Context brings the brightest minds to your living room with perspective-shifting online lectures.

"Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy: A Three Part Course with Dr. Joseph Luzzi

"Anna Karenina" by Leo Tolstoy: A Three Part Course with Dr. Joseph Luzzi


No events are scheduled at this time. Want to be notified when it’s back? Click the blue button to the right and we’ll notify you.

Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after each event.

Professor Luzzi will lead participants in a seminar devoted to exploring what makes Tolstoy's groundbreaking novel, Anna Karenina, essential reading today. We will consider the captivating prose and narrative genius of Tolstoy, as together we unlock the mysteries of his writing and discover the rich culture and history of his Russian world. We will also see how the writing of Tolstoy compares to illustrious contemporaries like Dostoevsky, Proust, and others. 

Each week of the course will spotlight a new section of Tolstoy's work. Professor Luzzi will be using the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (Penguin) of Anna Karenina. Particpants are encouraged to use any addition readily available to them.
  • Lecture 1: Parts 1–2 of Anna Karenina 
  • Lecture 2: Parts 3–5 of Anna Karenina 
  • Lecture 3: Parts 6–8 of Anna Karenina

I will be using the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (Penguin) of Anna Karenina. 

Joseph Luzzi received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Faculty Member in Italian Studies at Bard College, where he has taught since 2002 after being a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. A frequent contributor to publications including the New York Times, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education, he is the author of 5 books, including "My Two Italies," a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and "In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love," a Vanity Fair “Must-Read” selection. His work has been translated into multiple languages and his many awards include a Yale College Teaching Prize, Dante Society of America Essay Prize, and Wallace Fellowship at Villa I Tatti, Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. In 2017 he was named Cittadino Onorario/Honorary Citizen in Acri, Calabria, his Italian parents' birthplace. His next book is "Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance," which will be published by W. W. Norton. Professor Luzzi is the founder of the Virtual Book Club, an online community of readers dedicated to exploring some of the best books ever written. Learn more at JosephLuzzi.com.

How does it work?
This is a three-part series held weekly and hosted on Zoom. Please check the schedule for the specific dates and times for each lecture.

Is there a reading list in advance?
Though the course is open to participants with no background on this topic, we do encourage you to read along during each week of the course. Participants are welcome to use any edition of the novel that they like.

How long are the lectures?
Each lecture is 60 minutes long with time for Q&A.

How much is the course?
The course is $105 USD for three lectures.

Is a recording available if I am unable to attend the live discussion each week?
Yes.  A link to view the Zoom room recording will be emailed to you within 24 hours of each session's conclusion. 
Recordings will be available to re-watch at leisure up until 2 weeks after the course's conclusion. 

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

60 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

No reviews yet
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)

Customer Reviews

No reviews yet
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)