An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1286 words)
evin reached the club just at the right time. Members and visitors
were driving up as he arrived. Levin had not been at the club for a
very long while—not since he lived in Moscow, when he was leaving the
university and going into society. He remembered the club, the external
details of its arrangement, but he had completely forgotten the
impression it had made on him in old days. But as soon as, driving into
the wide semicircular court and getting out of the sledge, he mounted
the steps, and the hall-porter, adorned with a crossway scarf,
noiselessly opened the door to him with a bow; as soon as he saw in the
porter’s room the cloaks and galoshes of members who thought it less
trouble to take them off downstairs; as soon as he heard the mysterious
ringing bell that preceded him as he ascended the easy, carpeted
staircase, and saw the statue on the landing, and the third porter at
the top doors, a familiar figure grown older, in the club livery,
opening the door without haste or delay, and scanning the visitors as
they passed in—Levin felt the old impression of the club come back in a
rush, an impression of repose, comfort, and propriety.
“Your hat, please,” the porter said to Levin, who forgot the club rule
to leave his hat in the porter’s room. “Long time since you’ve been.
The prince put your name down yesterday. Prince Stepan Arkadyevitch is
not here yet.”
The porter did not only know Levin, but also all his ties and
relationships, and so immediately mentioned his intimate friends.
Passing through the outer hall, divided up by screens, and the room
partitioned on the right, where a man sits at the fruit buffet, Levin
overtook an old man walking slowly in, and entered the dining-room full
of noise and people.
He walked along the tables, almost all full, and looked at the
visitors. He saw people of all sorts, old and young; some he knew a
little, some intimate friends. There was not a single cross or
worried-looking face. All seemed to have left their cares and anxieties
in the porter’s room with their hats, and were all deliberately getting
ready to enjoy the material blessings of life. Sviazhsky was here and
Shtcherbatsky, Nevyedovsky and the old prince, and Vronsky and Sergey
Ivanovitch.
“Ah! why are you late?” the prince said smiling, and giving him his
hand over his own shoulder. “How’s Kitty?” he added, smoothing out the
napkin he had tucked in at his waistcoat buttons.
“All right; they are dining at home, all the three of them.”
“Ah, ‘Aline-Nadine,’ to be sure! There’s no room with us. Go to that
table, and make haste and take a seat,” said the prince, and turning
away he carefully took a plate of eel soup.
“Levin, this way!” a good-natured voice shouted a little farther on. It
was Turovtsin. He was sitting with a young officer, and beside them
were two chairs turned upside down. Levin gladly went up to them. He
had always liked the good-hearted rake, Turovtsin—he was associated in
his mind with memories of his courtship—and at that moment, after the
strain of intellectual conversation, the sight of Turovtsin’s
good-natured face was particularly welcome.
“For you and Oblonsky. He’ll be here directly.”
The young man, holding himself very erect, with eyes forever twinkling
with enjoyment, was an officer from Petersburg, Gagin. Turovtsin
introduced them.
“Oblonsky’s always late.”
“Ah, here he is!”
“Have you only just come?” said Oblonsky, coming quickly towards them.
“Good day. Had some vodka? Well, come along then.”
Levin got up and went with him to the big table spread with spirits and
appetizers of the most various kinds. One would have thought that out
of two dozen delicacies one might find something to one’s taste, but
Stepan Arkadyevitch asked for something special, and one of the
liveried waiters standing by immediately brought what was required.
They drank a wine-glassful and returned to their table.
At once, while they were still at the soup, Gagin was served with
champagne, and told the waiter to fill four glasses. Levin did not
refuse the wine, and asked for a second bottle. He was very hungry, and
ate and drank with great enjoyment, and with still greater enjoyment
took part in the lively and simple conversation of his companions.
Gagin, dropping his voice, told the last good story from Petersburg,
and the story, though improper and stupid, was so ludicrous that Levin
broke into roars of laughter so loud that those near looked round.
“That’s in the same style as, ‘that’s a thing I can’t endure!’ You know
the story?” said Stepan Arkadyevitch. “Ah, that’s exquisite! Another
bottle,” he said to the waiter, and he began to relate his good story.
“Pyotr Illyitch Vinovsky invites you to drink with him,” a little old
waiter interrupted Stepan Arkadyevitch, bringing two delicate glasses
of sparkling champagne, and addressing Stepan Arkadyevitch and Levin.
Stepan Arkadyevitch took the glass, and looking towards a bald man with
red mustaches at the other end of the table, he nodded to him, smiling.
“Who’s that?” asked Levin.
“You met him once at my place, don’t you remember? A good-natured
fellow.”
Levin did the same as Stepan Arkadyevitch and took the glass.
Stepan Arkadyevitch’s anecdote too was very amusing. Levin told his
story, and that too was successful. Then they talked of horses, of the
races, of what they had been doing that day, and of how smartly
Vronsky’s Atlas had won the first prize. Levin did not notice how the
time passed at dinner.
“Ah! and here they are!” Stepan Arkadyevitch said towards the end of
dinner, leaning over the back of his chair and holding out his hand to
Vronsky, who came up with a tall officer of the Guards. Vronsky’s face
too beamed with the look of good-humored enjoyment that was general in
the club. He propped his elbow playfully on Stepan Arkadyevitch’s
shoulder, whispering something to him, and he held out his hand to
Levin with the same good-humored smile.
