____ was, according to Tolstoy, his first true novel (4,8)

I believe the answer is:

anna karenina

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'novel' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Russian novel ' mean 'anna karenina' so perhaps 'novel' could also mean 'anna karenina')

I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for anna karenina that I've seen before include "Book by Tolstoy" , "Russian novel" , "Tolstoy heroine" , "(Female) Tolstoy novel" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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