War and Peace
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- Create Date：2021-04-09 13:57:28
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Leo Tolstoy
- ISBN：0140447938
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Summary
At a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805， conversations are dominated by the prospect of war。 Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches on Russia， and the lives of three young people are changed for ever。 The stories of quixotic Pierre， cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast， from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself。 In War and Peace （1863-9）， Tolstoy entwines grand themes - conflict and love， birth and death， free will and fate - with unforgettable scenes of nineteenth-century Russia， to create a magnificent epic of human life in all its imperfection and grandeur。
Anthony Briggs's superb translation combines stirring， accessible prose with fidelity to Tolstoy's original， while Orlando Figes's afterword discusses the novel's vast scope and depiction of Russian identity。 This edition also includes appendices， notes， a list of prominent characters and maps。
Anthony Briggs's superb translation combines stirring， accessible prose with fidelity to Tolstoy's original， while Orlando Figes's afterword discusses the novel's vast scope and depiction of Russian identity。 This edition also includes appendices， notes， a list of prominent characters and maps。
Reviews
Brittany Lee | Healing Happy
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I would best describe my experience with War and Peace as: Beauty and Boredom。It wasn’t until 30% that I started to become interested in any of the characters。 Characters in books either become your friends or they don’t。 （I was team Pierre the whole way！） If it wasn’t for him， I’m not entirely sure I would have finished。This is the longest/biggest book I’ve ever read。 It could have been said in less pages， but it’s not。 It was a goal of mine to read something that would make me slow down， take I would best describe my experience with War and Peace as: Beauty and Boredom。It wasn’t until 30% that I started to become interested in any of the characters。 Characters in books either become your friends or they don’t。 （I was team Pierre the whole way！） If it wasn’t for him， I’m not entirely sure I would have finished。This is the longest/biggest book I’ve ever read。 It could have been said in less pages， but it’s not。 It was a goal of mine to read something that would make me slow down， take my time， and appreciate the details。 I used to loathe slow， monotonous stories， but after battling Chronic Lyme Disease and a pandemic， this is the life and pace I’ve come to appreciate daily。 This book reflects the battlefield I am currently on in a very similar fashion。Some of my favorite items from the text:* Tolstoy’s own life and spirituality weaved withinThis was amazing！ I read the Kindle version with footnotes included， all those yummy details were really something I cherished， and even introduced me to other works by Tolstoy， now on my TBR。 Anna Karenina （Anna Karenina） My enjoyment of W and P was a rollercoaster。 I esteemed every other book。 War tactic and battlefield strategy aren’t topics of interest to me， （my Dad is former military）， I read this for all those in between war， at peace or otherwise。 The polar opposites of alternating chapters of war and peace， bestowed an awareness upon me， one to be more loving towards those who’s lives and views differ from my own。 The number of books contained gave me an enormous amount of time to adapt to being present while encountering stories that I would have previously checked out at， eyes glossed over， or would have simply DNF the book。 Because this is such a classic piece of literature I wanted to complete this big book， and I’m so glad I did。 I feel it built my resilience in a strange way。 The was a 4 month journey for me， only reading in the middle of the night， when I was unable to sleep。* The characters growth and self-developmentThis is something I am currently going through myself （self-growth / development） so it resonated and stuck out well。 Watching characters grow in mind， body， and soul was so refreshing。 Their downfalls were also felt with deep empathy。 As I said before， Pierre was my favorite character。 * Descriptions and drawn out details on emotionsI think I experienced every emotion while reading “War and Peace”。 In 1，500 pages， I would hope so！ The way characters experienced emotions reminded me dearly of Jane Austen’s work: Sense and Sensibility （Sense and Sensibilty）* Topic: Freedom The topics and scenes had me questioning what is freedom， internal and external to me and how can I achieve the feeling of freedom， joy， and harmony， no matter what is going on in my life， on a more consistent basis？ I did some deep diving， introspective thinking here。Do I recommend “War and Peace”？ Only if you want to commit， and are interested in the topics within。 I liked Tolstoy’s writing style。 I like that he shared his sins， thoughts， and passions， it was all laid out in ink plainly for one to see， which made characters more or less enjoyable for that exact reason。 I’ll gladly be picking up other works by this fine author。 。。。more
Derk
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Deserves every bit of praise it has been given。
Ricky Marshall
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I listened to the audiobook over the course of about three months， which admittedly is not the best way to take on this massive classic。 I definitely recognized what makes this epic a masterpiece but would like to reread it in the future as I feel I got lost towards the end because of time elapsed。
Nidhin
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This book has everything a person needs to know about politics and it's narrated from Tolstoy's perspective This book has everything a person needs to know about politics and it's narrated from Tolstoy's perspective 。。。more
Juan Manuel
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Probablemente la mejor novela jamás escrita， y， esta edición en concreto， la mejor traducción al castellano。
Ronron08
