainers. For example, her alter hero Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec the artist actually fights a duel for her honor. Yes. The dwarf. Entertaining but I was wondering if it was relevent to the story. It reminded me a bit of Dickens, he had a thing for inserting performers in his stories and I was never fond of it. Anyway!

Ok, this is going to he hard but IN A NUTSHELL:

Anna Karenina, as we all remember had two children before she committed suicide on the rail tracks. Anni and Alexei. Both ended up with her husband (the boy was her husband's) and Count Vronsky went back to his regiment and was killed.

This is the story of Anni when she comes of age. Her papa dies and his estate is split between the two children. Alexei runs with a wild crowd, gambling and joining. the revolutionary movement. Anni moves to Paris and studies art.

The meat of the story begins when Alexei and his revolutionary friend Oliver surprise her with a visit. There has been bombing activity in the city, they are suspect, she shelters them and unwittingly becomes involved.

There's lots of twists and turns in here and I really cant get into them without spoiling things but suffice it to say I REALLY enjoyed this. If it wasn't for the entertainers I would have given it 5 stars (and I have a feeling that if I reread it those parts wouldn't bother me so much because Id understand their point in being there).

I felt that the author stayed true to Tolstoy's story and characters and Anni and Alexei also stayed true to what we would expect of them given their background. I also loved the little tidbits that tied this story to Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. The horse race for example and Anni's reaction to railtrack accidents.

CONTENT :

SEX : None (some nude posing for artists)
VIOLENCE : a few descriptions of bombing injuries and a couple of deaths.
PROFANITY: Mild
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS : None

MY RATING : PG