Bookish Brews Snapshot
Anna K by Jenny Lee
Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless love story, Anna Karenina—but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.
🏙️ City Life 🎂 Coming of Age 🎭 Dramatic 🥀 Flawed Characters
- Genre: Contemporary, Retelling
Book Review
Stunning, intoxicating, consuming, glamorous
Anna K. was a book that Sarah (at Girl on Books) has been telling me to read since October. Like every other week. We even buddy watched Anna Karenina, the movie with Kiera Knightly, back in November for preparation. I’m so glad she was so persistent, because this book was so much fun. It was exactly what I expected, in that I love it in the same way I loved Gossip Girl when it was on TV. But Anna K recasts Anna Karenina as a half Korean woman! It’s so rare to find half Asian protagonists in books, I’m so so happy to finally see more of that.
Anna K. follows the story of Anna Karenina pretty well, but with different characters and in a different setting. It’s about the intoxicating and overwhelming story of rich kids in NYC falling in love for the first time, but having to abide by socialite rules and standards of the New York Elite. It has all that you want from Anna Karenina (the intoxicating love, the scandalous twists and turns), but none of the things that didn’t age well from Tolstoy’s version from 1877.
As much as I wish I had read Anna Karenina before reading this book, I think watching the movie was fine in order to see the parallels. Though I know I definitely missed some direct references and allegories that connect the books (Jenny Lee knows her stuff!), I was still able to really enjoy this read! But I didn’t miss that Jenny Lee wrote her dog, Gemma, into this! How cute!
My favorite part (aside from the fun twists in the romance, of course!) was the subtle microaggressions that Jenny Lee was able to squeeze into this. The best part about it was that no one was really in this book that wasn’t a serious character, they were all friends with each other. All of the small racist moments came from friends. Friends who didn’t realize they were being racist. People who say nice things, but are abiding by a stereotype to make assumptions about their friend. It was so real and I’m so glad that got included. Because that happens.
I’m more than excited to read the sequel. Especially because I’m sure it will end up being some kind of buddy read!!! Which of course is way more exciting. It even comes out this month, so it couldn’t have been better timing for me to read this! Anna K. Away, here I come!!
Anna K. was exactly what I wanted, it was glam, fun, twisty, intoxicating, and full of that incredibly overwhelming first love feeling. I was so incredibly happy to see a mixed main character, it took my breath away. Anyone can be as glam as they want, especially in books! Thank you, Jenny Lee!
Book Aesthetic