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This story is interesting。 I love the characters。 It would be wonderful if you will write some more。 Also， there is a competition happening this April on the NovelStar app， I hope you can consider joining。 https://author。starlight。inkIf you have more stories like this， you can also publish them there 🙂 This story is interesting。 I love the characters。 It would be wonderful if you will write some more。 Also， there is a competition happening this April on the NovelStar app， I hope you can consider joining。 https://author。starlight。inkIf you have more stories like this， you can also publish them there 🙂 。。。more
Abeselom Habtemariam
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A lot has been said through the years about the size of this book making it unnecessary to dwell much on it。 Suffice is to say for me it was such an easy read despite its size。 In fact， I would argue War and Peace’s immense size is also its exquisiteness。 It is an antithesis to everything shallow and pseudointellectual。 By the sheer complexity of the two hundred or so of its major characters， it challenges the reader to rid themselves of hasty generalizations of individuals and history。 Can Napo A lot has been said through the years about the size of this book making it unnecessary to dwell much on it。 Suffice is to say for me it was such an easy read despite its size。 In fact， I would argue War and Peace’s immense size is also its exquisiteness。 It is an antithesis to everything shallow and pseudointellectual。 By the sheer complexity of the two hundred or so of its major characters， it challenges the reader to rid themselves of hasty generalizations of individuals and history。 Can Napoleon be watered down to just ‘’The Corsican Ogre’’ or ‘’A genius conquer of Europe’s mighty empires？’’ Can Pierre Bezukhov’s self-exploration throughout the book be simplified as a rich aristocrat’s futility to find a unifying theory for happiness？ Tolstoy’s simple answer is no。 Tolstoy’s view of history is a game theoretic one in which strategic interaction among rational and irrational participants all create complex and largely random outcomes。 He believes we overestimate our ability to pinpoint causality。 Tolstoy refuses to believe that one event; one naïve account of a war; a council meeting amongst few generals or indeed the level of spirit amongst rank-and-file soldiers are the sole causes of wars。 As he puts it; ‘’A bee settles on a flower and stings a child。 The child says bees are there to sting people。 The Poet admires the bee and says that bees are there to imbibe nectar inside flowers。 A beekeeper says that the bee is there to collect honey。 Another beekeeper， observing closely the life of the swarm says the bee collects pollen to feed the young and feed the queen and as such the bee is there to propagate the species。 A botanist observes that the bee flying over with pollen to fertilize the pistil and sees this as the purpose of the bee。 But the ultimate purpose of the bee is not exhausted by all these purposes discernable by the human intellect。 The higher the human intellect goes in discovering more and more purposes， the more obvious it becomes that the ultimate purpose is beyond comprehension。 Human comprehension does not extend beyond observation of the interaction between the living bee and other manifestations of life。 The same applies to the purposes of historical characters and nations’’Epilogue Part IWow！！ I had to meditate on that for some time after reading it。 Brilliant！！ Just brilliant！！！ One can pick different sections of the book to deliver a lasting intense image upon the soul。 Late spring hunting adventures with the Rostov’s; The earth scorching strategy by the Russian Army; the flight of the French army from Moscow in conditions reminiscent of Dante’s third circle of hell and many more。 War and Peace is an exploration of the people， history and culture of Russia and the world at large。 Tolstoy was from an aristocratic family and as such he delves well into that world giving us a rich set of characters。 But it is not just soirées， balls， galas， court intrigues and pretentious snobs in St。 Petersburg or Moscow。 Take this example for instance;‘’Natasha， hands on hips， rhythmically jiggling her shoulders， run in front of her uncle。 Here was a young countess， educated by a French emigree governess – where， when and how had she imbibed the spirit of that peasant dance along with the Russian air she breathed， and these movements which the Pas de Châle ought to have squeezed out of her long ago？ But her movements and the spirit of them were truly Russian， inimitable and untouchable。 She took up her stance with such a confident smile， so proud of herself and full of mischievous fun。’’ Volume II， Part IV， Chapter 7These lines were the inspiration for Orlando Figes's book Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia。 Countess Natasha， being of the upper echelons of Russian society and speaking in French most of the time， was dancing a traditionally Peasant’s folk dance here in one of the most memorable scenes of the book。Tolstoy， having been a solider himself during the Crimean War in the mid-19th century， depicts war scenes with clarity in the story and richness in the details。 Historically pivotal battles in the Napoleonic Wars – Austerlitz， Borodino， Smolensk or indeed the great inferno of Moscow – feel original and stirring in Tolstoy’s depiction。 Of Smolensk he writes;‘’From different sides came the whistle and thud of cannonballs and the crash of grenades exploding as they rained down in the town。 This was it， the bombardment ordered by Napoleon and launched on the town by one hundred and thirty cannons at just after four o’clock。 It was a bombardment the people were slow to appreciate…。。。five minutes later the street was deserted。 The cook had her thigh broken by shrapnel from a grenade。 The roar of the canons， the whistling of shells， and the pathetic whimpering of the cook， loudest of all were unrelenting。 The crowd went off to the cathedral， where they were rising on high the holy icon of Smolensk， which had power to work miracles。 The evening sky， recently so clear， was blotted out with smoke。 A new crescent moon stood high in the heavens， weirdly distorted through the smoke。’’ Volume III， Part II， Chapter 4War and Peace is not a ‘’Novel’’ in the traditional sense of the word （Tolstoy himself considered Anna Karenina （1878） to be his first novel not War and Peace （1869））。 Yes， there is a novel in there with mesmerizing characters， a remarkable plot and subplots and a sumptuous use of language and aesthetics。 But it is also a historical account of the Napoleonic wars， an assemblage of Tolstoy’s essays on history and war， a cultural examination of Russia and a psychological analysis of the human condition。 The whole book however， is more than the sum of its parts。 It is a wholistic experience of life。 To quote Romain Rolland; ‘’ This work， like life itself， has no beginning， no end。 It is life itself in its eternal movement’’Final NotesThe BBC has produced a six-part mini-series adaptation of War and Peace in 2016， which I believe to be excellent （I gave it 9 out of 10 on IMDB）。 I highly recommend it （Although not as a substitute for reading the book）。Although I haven’t checked out other translations， the one I read （A Clothbound Penguin Classics edition translated by Anthony Briggs） is exceptional。 From the aesthetic fell of the book to the important notes at the back， it is remarkably executed。 It is important to note here that a sizable segment of the dialogue in the book was originally written in French， as it was the choice of language for aristocratic families in Russia for the duration of the time period the book deals with。 Many translations circumvent this issue by carrying over the original French in the book and providing the English translation in footnotes。 Anthony Briggs however has chosen to translate the whole text to English and give notice whenever a conversation is taking place in French， which I find to be the easiest way of going about it。 。。。more
Sandy
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Pages as thin as kleenex and it still kept my attention？！ Great job Tolstoy you wacky S。O。B
Roberta Mauriello
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Sarò sincera， leggere "Guerra e Pace" di Lev Tolstoj non è stata sicuramente un passeggiata。Un libro di oltre 1400 pagine con intere parti scritte in francese。Tralasciando le parti lunghissime sulla guerra è forse più scorrevole di quello che si pensi。Trovo che Tolstoj ti fa entrare ed amare vivendo le vicende famigliari di questi nobili con descrizioni precise ma non pesanti。Personalmente ho adorato la lunga riflessione sulla morte del Principe Andrej Bolkonskij， la sofferenza e poi la rinascit Sarò sincera， leggere "Guerra e Pace" di Lev Tolstoj non è stata sicuramente un passeggiata。Un libro di oltre 1400 pagine con intere parti scritte in francese。Tralasciando le parti lunghissime sulla guerra è forse più scorrevole di quello che si pensi。Trovo che Tolstoj ti fa entrare ed amare vivendo le vicende famigliari di questi nobili con descrizioni precise ma non pesanti。Personalmente ho adorato la lunga riflessione sulla morte del Principe Andrej Bolkonskij， la sofferenza e poi la rinascita di Natasha altro grande personaggio unico di questo romanzo。Si è un libro molto impegnativo che va letto con calma， io ci ho messo più di un mese， insomma Guerra e Pace ti resta dentro e ti lascia la soddisfazione di aver “conosciuto” un libro per molti versi unico ed uno straordinario scrittore。 Da non perdere voglio sicuramente leggere altro di questo autore。 。。。more
Rory Harris
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Thought I may aswell get something out of lockdown 3 so here we are。 I'm pretty glad I read this， but it is a bit of a slog。 There's such a rich array of characters to get invested in， and sticking with them for so long you can feel like you know them。 I can definitely see why this is one of the classics and I'll probably be thinking about it for a while - he really hammers home （maybe a bit much？？） his philosophy and views on history。 Personally I think I prefer a novel with a stronger structur Thought I may aswell get something out of lockdown 3 so here we are。 I'm pretty glad I read this， but it is a bit of a slog。 There's such a rich array of characters to get invested in， and sticking with them for so long you can feel like you know them。 I can definitely see why this is one of the classics and I'll probably be thinking about it for a while - he really hammers home （maybe a bit much？？） his philosophy and views on history。 Personally I think I prefer a novel with a stronger structure and just enjoy it more， but it was really interesting to try this。 。。。more
Sohan
，
'' We can know only that we know nothing。 And that is the highest degree of human wisdom。" - War and Peace দুটি প্রশ্ন দিয়ে শুরু করা যায়，（ক） ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ কি？（খ） তলস্তয় ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ কেন লিখলেন？এটা না উপন্যাস， না মহাকাব্য， না ঐতিহাসিক উপাখ্যান， লেখক যে আকারে কিংবা যে অভিব্যক্তি আকারে প্রকাশ করতে চেয়েছিলেন， ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ হল তাই। এখানে ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ বিশেষ কোন ডিসকোর্স （ইউরোপের প্রথাগত কাঠামো） ফলো করেনি বরং ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ হয়ে দাঁড়িয়েছে একটি স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ ডিসকোর্স।ফরাসি বিপ্লবের '' We can know only that we know nothing。 And that is the highest degree of human wisdom。" - War and Peace দুটি প্রশ্ন দিয়ে শুরু করা যায়，（ক） ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ কি？（খ） তলস্তয় ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ কেন লিখলেন？এটা না উপন্যাস， না মহাকাব্য， না ঐতিহাসিক উপাখ্যান， লেখক যে আকারে কিংবা যে অভিব্যক্তি আকারে প্রকাশ করতে চেয়েছিলেন， ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ হল তাই। এখানে ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ বিশেষ কোন ডিসকোর্স （ইউরোপের প্রথাগত কাঠামো） ফলো করেনি বরং ‘ওয়ার এন্ড পিস’ হয়ে দাঁড়িয়েছে একটি স্বয়ংসম্পূর্ণ ডিসকোর্স।ফরাসি বিপ্লবের যে উত্তেজনা， যে অস্থির রেডিয়েশন， সেই উত্তেজনাময় রেডিয়েশন থেকে প্রাপ্ত ‘চূড়ান্ত বাই-প্রোডাক্ট’ হল， ‘নেপোলিয়ন বোনাপার্ট’। সেই উত্তেজনা আস্তে আস্তে ইউরোপের পশ্চিম থেকে গমন করলো পূর্বে। এই রেডিয়েশনে কখনও পুড়ল ফ্রান্স， কখনও স্পেন， কখনও অস্ত্রিয়া， কখনও প্রাশিয়া， কখনও রাশিয়া। ১৮১২ সালে সেই রেডিয়েশনের তাপে চূড়ান্তভাবে জ্বলে উঠলো মস্কো।