First Lines Second Thoughts is a whimsical look at the first lines of well known literary works. On second thought, do these opening sentences stand on their own as literary works of art? Today we look at Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.
All happy families
are alike;
each unhappy family
is unhappy
in its own way.
— Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy's flawless masterpiece Anna Karenina was initially published in installments from 1873-1877. It was first translated into English in 1886.
