Sofia Taylor ’21, School and Local Editor: Anna Karenina

While taking a break from screens may not necessarily mean reading 1000 pages of Tolstoy, I highly recommend picking up Anna Karenina over this winter break. Although there are endless pages full of introspection and what seemingly feels like filler conversation, the plot is as sappy and dramatic as it gets, from devastating agony and sacrifice to love and romance and betrayal. If reading Tolstoy isn’t for you though, I highly recommend the 2012 film with the same name, which is somewhat different from the book but still enjoyable to watch. The inner dialogue and struggles of many of the characters in the book is something that the movie can’t quite portray in the same way. Time passes very slowly in the book, partly because it’s so long, making you feel as if you are living alongside the characters. The movie, on the other hand, presents a much different aesthetic: an almost overstimulated whirlwind through the intricate plot. With its intricate scene changes and smooth transitions throughout points in time, it is filmed as if it were played on a stage. Dario Marianelli’s sweeping Tchaikovsky-esque soundtrack and the gorgeous scenery (along with the very attractive cast) transports you into the glamorous world of 19th-century high-class St. Petersburg society, condensing years worth of plot into a fast-paced 2-hour film. The film leaves Netflix this year on December 31st, so watch it while you still can!