[image error]১৮২৫ সালে， সম্রাট প্রথম আলেকজান্ডারের মৃত্যুর পর রাশিয়ায় যে মিলিটারি কনফ্লিক্ট তৈরি হয় সেই ঘটনাগুলো নিয়ে তলস্তয় লিখতে চেয়েছিলেন। লিখতে গিয়ে দেখলেন， ১৮২৫ এর ঘটনা পূর্বের ঘটনার সাথে সম্পৃক্ত। ১৮১২ সালে নেপোলিনের মস্কো আক্রমণ， কিংবা তারও আগে আলেকজান্ডারের সাথে নেপোলিয়নের বন্ধুত্ব， সব কিছুই এক সুত্রে গাথা। অর্থাৎ， লিখতে গেলে ১৮০৫ সালের অস্তারলিজের যুদ্ধ থেকে শুরু না করলেই না। ফলাফল， ওয়ার এন্ড পিস！আমার মতে， এই বইটি পড়তে পাঠকের শুধুমাত্র নেপলিয়নিক যুদ্ধ （১৮০৫ থেকে ১৮১২） নিয়ে ক্র্যাশ কোর্স করলেই যথেষ্ট। [image error]বইটির শেষে লেখক যে সিন্থেসিস দাঁর করেছেন তা হল， ‘ঐতিহাসিক ঘটনার ক্ষেত্রে তথাকথিত মহাপুরুষদের অবদান অতিশয় তুচ্ছ’অর্থাৎ， লেখক বলতে চেয়েছেন， ১৮১২ সালের ঘটনাবলীর কারন নিহিত ছিল নেপোলিয়নের প্রভুত্বস্পৃহা আর সম্রাট আলেকজান্ডারের দৃঢ় দেশপ্রেমের মধ্যে – একথা বলা একান্তই অর্থহীন। এসকল বিষয়ে অনেক যুক্তি উপস্থাপন করেছেন বইয়ের পরিশিষ্ট অধ্যায়গুলোতে।সব শেষে বলে রাখি， বইটি কিন্তু শুধু যুদ্ধের কাহিনী দিয়ে ঠাঁসা না। মানব জীবনের যে বহুমাত্রিক দিক লেখক অনুধাবন করেছেন， সেসবকিছুই লিখেছেন সবিস্তারে। অনুবাদ প্রশঙ্গেঃআমার ইচ্ছে ছিল অরুন সোমের অনুবাদ পড়ব। সেটা হয়ে ওঠেনি। আমি পড়লাম， মনিন্দ্র দত্তের অনুবাদ। আমার তো মনে হয়， কেও কারো চেয়ে কম যায়না। প্রথমে বিশ্বসাহিত্য কেন্দ্রের বইটা কিনতে গেলাম， মজার ব্যাপার， প্রচ্ছদে ব্রিটিশ অভিনেত্রি অড্রে হেপবার্নের ছবি， আমি বুঝলাম না， যে বইয়ে প্রায় ছয়শোর মত চরিত্র আর যে গল্পে একক কোন নায়ক নায়িকা নেই সেই বইয়ের প্রচ্ছদে সিনেমা থেকে স্ক্রিনশর্ট মারা প্রচ্ছদ কেন？ বাতিঘরে কলকাতার তুলি-কলম প্রকাশনীর বইটা পাওয়া গেল （১৯৯৯ সংস্করন）， খপ করে নিয়ে নিলাম। ঐ বইয়ের উপর ‘মহান’ নেপোলিয়নের ছবি （নেতাজির মতো আঙ্গুল উঁচু করে বলছেন， দমদম চলো！）পুনশ্চঃ বইটি শেষ করে আমার একটু মন খারাপ লাগছে। চরিত্রগুলোকে ভুলতে পারছিনা 😅 উপরে যে কথাগুলো লিখেছি তা একেবারেই সংক্ষেপিত আর অনুভূতিহীন। রিভিউ লিখেও শান্তি পাচ্ছি না। কিছুই যেন মনের মতো হচ্ছে না। ওয়ার এন্ড পিস বইয়ে বলা হয়ে থাকে প্রায় ৬০০ চরিত্র আছে। আমি একবার ভাবলাম নোট করি， পরে মন পাল্টে গেল। শুধুমাত্র মুখ্য চরিত্রগুলো লিখে নিলাম। মুখ্য চরিত্রের সংখ্যা প্রায় ত্রিশ জন। ঐতিহাসিক চরিত্র রয়েছে আরও কিছু। মুখ্য চরিত্রের মধ্যে আছে প্রিন্স আন্দ্রু， প্রিন্সেস মারি （যার আমি প্রেমে পরেছিলাম， লেখক বারবার লিখেছিল সে নাকি দেখতে কুৎসিত， লেখকের উপর বড্ড রাগ হল 😒 প্রিন্সেস মারি অনেক বুদ্ধিমতী）， নাতাশা （আনা কারেনিনার সাথে বড্ড মিল খুঁজে পেলাম）， পিয়ের （যার সাথে স্বয়ং তলস্তয়ের মিল খুঁজে পেয়েছি আমি， আর রেজারেকশন বইয়ের নেখলিউদভ）， নিকলাস， কাউন্ট বলকন্সকি （লোকটা মারা যাওয়ার পর আমি কেঁদে ফেলেছিলাম）， পেতোয়া （কিশোর মুক্তিযোদ্ধা）， সোনিয়া （মেয়েটা আড়ালে সবাইকে ভালবেসে গেল， শি এক্সপেক্টেড নাথিং ইন হার লাইফ বিকজ শি ইজ এন অরফান！）， দলকভ （দারুণ সাহসী হুজার）， হেলেন， বরিস， আন্না দুব্রেস্কায়া， প্রিন্স ভাসিলি， আনাতল （ব্যাটা বাটপার！）， ইত্যাদি। ঐতিহাসিক চরিত্রের মধ্যে ভালো লেগেছে রাশিয়ান জেনারেল কুতুজভকে （যদিও তার নামে কটু কথাও শোনা যায়， তার কারন আছে বৈকি）， আর নেপোলিয়ন （১৮১২ সালের আগ পর্যন্ত সে খুব রিলাক্সড ছিল， ঠাণ্ডা মাথায় পাবজি খেলার মতো মানুষ মারা দেখেছে। বরডনোর যুদ্ধের সময় নেপোলিয়নের সর্দি লাগে， আর এই সর্দি লাগার কারনেই নাকি ইতিহাসের মোড় ঘুরে যায়！ বোঝো！） 。。。more
William
，
What can I say， this audiobook was 62 hours。 Not quite the longest one I’ve listened too but this book has not aged well。 A classic and usually on lists of books people can’t wade through， it still has historical value。 It does cover the Napoleonic invasion of Russian which is interesting。 It was well research I seems accurate。 I can say this even written for an audience from a different time as a writer it has an easy fix。 There are 559 characters。 And at times its easy to get lost among them。 What can I say， this audiobook was 62 hours。 Not quite the longest one I’ve listened too but this book has not aged well。 A classic and usually on lists of books people can’t wade through， it still has historical value。 It does cover the Napoleonic invasion of Russian which is interesting。 It was well research I seems accurate。 I can say this even written for an audience from a different time as a writer it has an easy fix。 There are 559 characters。 And at times its easy to get lost among them。 If I were to tackle such a project today I would give the story one or two threw characters that attend all the events so we as the reader can keep track because the reality is by the time I got to the end I had no idea what occurred at the beginning。 I think if we had one character， we could follow then we’d stay with the story better。 That is of course a modern thought。 。。。more
Evisatho
，
" Man lives consciously for himself， but is an unconscious instrument in the attainment of the historic， universal， aims of humanity。 A deed done is irrevocable， and it's result coinciding in time with the actions of millions of other men assumes an historic significance。 " Things that made me read this book。a。 A Ted-ed video。b。 Jordan Peterson's list of book recommendations 。 c。 The length of this book。d。 So i could say out loud " I've read war and peace " with a smug。e。 The name Leo Tolstoy " Man lives consciously for himself， but is an unconscious instrument in the attainment of the historic， universal， aims of humanity。 A deed done is irrevocable， and it's result coinciding in time with the actions of millions of other men assumes an historic significance。 " Things that made me read this book。a。 A Ted-ed video。b。 Jordan Peterson's list of book recommendations 。 c。 The length of this book。d。 So i could say out loud " I've read war and peace " with a smug。e。 The name Leo Tolstoy and The title itself。 "war and peace" Let me be straight to the point。 I gave this book a 5 star rating when i was 80 percent into the book。 （I'm not trying to look smart here by using percentages， i suck at math and i read with my kindle）The book was so good that before finishing the book， i decided that this was one of the best books I've read。。。。so far。 And also the joke's on me as well because I've read so little to even give this book a proper comparison to the other books I've read。 So yeah， at the moment， this book is sitting at the top of my library looking down on the other books I've read。 And I want to give it some competition but I have no time to go through a similar book again anytime soon。Don't be mistaken， while the book maybe long by normal standards， it isn't a hard read。 There are quite a bit of conversations in French but I didn't look them up。 The book revolves around different characters and Wars。 