Anna Karenina Part 5, Chapter 3 Summary

  • The church is crowded and beautiful. Everyone looks wonderful, as do the decorations. Each time the door opens everyone expects to see the bride and groom.
  • As time goes on with no sign of the bride and groom, the best man finally goes to see what has happened.
  • Kitty has been ready for a while, awaiting news of her groom.
  • Levin has been pacing back and forth in his room with Oblonsky, who keeps reassuring Levin.
  • Here's what happened: Levin is lacking a clean shirt. Kuzma ran off to the railroad to open up one of Levin's trunks and grab a new shirt.
  • Levin is despairing that the trunk will already have been loaded, and that Kitty is thinking dreadful thoughts, given the conversation they just had.
  • Kuzma runs back with the shirt.