Classics are relevant in any historical era because they touch on themes that resonate with every person. And the author doesn't necessarily have to provide direct answers to pressing questions; it's even better to leave that opportunity to the reader. Tolstoy doesn't. On the contrary, after aphoristically introducing us with a single sentence, 'All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,' he immediately mixes everything up, without even searching for the right words: 'Everything was mixed up in the Oblonsky house.' It's then up to the reader to follow all the plot's paths, burdened with their own life experience, and find these answers for themselves. They're different for everyone. And that's a classic.