And the changes they go through as time goes on， each of their lives are interlinked in one way or the other。 you go through with the characters lives and their development。 Sometimes you like them， other times you end up despising the character so much that you feel glad that they are going through so much shit and on some you wish them even more shit because they are such a shitty character。The book is revolves around war， and with it brings much pain and suffering。 The book is about people committing sins and their redemption。It is a book on self sacrifice and suffering， on hate， jealousy， greed and debauchery。It questions one's humanity， their values and worth when the wheels of time and death are turning around them。 It is a book on love， family， self-realization， forgiving oneself and enlightenment。 " Life is everything。 Life is God。 Everything changes and moves and that movement is God。 While there is life there is joy in consciousness of the divine。 To love life is to love God。 Harder and more blessed than all else is to love this life in one's suffering， in innocent sufferings。" 。。。more
Kieran
，
While I’m glad I read this book， I don’t think I will ever read a book this long again。 It feels like I’ve been fighting Napoleon for years 😂 With that said it really lived up to the hype that surrounds it。 I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself being emotionally moved at times throughout the story。 Tolstoy also employs a wide range of analogies from biology， physics， philosophy， history and other disciplines that just blew me away。 His ability to convey a feeling or argument were incredible a While I’m glad I read this book， I don’t think I will ever read a book this long again。 It feels like I’ve been fighting Napoleon for years 😂 With that said it really lived up to the hype that surrounds it。 I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself being emotionally moved at times throughout the story。 Tolstoy also employs a wide range of analogies from biology， physics， philosophy， history and other disciplines that just blew me away。 His ability to convey a feeling or argument were incredible and I couldn’t believe the scope of his knowledge。 A true genius which makes it easy to see why some people call War and Peace the best novel ever written。 I highly recommend to anyone willing to commit a bit of time， highly engaging and rewarding read。 。。。more
Melcatt
，
War & Peace is THE book， the ultimate internationally praised classic of literature that everyone pretends has read or has been planning to read for years。 Following a few timid tries， I finally conquered it and it makes me feel both very brave and exhausted。 There are two distinct parts in this book: a realistic story of five Russian aristocratic families impacted by Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and a compilation of essays on the nature of power， historiography and how humans relate to war。 So War & Peace is THE book， the ultimate internationally praised classic of literature that everyone pretends has read or has been planning to read for years。 Following a few timid tries， I finally conquered it and it makes me feel both very brave and exhausted。 There are two distinct parts in this book: a realistic story of five Russian aristocratic families impacted by Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and a compilation of essays on the nature of power， historiography and how humans relate to war。 Some editions compile all the essays in one appendix at the end instead of having them intertwined in the story， which I would have preferred because it was clearly hard to get through sometimes。 I do believe that I need to mature a little bit more to fully enjoy this aspect of Tolstoy， so I plan on going back to War & Peace after some time。 The realism of the characters， all their flaws and nuances， is what makes this book brilliant。 No less is expected after Anna Karenina， but it is really impressive how much life can Tolstoy gives to his cast of protagonists， no matter the number and the complexity of them。 I started over quite a few times at the beginning because I could not remember some names， but I soon discovered that everything comes into place as you keep immersing yourself in the story。The lines between fiction and history are often blurred as some real personalities of the era appear between the fictional characters。 The research that Tolstoy went under to make his masterpiece as realistic as possible is undeniably colossal。 No one has better put into words how I feel about the story in War and Peace than Roy Lotz， who has written one of the best reviews I have ever seen on my short time on Goodreads。 I don’t believe I could put this concept into better words。 Roy kindly agreed to let me quote this part from his review: « No character accomplishes anything heroic or superhuman。 Instead of the protagonist， with dreams of glory， rushing into battle and slaying dozens of enemies， in this book， the protagonist rushes into battle only to get a mild wound and run away， confused。 Instead of the protagonist， searching for the ultimate meaning of life and having a grand epiphany， in this book， the protagonist searches for the ultimate meaning of life， continually fails， and ultimately gives up。 Instead of the protagonist， falling into love forever and ever， in this book， the protagonist has faint and irresolute romantic feelings， and merely does the best he can。 Such is life， and such is War and Peace。 »Here's a link to Roy's full review: https://www。goodreads。com/review/show。。。 。。。more
Ida
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really liked how well you got to know each charecter， and how you got to understand them more and more。 I loved how they described each other when they were in love， and the Rostov family was so full of love and trust。 my favorite character was either Natasha or Andrjev， but I also liked who Petja became。
Adrian
，
I really tried。 DNF 250 pages。
Troy Kaspers
，
Wow！！！ A long but well written book。 I don't know how much was lost in the translation but the descriptions of war， society， politics， and family was outstanding。 I feel I have a better understanding of the 19th century after completing this epic read。 Wow！！！ A long but well written book。 I don't know how much was lost in the translation but the descriptions of war， society， politics， and family was outstanding。 I feel I have a better understanding of the 19th century after completing this epic read。 。。。more
