Excess all areas - a graphic YA reimagining of a tragic love story transposed to modern day Manhattan.
The work of scriptwriter, Jenny Lee, Anna K is an ambitious modern day reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s tragic love story, Anna Karenina, and despite moving the story from 1874 Imperial Russia to the uber-rich upper classes of contemporary Manhattan and Greenwich, Connecticut, it reflects a great many of the original themes. In keeping with the original, Anna K is at once a sprawling family drama, a tragic love story and a statement on social norms and values.
Seventeen-year-old half-Korean and half-white, Anna K, is the cherished and seemingly flawless daughter of a wealthy family who sits at the pinnacle of the Manhattan and Greenwich private school scene. Preferring to live in Greenwich with her Newfoundland dogs and horses and girlfriend of three years to uptight Alexander W, an eligible Harvard student, she has never had to think twice as to whether she is happy. That is until a flying visit to solve her older brother, Steven’s relationship woes (sexting) with girlfriend, Lolly sees her cross paths with Alexia ‘Count’ Vronsky, whose reputation as a feckless playboy proceeds him, however their connection is instantaneous. When Steven thanks Anna for her help by introducing her to the louche nightlife of his fast living set sparks fly as she is drawn to Vronksy who is everything she is not. As she fights to stay faithful to her boyfriend she is soon plagued by questions of whether she really knows what love is..
Parental supervision in the novel is non-existent and drugs and debauchery are everywhere. One character struggling after an injury which ended her ice dancing career is Lolly’s sister, Kimmie. Having been casually seduced and unceremoniously dropped by Vronsky, the inexperienced in love and vulnerable young woman’s downward spiral of depression is all too realistic. Meanwhile MIT bound and firmly middle-class. Dustin, the adopted black son of a white Jewish couple is homework tutoring Steven between parties and hangovers and battling his own disappointment at his interest in Kimmie going unrequited, leading him to seek the advice of his older adoptive brother.
The story follows five months in the lives of the characters and a narrative entirely in the third-person seamlessly moves between the perspectives of the main players to give an appreciation of each of their dilemmas. As the privileged Manhattan teen scene feast their attention on the dramas of Anna K and Vronsky and opinions as to each of their behaviours becomes a talking point, the fate of their romance plays out for all to see. With Anna and Steven’s parents marital strife apparent for both their children to witness and their father’s unfairly high expectations of Anna, the story also reflects the often onerous parental pressures on the children of immigrants.
Overall many of the novels original themes are reflected in Jenny Lee’s modernisation but occasionally the narrative, which is heavy on slang and brand names, exaggerates to excess and seems to crowd out the emotions of the characters. With the original a far heftier tome it seems wrong to criticise Lee’s version but the story is overly lengthy (the continuous round of parties begins to grate) and very nearly runs out of steam before a satisfying ending. Although Anna K is aimed at readers of 14 upwards I would be extremely wary of recommending the novel to an audience of that age. The profanity, frequent descriptions of excessive drug taking and drinking, liberal references to sex and obscene splashing of cash needs to be recognised for the satire that it is and as such, taken with a pinch of salt, something which may not be done by less mature and easily influenced teens.
Despite the characters seeming to mature and learning lessons through the course of the novel the lifestyle portrayed is so over-the-top and unrelatable, and their behaviour so crass, that it makes it difficult to wholeheartedly buy into them or care too deeply about their fate. This did not stop me being mildly amused and recognising that Anna K makes some valid points on society’s differing attitudes to male and female promiscuity, revenge porn, life in the age of smartphones and zero privacy. Following the mostly sympathetic teen cast with the stresses of modern life, love and family made for a memorable piece of escapism for this 40 year old reader! Expect sex, drugs, alcohol, addiction, prejudice, mental health issues and suicide all to feature.
NB: Having read a print copy of the novel it is worth noting that the font size is significantly smaller than the bulk of current novels on the market and hence the ebook version may make for a more comfortable read.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Seventeen-year-old half-Korean and half-white, Anna K, is the cherished and seemingly flawless daughter of a wealthy family who sits at the pinnacle of the Manhattan and Greenwich private school scene. Preferring to live in Greenwich with her Newfoundland dogs and horses and girlfriend of three years to uptight Alexander W, an eligible Harvard student, she has never had to think twice as to whether she is happy. That is until a flying visit to solve her older brother, Steven’s relationship woes (sexting) with girlfriend, Lolly sees her cross paths with Alexia ‘Count’ Vronsky, whose reputation as a feckless playboy proceeds him, however their connection is instantaneous. When Steven thanks Anna for her help by introducing her to the louche nightlife of his fast living set sparks fly as she is drawn to Vronksy who is everything she is not. As she fights to stay faithful to her boyfriend she is soon plagued by questions of whether she really knows what love is..
Parental supervision in the novel is non-existent and drugs and debauchery are everywhere. One character struggling after an injury which ended her ice dancing career is Lolly’s sister, Kimmie. Having been casually seduced and unceremoniously dropped by Vronsky, the inexperienced in love and vulnerable young woman’s downward spiral of depression is all too realistic. Meanwhile MIT bound and firmly middle-class. Dustin, the adopted black son of a white Jewish couple is homework tutoring Steven between parties and hangovers and battling his own disappointment at his interest in Kimmie going unrequited, leading him to seek the advice of his older adoptive brother.
The story follows five months in the lives of the characters and a narrative entirely in the third-person seamlessly moves between the perspectives of the main players to give an appreciation of each of their dilemmas. As the privileged Manhattan teen scene feast their attention on the dramas of Anna K and Vronsky and opinions as to each of their behaviours becomes a talking point, the fate of their romance plays out for all to see. With Anna and Steven’s parents marital strife apparent for both their children to witness and their father’s unfairly high expectations of Anna, the story also reflects the often onerous parental pressures on the children of immigrants.
Overall many of the novels original themes are reflected in Jenny Lee’s modernisation but occasionally the narrative, which is heavy on slang and brand names, exaggerates to excess and seems to crowd out the emotions of the characters. With the original a far heftier tome it seems wrong to criticise Lee’s version but the story is overly lengthy (the continuous round of parties begins to grate) and very nearly runs out of steam before a satisfying ending. Although Anna K is aimed at readers of 14 upwards I would be extremely wary of recommending the novel to an audience of that age. The profanity, frequent descriptions of excessive drug taking and drinking, liberal references to sex and obscene splashing of cash needs to be recognised for the satire that it is and as such, taken with a pinch of salt, something which may not be done by less mature and easily influenced teens.
Despite the characters seeming to mature and learning lessons through the course of the novel the lifestyle portrayed is so over-the-top and unrelatable, and their behaviour so crass, that it makes it difficult to wholeheartedly buy into them or care too deeply about their fate. This did not stop me being mildly amused and recognising that Anna K makes some valid points on society’s differing attitudes to male and female promiscuity, revenge porn, life in the age of smartphones and zero privacy. Following the mostly sympathetic teen cast with the stresses of modern life, love and family made for a memorable piece of escapism for this 40 year old reader! Expect sex, drugs, alcohol, addiction, prejudice, mental health issues and suicide all to feature.
NB: Having read a print copy of the novel it is worth noting that the font size is significantly smaller than the bulk of current novels on the market and hence the ebook version may make for a more comfortable read.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.