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Summary: don't be intimidated
Review: Don't be frightened off by the sheer heft of master Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's classic novel. Enter its pages to find many delights here. Like all good novelists, Tolstoy was a great psychologist and here are insights aplenty into the human condition. Set against the background of Napoleonic wartime, here is a romantic love story, an action/adventure tale, a probing look into the thought and motives of a vast cast of characters. You probably didn't read this high school or college, as instructors hesitate to assign such a lengthy work. Read it now!
You may find Tolstoy's classic to be much more rewarding reading than whatever currently lies on your bedside table.
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Summary: Rise above yourself, you weak of heart...
Review: I sat alone in a room with this book, terrified, for days. I couldn't harvest the courage required to pick it up. The prospect of reading it seemed like the prospect of 4 years of dentistry school. This was before I took the leap and ALL WAS MADE CLEAR to me. If it seems too long, think of it as four 325-page books if you have to. By the time you finish your first installment, you will have utterly forgotten that you needed to mentally partition it thus. Prince Andrei, Pierre, Natasha, and the rest of the brilliant crew will weaken your knees. Again and again you will fall back into your armchair, near the point of tears. St. Petersburg ballrooms and Moscow staterooms invite you. Napoleon summons you. Gossipy aristocrats will vex you. Unvirtuous wives will anger you. Dissolute duellists will challenge you. Blasted, corpse-laden battlefields will be sanctified by the vast blue sky above. And a man's heart, long encased in stony grief, will again be moved by the thought of a lovely young girl, herself "prepared for ecstasy." You get the point. My apologies for emotionally soiling myself for a minute there. One important note: read THIS translation, by Constance Garnett.
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Summary: W&P- Best Novel Ever?
Review: W&P is up there in the top books ever penned due to several reasons: 1. Complete picture of historical Russia during the Napoleonic Era, capturing all classes of people. 2. Great story. Basically its a bunch of characters, with the two primary characters (The young Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Buzehov) observing the human scope of the world and attempting to answer the BIG QUESTIONS- what are we here for, what should we do, how should we conduct ourselves, etc etc. Pierre finds his answers he can be happy with after a long struggle with various alternatives throughout the book. Andrei is not so fortunate. A large volume of the story revolves around soap-operaesque aristocratic themes, but there is a strong power and mind behind the prose moving it along, and even the seemingly trivial bits are still a pleasure to read with usually more to them then meets the eye. 3. Tolstoy works his own philosophical theory of History in. Some reveiwers say this isn't useful or could be skipped, but I found it to be an excellent perspective that is one of the contributing factors to putting W&P a 'cut above.' He portrays Napoleon as being an unimportant figurehead captaining a ship he really has no control over, the real deciding factor in the events of history is the masses. The 'great' leaders are merely manifestations of the will of the people. It should take 6 months to a year to finish. If you somehow read it faster then that, slow down and take it all in.
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Summary: Important literary work
Review: Although Tolstoy's style of writing is an acquired taste, if you can get through this book, you'll walk away more enlightened on this period of history. It offers the reader insight into the Russian aristocracy and how their lives were affected by Napoleon's reign. I liked the way Tolstoy portrayed his characters, although some of them (make that MOST of them) aren't easy to warm up to in the beginning. This really is a multi-faceted work as well as an important historical document. If nothing else, it has awaked my desire to learn more about Russian history.
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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: To sum up: A group of amazingly spoiled rich people have their lives interrupted by a war and most don't learn anything from it. This was a long read, interesting in parts, but I found it extremely hard to sympathize with any of the characters as they are so incredibly self-absorbed, status-conscious and all are idle rich. If this is an accurate portrayal of the upper strata of society of the time it's no wonder there was an eventual revolution! A "classic"? I don't agree.
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Summary: Still the Best
Review: Superb. I put off reading this book for something like 20 years, but it was worth the wait.
Worth the weight, too. It's damned hefty.
Tolstoy's passages on historiography and the philosophy of free will, mingled with the narrative, often come in for attack. I say, the only rule for writing novels is that there are no rules! Tolstoy's excursions into non-fiction within a work of fiction are just fine by me.
Mrs. Garnett's translations of the whole shelf of Russian classics are no longer the most current, but I think they're still the best. They carry the scent of their times (early 20th century) which is simply much closer to the times these books were written than any modern translation can provide. It's frank, manly English. The original comes through strongly, and the translation doesn't call attention to itself.
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Summary: Not bad.....
Review: A long book. A lot of characters. I guess they consider it a "classic", one of the reasons you're expected to read it. However I must say Dostoyevsky and Dickens are more to my taste and imo more interesting. Read this only if you really want to, don't feel compelled. I don't think it is the greatest novel ever written.
