Anna Karenina

Set in Imperial Russia during the liberal reforms of Emperor Alexander II, Leo Tolstoy's novel opens with Anna Karenina arriving as her brother's family is breaking apart over his womanizing. Anna, a married socialite whose husband Karenin is a senior government official, is drawn to the cavalry officer Count Vronsky. A parallel story follows Konstantin Levin, a wealthy country landowner who hopes to marry the young Kitty. The novel deals with betrayal, faith, family, marriage and the contrast between rural and urban life, with trains as a recurring motif. Tolstoy called it his first true novel, and it has been adapted for film, opera, ballet and theater.

Marvin Liao of 500 Startups and Audrey Russo of the Pittsburgh Technology Council both named it in interviews about the books they recommend.