Anna Karenina

It was past five, and several guests had already arrived, before the host himself got home. He went in together with Sergey Ivanovitch Koznishev and Pestsov, who had reached the street door at the same moment. These were the two leading representatives of the Moscow intellectuals, as Oblonsky had called them. Both were men respected for their character and their intelligence. They respected each other, but were in complete and hopeless disagreement upon almost every subject, not because they belonged to opposite parties, but precisely because they were of the same party (their enemies refused to see any distinction between their views); but, in that party, each had his own special shade of opinion. And since no difference is less easily overcome than the difference of opinion about semi-ab" -stract questions, they never agreed and were used to disagreeing without anger. This is satirical - they're in the same party but argue constantly about minute differences. The dinner party begins. "The _soupe Marie-Louise_ was a splendid success; the tiny pies eaten with it melted in the mouth and were irreproachable." The food is excellent. "The two footmen and Matvey, in white cravats, did their duty with the dishes and wines unobtrusively, quietly, and swiftly. On the material side the dinner was a success; it was no less so on the immaterial." Both the food and conversation are successful. "The conversation, at times general and at times between individuals, never paused, and towards the end the company was so lively that the men rose from the table, without stopping speaking, and even Alexey Alexandrovitch thawed." The dinner works - conversation flows and even the rigid Karenin relaxes ("thawed"). This chapter shows Stiva's social genius at hosting, bringing together disparate personalities and creating a pleasant atmosphere that can even penetrate Karenin's icy reserve. The contrast between Karenin's isolation in his crisis and his temporary integration into warm social life is poignant.