Luke
，
Pretty incredible right up until Epilogue 2 when he starts beating you over the head with a very repetitive proof of his conceptualization of the "laws of history。" He's making an interesting point but the prose shifts into borderline unreadable philosophese。 This is irritating because the characters， the story（ies）， the human insight， even the intermittent rants against historians all make the point beautifully and not at all heavy-handedly throughout the book。 It's like telling a hilarious jok Pretty incredible right up until Epilogue 2 when he starts beating you over the head with a very repetitive proof of his conceptualization of the "laws of history。" He's making an interesting point but the prose shifts into borderline unreadable philosophese。 This is irritating because the characters， the story（ies）， the human insight， even the intermittent rants against historians all make the point beautifully and not at all heavy-handedly throughout the book。 It's like telling a hilarious joke and then explaining ponderously why the joke was funny。 Anyway apart from that it's magnificent。 。。。more
Sergey
，
Целые дни и каждый божий день я существовал в России прошедшего века， под солнцем и в морозы， в радости и в печали， и даже в скуке， испытывая сознание отчужденности от всего земного и радостной и странной легкости бытия。 На сердце смутное сознание чего-то торжественного， и священного， свободного， вольного。 Сердца нет， и нет меня; все лишнее， все пустое。 В этом дурмане в памяти запечатлело безудержность полета и близость смерти и любви и тоски。 А память о тех минувших мгновениях душу мою бередит Целые дни и каждый божий день я существовал в России прошедшего века， под солнцем и в морозы， в радости и в печали， и даже в скуке， испытывая сознание отчужденности от всего земного и радостной и странной легкости бытия。 На сердце смутное сознание чего-то торжественного， и священного， свободного， вольного。 Сердца нет， и нет меня; все лишнее， все пустое。 В этом дурмане в памяти запечатлело безудержность полета и близость смерти и любви и тоски。 А память о тех минувших мгновениях душу мою бередит с необыкновенною яркостью。 И только тишина ко мне теперь нежна， так мила， а слова лишь могут нарушить ту высоту чувства могущественного и неразрушимого блаженства。 。 。 все пришло к концу и все кончается， но Это бесконечно， Это вечно。 。。。more
John Saveland
，
Reading War and Peace （the Pevear & Volokhonsky version） felt a little like participating in a 72oz steak challenge: it was a big undertaking， it confused some people （several friends asked me “why are you doing this to yourself？”）， and it felt like I was consuming the same thing over and over （and over） without branching out to new tastes。I give it 2。5 stars （rounded up to 3）。The story *is* good， and the characters – layered， flawed， neurotic， conflicted – are all likely and very readable。 But Reading War and Peace （the Pevear & Volokhonsky version） felt a little like participating in a 72oz steak challenge: it was a big undertaking， it confused some people （several friends asked me “why are you doing this to yourself？”）， and it felt like I was consuming the same thing over and over （and over） without branching out to new tastes。I give it 2。5 stars （rounded up to 3）。The story *is* good， and the characters – layered， flawed， neurotic， conflicted – are all likely and very readable。 But there’s only so much of them。 For pages， chapters， sometimes sections at a time， we leave Natasha， Pierre， and Andrei to follow other characters （or no characters） down the rabbit hole of war。 A subject that fascinates Tolstoy but felt to me as less interesting than the human drama at home in the parlors and halls and rooms of our heroes。 I was often impatient to get back to them。 Tolstoy does have a lot of compelling arguments to make about history， “great men，” and the will of peoples， but once again， these do not organically stretch to 1200 pages。 We hear some of the same theses a few times over before he feels his point has been made。So is it worth it？ That depends on the reader。 Russian history buffs and classic literature completists: fear not， this is an epic， at times funny & heart warming， immensely readable work。 As my HS teacher would say， “it’s as easy as reading Agatha Christie。” I know very little about russian history and I had no trouble following the various storylines。For the rest of us， I’ll say I wish I had instead started with Anna Karenina – a book I do want to read， but the experience of W&P made me somewhat reluctant to do so。 My eyes were probably bigger than my stomach when I approached War and Peace。 It was good （I keep reminding myself）， but I had more than my fill， and I may need to go vegan for a bit before I tackle something that meaty。 。。。more
Jaymee
，
War and peace and everything in between。 Life and death。 If there's an author who can write about these in a way that isn't cliché， you need not look any further than Tolstoy。 Despite the fact that this is over a century old， I found myself underlining passages as they break my brittle heart。 There are many enlightening scenes， heartbreaking ones， and some of my favorites are in the battle chapters: looking over the battlefield and wondering what it's all about; when you've sworn your life to de War and peace and everything in between。 Life and death。 If there's an author who can write about these in a way that isn't cliché， you need not look any further than Tolstoy。 Despite the fact that this is over a century old， I found myself underlining passages as they break my brittle heart。 There are many enlightening scenes， heartbreaking ones， and some of my favorites are in the battle chapters: looking over the battlefield and wondering what it's all about; when you've sworn your life to defend your Emperor and your nation， you see one man shooting another and you just stand there wondering why。 What's the purpose of all this fighting？ To whom is all this for？ So much disillusionment， a lot of ruminations on our transitory life。 These characters， just like us， only realize things near the end。 