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Summary: A Masterpiece of Russian Literature
Review: Oh, if I only I could read Russian! It would be worth learning that language to read this book in its original language. Tolstoy is well known for several books he wrote, but "War and Peace" is his crowning achievement. Out of all the distinguished works of Russian literature (Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, and others), "War and Peace" is the Atlas that holds all the others upon its shoulders. It beckons you to conquer its sheer size and scope, and its reputation is one of the most formidable in literary history. Surprisingly, War and Peace is not difficult, and is a cracking good tale. An adequate summary of the book, in 1000 words, is impossible. Tolstoy places his characters in the context of the Napoleonic wars. His emphasis is on three "characters": the Bolkonsky family, the Rostov family, and Pierre Bezuhov. Along the way, dozens of other characters appear: Denisov, Dolohov, Helene, Kutuzov (my favorite), and Anatole quickly spring to mind. Even Napoleon and the Russian Tsar Alexander make appearances. All aspects of life appear, in one carefully crafted scene after another. Love, death, marriage, children, combat; all come together into a seamless whole. Saying that these people become real through Tolstoy's pen is an understatement. Despite the different time frame and different society, their struggles are our struggles. Pierre's search for meaning in life will find many sympathizers in our fast-paced world. Andrei's death scene is achingly realistic, and it you aren't touched in some way by it, you should check your pulse. Even Natasha, the hyper vivacious Rostov who grows into a responsible family matriarch, is a recognizable figure in today's world (as anyone who knows teenage girls can attest). It doesn't matter that these people are 19th century Russians; they are people acting on the stage of humanity, and are timeless. The end of the story, with everyone settled down in family life, reflects Tolstoy's own joys of family and home. Occasionally, Tolstoy lifts the curtain and reveals the method behind the story. This method is Tolstoy's unwavering belief in the abilities of man. It is no mistake that the peasantry is represented as an ideal of man. Pierre's embrace of peasant simplicity towards life and Nicolai's careful cultivation of peasant ways are issues that Tolstoy himself dealt with in late 19th century Russia. The Populist movement in Russia in the 1890's is an extension of this idea. Tolstoy takes his faith in the peasant, and with it, posits a whole philosophy of history. His philosophy of history, in short, sees history as the result of millions of individual actions. History is not the prerogative of the elite, but the result of the actions of all humans. I see some reviews despised these sections, accusing Tolstoy of repetition and error. While the theory may be questionable at times, it does fit in with Russia's growing awareness of the peasantry and its role in the future of the country. I had a few problems with this Penguin edition. First, printing this monster in one volume was not a good idea. Expect pins-and-needles sensations in your hands and fingers. I suggest at least two volumes, maybe three, for better and easier reading. Second, I wonder if Rosemary Edmonds trimmed the translation a little. I find it hard to believe that Tolstoy did not provide more information on some of the characters. Bagration's death is announced but never described. We also never find out what happens to Dolohov. Prince Vasili figures prominently in the early parts of the book but barely appears in the rest of the story. Maybe Tolstoy did leave this stuff out, but I would like to know for sure. Other than these objections, the translation seems excellent. Third, this edition needs a better introduction. I am loath to recommend this, as introductions are usually boring or useless. For "War and Peace," an introduction longer than three or four pages is needed. The introduction in the book is inadequate because it doesn't elucidate Tolstoy's philosophy and it gives only superficial clarification of characters. You owe it to yourself to read this book. My copy set on the shelf for a long time, too. It took me about eight days to read the book. I made sure to read at least 100 pages a day. On at least one day I read 250 pages. I wanted to get it done fast so I could get the full effect. Spreading this monster out over months would not be a good idea. Highly Recommended.
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Summary: ^_^
Review: "If you have the time, read this, and if not, find the time, December 4, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Western Illinios University
Before I read 'War and Peace' I had read almost nothing ... maybe a 'Sports Illustrated' article here and there, but that's about it. I decided to read it because I heard it was the greatest book ever written. I was sure it wouldn't be great, though, and decided to read it just to make sure, for at the time I didn't think books, or reading in general, were important at all. It took me about a month to read, and I spent at least 2 hours every night reading it, so you can imagine the time and effort I put in. The first 100 pages or so were so confusing for me that I almost gave up. But I got past that, and enjoyed reading it more and more as I went on -- I made it a goal for myself to finish it. And by the end, I was reading as slowly and carefully as possible, not because I was confused, but because I didn't want it to end. Near the end, and when I finished, I almost couldn't believe that one man had written it, that all the characters and ideas in it came from one man. And so now I no longer despise reading, but read whenever I can and as much as I can, with hope that I might someday know as much as Tolstoy." I found this review so moving and truthful. It's exactly what I think.
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Summary: Boring Dribble....
Review: This book has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I read the first 500 pages hoping it would get better only to be bitterly disappointed when I had to put the book down. I was disappointed because this book was a total waste of time and I do not recomend it to anybody. Leave it on the shelf
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