Maggie Gyllenhaal introduces the unhappy families in Anna Karenina audiobook clip

By Danette Chavez | July 13, 2016 | 4:06pm

Aux Features Books

It’s now been about 140 years since Anna Karenina was first published in its entirety, which is roughly twice as long as it’s probably taken most people to finish the 864-page tome. But even though Leo Tolstoy’s acclaimed novel is certainly worth the undertaking, Audible is now offering the chance to take in the classic while without lugging around your hard copy. And The A.V. Club is premiering a clip from the audiobook, which is now on sale. Here, let Maggie Gyllenhaal introduce the unique, if unhappy, families at the center of the story:

Gyllenhaal says Anna Karenina is one of her favorite books, but the 35+ hour audiobook still proved to be a bit of a haul. The Honorable Woman actress recorded it over the winter, which probably helped put her in the right frame of mind for the Russian tragedy.