“Very glad to meet you,” he said. “I looked out for you at the
election, but I was told you had gone away.”
“Yes, I left the same day. We’ve just been talking of your horse. I
congratulate you,” said Levin. “It was very rapidly run.”
“Yes; you’ve race horses too, haven’t you?”
“No, my father had; but I remember and know something about it.”
“Where have you dined?” asked Stepan Arkadyevitch.
“We were at the second table, behind the columns.”
“We’ve been celebrating his success,” said the tall colonel. “It’s his
second Imperial prize. I wish I might have the luck at cards he has
with horses. Well, why waste the precious time? I’m going to the
‘infernal regions,’” added the colonel, and he walked away.
“That’s Yashvin,” Vronsky said in answer to Turovtsin, and he sat down
in the vacated seat beside them. He drank the glass offered him, and
ordered a bottle of wine. Under the influence of the club atmosphere or
the wine he had drunk, Levin chatted away to Vronsky of the best breeds
of cattle, and was very glad not to feel the slightest hostility to
this man. He even told him, among other things, that he had heard from
his wife that she had met him at Princess Marya Borissovna’s.
“Ah, Princess Marya Borissovna, she’s exquisite!” said Stepan
Arkadyevitch, and he told an anecdote about her which set them all
laughing. Vronsky particularly laughed with such simplehearted
amusement that Levin felt quite reconciled to him.
“Well, have we finished?” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, getting up with a
smile. “Let us go.”
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Using constant activity and busyness to avoid confronting difficult emotions or life questions that require stillness to resolve.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when we're using activity to escape problems versus genuinely working through them.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel compelled to stay busy—ask yourself if you're moving toward a solution or away from uncomfortable feelings.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Only when he was working did he forget his position for hours together."
Context: Describing how physical labor temporarily relieves Levin's mental anguish
Shows how demanding physical work can provide escape from psychological pain. The word 'forget' reveals that his torment is constant except during these brief respites. Highlights the temporary nature of this coping strategy.
In Today's Words:
Only when he was busy working could he stop overthinking everything for a while.
"But the moment he stopped working, immediately, like a stone thrown into water, the old questions of his position sank into his soul."
Context: When Levin pauses from physical labor and his existential dread returns
The stone metaphor shows how quickly and heavily his dark thoughts return. 'Sank into his soul' suggests these questions go deep and feel inescapable. Emphasizes that work is only a temporary bandage.
In Today's Words:
But the second he stopped being busy, all his depressing thoughts came crashing back.
"What am I living for? What is the meaning of my existence?"
Context: The fundamental questions tormenting him during his spiritual crisis
These are the classic existential questions that haunt people during major life transitions. The directness shows his desperation for answers. These questions have no easy solutions, which is why they're so torturous.
In Today's Words:
Why am I even here? What's the point of any of this?
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Levin's privilege allows him philosophical anxiety while his workers focus on survival
Development
Deepening exploration of how economic position shapes what problems we can afford to have
In Your Life:
Notice how financial stress can either force practical focus or create different types of existential worry
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin's sense of self is fragmenting as his old sources of meaning fail him
Development
Continued from his earlier social awkwardness, now reaching crisis point
In Your Life:
Recognize when your usual ways of defining yourself stop working and require rebuilding
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Growth requires sitting with discomfort, but Levin chooses temporary escape instead
Development
Building toward Levin's eventual spiritual breakthrough through this necessary struggle
In Your Life:
Real growth often means tolerating uncertainty rather than rushing toward quick fixes
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Levin's isolation from his workers despite physical proximity shows emotional distance
Development
Continuing theme of how internal struggles affect our ability to connect with others
In Your Life:
Notice how your own unresolved issues can create barriers even with people who want to help
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Workers worry about their master's strange behavior, highlighting role expectations
Development
Ongoing tension between personal authenticity and social position
In Your Life:
Consider how your roles at work or home might constrain your ability to process difficulties openly
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific strategy does Levin use to try to escape his troubling thoughts, and how well does it work?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does physical exhaustion temporarily quiet Levin's mind, but fail to solve his deeper problems?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today using busyness or physical activity to avoid dealing with difficult emotions or life questions?
application • medium - 4
How can someone tell the difference between healthy physical activity and using motion to escape inner work?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's struggle reveal about the privilege of having time to worry about life's meaning versus focusing on daily survival?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Motion Patterns
Track your activities for one typical day, then identify moments when you might be using busyness to avoid something uncomfortable. Look for patterns: Do you clean when stressed? Work late when relationships are tense? Scroll social media when facing big decisions? Create a simple chart showing what you do versus what you might be avoiding.
Consider:
- •Motion as escape often feels productive and justified in the moment
- •The avoided issue usually returns stronger after the activity ends
- •Some physical activity is genuinely restorative rather than escapist
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you kept yourself extremely busy to avoid dealing with something important. What were you avoiding, and what finally made you face it directly?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 197
Levin's attempt to lose himself in work is interrupted by an unexpected encounter that will force him to confront the very questions he's been trying to escape. Sometimes the answers we seek come from the most unlikely sources.
