Rating: 
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 This really is a multi-faceted work as well as an important historical document.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.
Rating:
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.
Rating: 
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.
Rating: 
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating: 
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
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly entertaining and accessible
Review: Everyone thinks of "War and Peace" as this dull, intellectual behemoth of a book that is a chore to be tackled when you get the time (and you don't expect to get the time), not a delicious, enjoyable, fascinating novel in its own right. But enjoyable is exactly what it is: Tolstoy's uncanny ability to handle everything from the grand international, historical scope of the Napoleonic Wars to the gentle, insightful, intimate scenes between individuals or even within a single person's thoughts is breathtaking. You may spend the first chapters struggling to remember just who every member of this giant cast of characters is, but once you know these people, you grow to understand them with an fullness that goes far, far beyond the normal fictional experience. As others have stated: This does not feel like fiction. It feels like real life, amazingly opened up to you with great precision and spirit. Apparently the only human being Tolstoy ever hated was Napoleon; everyone else is developed with incredible complexity. You will be as intrigued by the heroes' flaws as the villains' merits, and yet you will still feel the profound moral sense behind this work. It is a pity that this book has been put on a distant, gray pedestal so that few will reach for it. I have enjoyed this as thoroughly as any book I have ever read, and after a while its length changes from intimidating to very, very welcome -- you do not want it to end!
Rating:
Summary: A long read, but if you stick with it you won't be sorry!
Review: I was nervous about reading this book at first, (I hate putting a book down without finishing it) but despite it's intimidating length, I found that I couldn't put it down!
Tolstoy really brought the characters to life, especially those of Pierre Bezukhov and Nikolai Rostov. After a while, you really come to know their habits and personalities.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the time and the effort
Review: Okay this is a Big book. It is also a great one. I had owned a copy of War and Peace for several years but could never work up the courage to commit to reading it. So when I was planning to backpack for a few months around Europe, I decided that this would be "the book" I would take with me. It is a decision that I did not have cause to regret. So what makes it so great? Well for me it was the scope and the grandeur of it, and the understanding that Tolstoy showed of both the world and human nature. This is a book with dozens of characters, yet each of them is real each of them is alive. I found myself at times identifying with Prince Andrei's world weariness, at other times with Pierre's bewildered search for order and truth in the chaos that is the world. Worth the time and the effort.
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