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The structure of Anna Karenina is based on the major
characters and what happens to them. The two principal stories
in the book are Anna\'s and Levin\'s. A third plot element is the
domestic and financial saga of the Oblonskys. Kitty\'s time at
the German spa--during which she comes to terms with her true
feelings for Levin--also gets lengthy treatment. Tolstoy shifts
back and forth between these stories, telling each
chronologically.
The novel is divided into Books I and II; each Book is
divided into four Parts. (Book I contains Parts I-IV; Book II,
Parts V-VIII.) The turning points for Anna and Levin--Anna\'s
leaving Karenin to live with Vronsky and Levin\'s becoming
engaged to Kitty--take place at the close of Book I.
The last section of the novel--Book II, Part VIII--deals with
the Russian involvement in the war between the Turks and Slavs.
Tolstoy\'s intention in this part was to reunite his characters\'
stories with the story of Russia. The Turkish War was going on
in 1875-76, when Tolstoy was completing the novel. Tolstoy
wrote this chapter to underscore the relevance of Anna Karenina
and to present his readers with urgent questions regarding their
day-to-day lives.
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