"If it had not been a characteristic of Levin's to put the most favorable interpretation on people, Sviazhsky's character would have presented no doubt or difficulty to him: he would have said to himself, “a fool or a knave,” and everything would have seemed clear. But he could not say “a fool,” because Sviazhsky was unmistakably clever, and moreover, a highly cultivated man, who was exceptionally modest over his culture. There was not a subject he knew nothing of. But he did not display his knowledge except when he was compelled to do so. Still less could Levin say that he was a knave, as Sviazhsky was unmistakably an honest, good-hearted, sensible man, who worked good-humoredly, keenly, and perseveringly at his work; he was held in high honor by everyone about him, and certainly he had never consciously done, and was indeed incapable of doing, anything base."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Anna_Karenina
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Related Quotes
"“I’d so love to know her whole romance,” thought Kitty, recalling the unpoetical appearance of Alexei Alexandrovich, …"
"He began to see what had happened to him in quite a different light. He felt himself, and did not want to be any one …"
"He saw out of the window how she went up to her brother, put her arm in his, and began telling him something eagerly,…"
"Kitty felt that Anna was perfectly simple and was concealing nothing, but that she had another higher world of intere…"
"“Woman, don't you know, is such a subject that however much you study it, it's always perfectly new.”"
"Levin … remembered how his brother, while at the university, and for a year afterwards, had, in spite of the jeers of…"
"“Come, this is life! How splendid it is! This is how I should like to live!”"
"“You are one of those delightful women in whose company it's sweet to be silent as well as to talk.”"
"“I saw Stiva when he was in love with you. I remember the time when he came to me and cried, talking of you, and all …"
"Anna Arkadyevna read and understood, but it was distasteful to her to read, that is, to follow the reflection of othe…"