Rating: 
Summary: Fragmentation by CD Version
Review: I am reviewing the Abridged version of this on 4 CDs, which it has taken me over two years to finally listen to. This is because only on long drives do you dare start in on War and Peace, but on those same drives you don't want to fall asleep. So I compromised and started to listen to the CDs on two-hour drives, which was long enough to get in one or two of these CDs. Once you catch the pace of these CDs, it works. There are musical, symphonic-sounding transitions between scenes and chapters, which especially help set the mood for the battlefield parts.The sweep of this story, though, probably requires eight CDs. Especially difficult to decipher in this condensation are 1) Reasons for Napolean invading Russia in the first place; 2) Why the French army fell apart and had to retreat after sacking Moscow; 3) How Prince Andrei became worthy of anything; and 4) The extent to which the crucible of war really transformed Pierre's character. The good news is that this CD collection produces a breakthrough, or maybe just an easy accomplishment of saying "I've read 'War and Peace'"--but mainly a quick look to prepare for actually reading the whole thing.
Rating: 
Summary: The most moving story I've ever read
Review: On and off it took me about a year to complete it. The most striking feature of the book is the depth of the characters. After a while you feel like you know them, and you really feel for them. Personally I identified most with Pierre, probably because he was portrayed as something of an outsider in aristocratic society. There were some heart-wrenching moments during the French occupation and withdrawal from Moscow which had me afraid for Pierre's life. I had to remind myself that he wasn't real. The pursuit of happiness in the middle of a war and refugee crisis also struck a chord. However one theme which some people find off-putting is the interruptions to the story to give more repetitive reasons why history is an inexorable process that man cannot influence. I read through them but quite frankly I took very little of it on board because the ideas carry so little weight today. However this was not sufficient to spoil my enjoyment of this epic novel. I was inspired to go on and read biographies of Napoleon, European history since Napoleon and a history of Russia. It has given me a whole new outlook on life. I might even take up writing myself!
Rating:
Summary: almost the greatest novel ever
Review: Of course no one can say for sure which is the greatest novel ever. It depends on what you bring to it as a reader. Like so many others, I am endeavoring to read the classics and according to my information, Tolstoy is the fourth most important writer ever (following Shakespeare, Dante, and Homer in the Literary 100). Thus I allocated two months to War and Peace (that's 25 pages per day) and submerged myself utterly. I had no idea, going in, what to expect. I did not know that Napolean had anything to do with the story and was surprised when he made his appearances as a character. When I quickly recognized that this is a novel of many characters I began to make notes about each one upon the few blank pages at the beginning of the volume. I did not know then that I was to be confronted with more than 500 names. Halfway through I gave up and just enjoyed the unfolding of the story. Two points are important to make, one positive and one negative. On the good side, Tolstoy makes one contemplate the challenge of circumstances. Much of what you will read indicates that we are controlled, and yet it is just this that inspires one to turn the tables on life and to take control for a change. On the bad side, Tolstoy is guilty of excessive preaching. He makes the point that historians are fools, but then he drives the point home about 30 times. 29 times too many. As if that weren't bad enough, when you are expecting the climax to the novel... during the last 70 pages or so, you learn that the novel is over and all that remains is one final monotonous sermon. That is why I can hardly consider it the greatest novel ever.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the Greatest Novel Ever Written
Review: What can I say? Here we have this big, fat book, written by some "dead European guy", that everybody you know praises to high heaven even if they haven't read it. An immediate turn-off right there. You decide to read it regardless, if only to show those snobs that you, too, can read the classics, even if the boredom kills you. To your great surprise, you find out, when you actually read it... that it is an excellent book. What is so good about it? In my view, "human nature". There is much more insight into human nature expressed by the characters of this novel - about what pride, love, commitment, pattiotism, and the whole variety of human emotions is *really* like - than in all the self-help psychological literature taken together. You will find out a great deal about both yourself and others in reading this novel. Character X acts just like I would, you think. Character Y acts like my mother (or father, or best friend) would. And if you never understood what makes them tick, you will find out as you read about character Y. Tolstoy creates characters so intricate and deep that they seem to come to life; you need to remind yourself that Pierre, Natasha, Anatoly and the rest did not actually exist, and Tolstoy did not read their minds, but invented them. Even as you read a completely unrelated scene, you find yourself asking yourself what Pierre is thinking, or Natasha feeling, or Kutuzov planning, "right now". In short, your life will be richer for reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Needs a good translation
Review: I have tried reading "War and peace" three times in my life and have failed to get past the first two hundred pages each time. The reason, I believe, is that there is not a single inspired translation available in English. I have tried the three main translations and they all are wooden affairs. Episodes that should be moving are pedestrian. The opening soiree should be full of sly description that borders on the contemptuous and humorous. Instead, I never was able to forget that I was reading to what amounted to no more than a servicable translation lacking in vitality.