It's comforting for me to know that it's not just me who takes things for granted。 The characters here are also SO alive; they keep changing over time， you start to feel like you're part of this one， big， crazy， loosely-linked together family。 One moment a character is your favorite， the next， you can't wait for the chapter that describes her decline。 A sidenote: I love how death is handled by Tolstoy， he has such a light hand when writing about it。 It can be a man who's slowly wasting away from a wound， or it can be a simple sentence describing the death （that just happened， or in some cases， yet to happen） of a character。 BOTH make such an impact， that when you read about their death in 3 chapters or 1 sentence， they hit you hard。 It really feels like a loss in the family。For most of my life （until I finally decided to tackle this， and now that I've finished it）， I was made to think that this was The Book to Finish if you want to test yourself。 And well， here I am。 To tell you that this wasn't as hard a climb as I thought it would be， or as everyone makes you believe it is。 It's just the dizzying feeling of looking up at the mountain， seeing how high it is。 But once you start the climb， you'll find it pleasant， and you'll find yourself wanting to go on。 I suppose it depends on the reader; I'm sure some would enjoy the view and climb slowly; for me， I kept wanting to know what the next level （chapter） was going to be， so I kept steadily on。 This novel is like That Uncle who comes by every so often， regaling you with tales of his time at war， and the lives of your distant relatives。 You're already familiar with them， but every time he tells you about them， it's as if he's telling it again for the first time， and new stories and characteristics come about。 "Wait， I thought Uncle Pierre would never marry again！ I thought he was going to become a priest！" And "Wow， beautiful Aunt Natasha， what a tragedy。 But all ends well。 Somehow。" And what is it with Sonya？ Why does everybody seem to hate her？ What IS her background， even？ You ask yourself silently， because you feel the whole family is still scheming against her。And that brings me to the Epilogue。 Read or skip？ I read it， and it made my head hurt。 Did I understand all of it？ Hardly。 Do I think it's important？ To the story， marginally。 To the understanding of humanity and history， yes。 Do I agree with everything he said？ No。 And that's the fun of it。 So: it's not long， it'll give you things to think about， so read it。 Some suggestions: I read the Penguin translation by Anthony Briggs。 I'm sure it reads easier than Maude or Garnett's。 I can now say that I fully understand why this book warrants a reread。 So it might be good to read this in a contemporary translation， and then go back to it a decade or so later with the Garnett or Maude （or whoever early translator you think is good）。 I found Briggs' to be a bit weird because of the constant use of the word "weird。" My second suggestion would be to get this in the three-volume format if possible， because it is such a PAIN to read this book。 In fact， I never thought that the real difficulty of reading War and Peace would be the actual physical act of reading it: it's so heavy， it constantly flops over to one side， and you obviously can't read it in bed。 Also， the print is small。 But the decent three-volume set I could find is by Everyman's Library which is translated by Maude （they're husband and wife， by the way。 Louise and Alymer; I just refer to them as Maude）。 But many swear by them， so you might want to go right in。And that's it。 I made it。 I regret that for the longest time， I swore not to attempt this book。 Only upon discovering Russian literature and having taken it seriously did I finally pick this up。 And I am very， very glad that I did。 And so in the end， this actually ended up as one of The Books to Read， for me。 But not as a test of endurance， but rather just for the sheer enjoyment of reading a book about humanity in every aspect。 。。。more
Lars S
，
Compared to Anna Karenina， it took on much "bigger" subjects and the whole story of the book was on a grander scale。 Enjoyed it more than Anna Karenina。 Compared to Anna Karenina， it took on much "bigger" subjects and the whole story of the book was on a grander scale。 Enjoyed it more than Anna Karenina。 。。。more
EmmaPorzee
，
Great story; I love how it was given。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top
Emari Rose
，
I really love your story， it deserves a lot of audience。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Sebastiaan
，
This book has a beautiful， romantic plot。 The narrator switches between describing the story of the main characters， and the history of military and political affairs during the Napoleonic wars from 1805-1812。 Don't be scared off by the thickness of this book: it is divided into mostly easily digestible chapters （except for those few that contain Tolstoy's critique on 19th century historians， they are sometimes a little harder to get through）， and it will just take somewhat longer to finish。 This book has a beautiful， romantic plot。 The narrator switches between describing the story of the main characters， and the history of military and political affairs during the Napoleonic wars from 1805-1812。 Don't be scared off by the thickness of this book: it is divided into mostly easily digestible chapters （except for those few that contain Tolstoy's critique on 19th century historians， they are sometimes a little harder to get through）， and it will just take somewhat longer to finish。 。。。more
Priya
，
