I really enjoyed the dialogue in this book. With reading Fyodor Dostoevsky "The Brothers Karamazov" when both Tolstoy and Dostoevsky wrote about hints of Communism and to know the history of what happened is just so interesting 

I fully understand why they call this book one of the best books ever written. Before reading this book, I did not realise that it was the one of the longest books ever written. It took me three months to finish. I even had to completely re-read the first part because I didn’t understand it the first time, but then after that I was basically hooked.  
However there are many characters and it’s easy to get them confused especially since there are 3 guys called Alexander. I would go in depth about each of the main characters but there are simply to many.
If you want a modern day comparison, it’s kind of like reading Bridgerton (I’ve  only  watched the show) or reign but more dramatic. I am still yet to watch the Anna Karenina movie, but I will soon just to see how they depict such a deeply complex story. 
The only part that annoyed me was

There were a few plot points that I felt weren’t fully completed. Like how did her husband and son react to her suicide???!?! This was heavily glossed over and instead replaced by Levin Constantine Dmitrich (Kostya)’s drawn out Monologue about Christianity

Brilliant piece of work here. Definitely worth the effort, given the sheer size of the novel.
Anna has blatantly got borderline personality disorder - Tolstoy may not have known to call it that, but it oozes out of her every pore. 
I didn't find many of the characters likeable. Oblonsky was fun enough. Kitty was harmless. Levin on the other hand - ergh! What a sop! Me, me ,me... my place in the world, philosophy blah blah blah. 
Tolstoy could have snipped off 100 pages and it would have been a perfect 5 star outing. He went on a bit too long about fields, harvesting and peasants for me though.

FINALLY!!!

This books was insufferable. No need to say anything else, just INSUFFERABLE

This book was incredibly surprising to me. I found that the pacing, despite the length of the book, was fairly fast and the romantic plotline was contemporary and relatable. I really enjoyed some of the philosophical reflections of the character Levin, as well as the overall social commentary on upper class society and marriage. However, I do think that some of the commentary- especially on Russia in this specific era- was lost on me, and many of the political discussions were extremely confusing. I think that some of the flaws of this book are to be found in its sheer length and its tangents. While some of the reflections are important and thoughtful, many are repetitive and could be cut out for a more enjoyable read. I also feel that some of the internal monologues detracted from the plotline and character development and seemed to be there for the personal reflection of Tolstoy- rather than the education of the reader. Overall- a deserved classic, with some obvious flaws. 

It’s hard for me to pay very close attention when I listen to an audiobook, so I’m sure I missed some stuff. 
Anna’s affair was really well-written, especially

the toxicity and insecurity in the relationship

. I’ve experienced something similar (in a very minor way) and it felt very familiar. 
Levin’s story was a bit hit or miss with me. Often nothing was really happening, but I do like his complicated character, and

the ending was very sweet and wholesome with him finding God and seeing the world through new eyes

. 
Very very slow, pace yourself, but an interesting journey into people’s psychology.