Rating: 
Summary: Uneasiness...
Review: I expected too much from it. A profound insight in history and human nature, multifaceted characters and not the least quite a bit of philosophy. Instead, I had the displeasure to read an indirect glorification of the ruling classes (including the Tzar Aleksandr I) of Russia during the early 19th century, almost comparable to an (elegant) soap opera. It was not a chronicle or a meditation, but a novel, quite easy to read (I finished it in 4 days) except for some longer passages about the battles and the generals... To me, the end was the most interesting part of the book, an attempt (somewhat awkward) to justify and explain it. I do not really agree (or fiercely disagree, for that matter) with Tolstoy about free will and necessity; I simply wish he had given us more thoughts about life and death than all those love intrigues and pale female characters (Prince Andrey and Pierre seemed quite complete to me, but Natasha was not convincing at all). I think it was Tucholsky who said that if a head and a book clash, it is not necessarily the book's fault. I hope it is so (i.e. that the guilty party in this case is my head) and I hope I will read War and peace again in 20 years and truly respect it.
Rating:
Summary: Uneasiness...
Review: The more reviews I read, the more disappointed I am. It seems to be a futile excercise; de gustibus non est disputandum (I like to think that I still know some Latin). However, I felt very uneasy about the book and needed to write a bit about my impressions. I expected too much from it. A profound insight in history and human nature, multifaceted characters and not the least quite a bit of philosophy. Instead, I had the displeasure to read an indirect glorification of the ruling classes (including the Tzar Aleksandr I) of Russia during the early 19th century, almost comparable to an (elegant) soap opera. It was not a chronicle or a meditation, but a novel, quite easy to read (I finished it in 4 days) except for some longer passages about the battles and the generals... A reviewer calls the epilogue at the end "a snore". To me, it was the most interesting part of the book, an attempt (somewhat awkward) to justify and explain it. I do not really agree (or fiercely disagree, for that matter) with Tolstoy about free will and necessity; I simply wish he had given us more thoughts about life and death than all those love intrigues and pale female characters (Prince Andrey and Pierre seemed quite complete to me, but Natasha was not convincing at all). I think it was Tucholsky who said that if a head and a book clash, it is not necessarily the book's fault. I hope it is so (i.e. that the guilty party in this case is my head) and I hope I will read War and peace again in 20 years and truly respect it.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have ever read
Review: This epic book is fabulous reading - although the story encompasses a broad range of characters and plot lines, its main appeal is simply the quality of writing and storytelling: with 1400+ pages at his disposal, Tolstoy is able to develop his characters so deeply and with such detail that you will find yourself taking a profound interest in their lives. However, I strongly recommend starting the book at a time when you will be able to devote enough attention to it, finishing it in a matter of weeks, rather than stretching it over months, to avoid destroying its immense impact.
Rating:
Summary: The Literary Masterpiece
Review: I have read "War & Peace" twice. I was thirteen the first time I read it, sixteen the second time. I don't say this to brag; rather, I want to encourage more people to read this astounding book. I think people are afraid of it because of its size. But if I can read it, you can! Russia comes alive through Tolstoy's pen in the most amazing way. He paints the vast landscapes, the passionate Russian people, the historical events of the times (the early 1800s) like a master painter. "War & Peace" is, in effect, art, a massive collage of images, textures, and colors. It is soap operatic in that it has several threads woven together within the narrative. Occasionally, it is difficult to keep them apart, but does get better if you just stick with it. I understand that there are some parts many people find boring, such as Tolstoy's philosophizing and his lengthy descriptions. Yet those, to me, make this novel even more vivid, the characters and Tolstoy himself more alive. Tolstoy has a gift with characters; you feel transported back to the nineteenth century drawing rooms of wealthy Russia, with the silken swish of ladies' skirts and the haze of cigar smoke. "War & Peace" is not for everyone. Yet those who make their way through it will be rewarded many times over.
Rating:
Summary: What War and Peace taught me
Review: I've learned more about Russia, war, geography, french, masonry, aristocracy of the 19th century, Tolstoy, and much more, by reading War and Peace than any class in school, and I had such fun doing so!
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