The Russian novel that begins “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” is Leo Tolstoy’s *Anna Karenina*. The famous opening sentence introduces the novel’s sustained interest in marriage, domestic conflict, loyalty, and social expectations.
Tolstoy first published the novel in serial form from 1875 to 1877, with the first book edition following in 1878. Its two major storylines contrast Anna’s increasingly destructive affair with Count Alexei Vronsky and Konstantin Levin’s search for a meaningful life through work, family, and spiritual reflection. The opening idea is therefore more than a memorable quotation: it frames the book as an examination of several families whose difficulties take different forms.
Readers sometimes confuse the quotation with *War and Peace*, Tolstoy’s other great novel, but it belongs specifically to *Anna Karenina*. The wording also varies slightly among English translations: “resemble one another” may replace “are alike,” and “every unhappy family” may replace “each unhappy family.” These translation differences do not change the identification of the novel.