War and Peace
Rating: Average 4.16 / 5
Author(s): Leo Tolstoy
Genre(s): Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Russia, Russian Literature, Literature, War, Novels, Historical
Type: Novel
Length: 1392 Pages
Release: 1869
Status: Finished
The content of War and Peace:
War and Peace broadly focuses on Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the most well-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both men. As Napoleon’s army invades, Tolstoy brilliantly follows characters from diverse backgrounds—peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers—as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving—and human—figures in world literature. Tolstoy gave his personal approval to this translation, published here in a new single volume edition, which includes an introduction by Henry Gifford, and Tolstoy's important essay `Some Words about War and Peace'.
Reviews
Rating: ★★★★☆
Holy cow! I am done! Not sure what to say . . . I feel like I should write a 1000 page review, but I will keep it short. I finished the book while a passenger in a mini-van stuck in horrible Atlanta traffic. The book was not quite as readable as some other BIG books I have read, but still pretty good. What amazed me is how few specific events occurred during the 1000+ pages - Tolstoy was just really detailed in describing the events. Only a few times, though, did I feel like it was too much. This book may not be for everyone, but it sure feels cool to be able to say "War and Peace? Yeah, I read that!"
Rating: ★★★★★
"This is one of those books that can be life-changing. I read this as a teenager and I remember exactly where I was (sitting on my bed, in my grandmother's house, in southern Germany) when I finished it. I must have spent an hour just staring out the window, in awe of the lives I'd just led, the experiences I'd just had."