That was quite an experience！ The size of the novel did not intimidate me as much as what I thought it contained that would be beyond my understanding。However， it was surprisingly（to me） easy to follow and very interesting。The sheer scope awed me。 The amount of detail given to the characterization， period， culture and most of all the war descriptions is mind boggling。For a work based on war， there are numerous instances of humour in the astute observations of Russian society made by Tolstoy。 Yes That was quite an experience！ The size of the novel did not intimidate me as much as what I thought it contained that would be beyond my understanding。However， it was surprisingly（to me） easy to follow and very interesting。The sheer scope awed me。 The amount of detail given to the characterization， period， culture and most of all the war descriptions is mind boggling。For a work based on war， there are numerous instances of humour in the astute observations of Russian society made by Tolstoy。 Yes， there are a lot of examples of a very patriarchal mindset but given it is set in and written in the nineteenth century， that is a function of the period。 It reflects the reality of the time。While it is a treatise about the Napoleonic wars， it is also a comprehensive study of human nature， be it of the nobility of Russia， the peasants， the soldiers fighting because they were spurred on to do so， the actual commanders and generals of the war or the man （dis）credited with conceiving the war with his singular actions。。Napoleon！Some of the thoughts expressed on the battlefield， the visions his heroes have， especially Prince Andrew and Pierre Bezukhov are so incredibly explained。 The footnotes indicate that much of the novel is drawn from the author's own experiences。 Even so， to pen a book of this length with so many characters， some of them real historical figures even， and switch between life during the battle and the battle itself is phenomenal。Words or ratings cannot do justice to what this epic is。 I would venture to say only that it seems to me that this is a book that should be read， possibly multiple times， to get the full essence of the ideas encompassed in it。 。。。more
Eleonora
，
letto in soli 15 giorni: wow， soltanto adesso ho potuto comprendere， perché è tra i libri da dover leggere almeno una volta nella propria vita。scritto nella seconda metà dell'800， eppure così attuale。 esattamente come anna karenina non mi ha delusa。la penna di Tolstoj è così rara quanto unica allo stesso tempo: filosofia， storia， scienza， religione， narrazione， tutto in un unico romanzo così grande all'apparenza， così piccolo nelle sue vicende。grazie Tolstoj per questa bellissima avventura， già letto in soli 15 giorni: wow， soltanto adesso ho potuto comprendere， perché è tra i libri da dover leggere almeno una volta nella propria vita。scritto nella seconda metà dell'800， eppure così attuale。 esattamente come anna karenina non mi ha delusa。la penna di Tolstoj è così rara quanto unica allo stesso tempo: filosofia， storia， scienza， religione， narrazione， tutto in un unico romanzo così grande all'apparenza， così piccolo nelle sue vicende。grazie Tolstoj per questa bellissima avventura， già mi mancano tutti， soprattutto Pierre。。。 🧡 。。。more
Christopher
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I liked this book because its based in the old times and the books realism is so good。 It was stated that he spoke to people who lived during these time to get the feel of how it was。 He read all the standard histories available in Russian and French about the Napoleonic Wars and had read letters， journals， autobiographies and biographies of Napoleon and other key players of that era。 What's funny to me is that Tolstoy began writing War and Peace in 1863， the year that he finally married and set I liked this book because its based in the old times and the books realism is so good。 It was stated that he spoke to people who lived during these time to get the feel of how it was。 He read all the standard histories available in Russian and French about the Napoleonic Wars and had read letters， journals， autobiographies and biographies of Napoleon and other key players of that era。 What's funny to me is that Tolstoy began writing War and Peace in 1863， the year that he finally married and settled down at his country estate， that must've been a good year for him， he got so much done that year。 I was astonished to read that Lise died during her pregnancy， it had me sad after we found that out。 Tolstoy also put the battles in the book too， I wasn't expecting him to put the battles in the book。 He uses the Battle of Ostrovno and the Battle of Shevardino Redoubt in his novel， before the occupation of Moscow and the subsequent fire。 The novel continues with the Battle of Tarutino， the Battle of Maloyaroslavets， the Battle of Vyazma， and the Battle of Krasnoi。 The final battle cited is the Battle of Berezina， after which the characters move on with rebuilding Moscow and their lives。 I rate this novel a 5 because he's very descriptive in his writings and its very detailed。 。。。more
Manuela
，
«Che silenzio， che calma， che solennità！ Com’è tutto diverso da quando correvo，» pensò il principe Andrej; «com’è diverso da quando noi correvamo， gridavamo e ci battevamo; com’è diverso dalla scena del francese e dell’artigliere che si strappavano lo scovolo con le facce stravolte e furibonde。 Come sono diverse queste nuvole che corrono nel cielo alto e sconfinato。 Come mai prima non lo vedevo questo cielo sublime？ E come sono felice d’averlo finalmente conosciuto。 Sì！ tutto è vano， tutto è ing «Che silenzio， che calma， che solennità！ Com’è tutto diverso da quando correvo，» pensò il principe Andrej; «com’è diverso da quando noi correvamo， gridavamo e ci battevamo; com’è diverso dalla scena del francese e dell’artigliere che si strappavano lo scovolo con le facce stravolte e furibonde。 Come sono diverse queste nuvole che corrono nel cielo alto e sconfinato。 Come mai prima non lo vedevo questo cielo sublime？ E come sono felice d’averlo finalmente conosciuto。 Sì！ tutto è vano， tutto è inganno al di fuori di questo cielo infinito。 Nulla， nulla esiste all’infuori di esso。 Ma neppure esso esiste， non esiste nulla tranne il silenzio， tranne la quiete…»Quando finisci di leggere “guerra e pace” non lo finisci veramente。 Continui a pensare e ripensare alle idee di Tolstoj， al messaggio dell’opera， ma soprattutto ai personaggi， quei personaggi così veri e così umani， a cui inevitabilmente ti affezioni。 Ti hanno fatto compagnia per così tanto tempo che finisci per amare con loro， soffrire con loro e sperare con loro。。。anche se Tolstoj te lo dice in tutti i modi che le cose vanno come devono andare， che sei solo un minuscolo atomo insieme a milioni di atomi immerso in una sorta di fluido connettivo， impalpabile e misterioso， chiamato vita che unifica ogni cosa。 A te， però， non interessa perché balli e soffri con Natasha， sei smarrito come Pierre e sei scettico come Andrej che non riesce ancora a coglierlo il senso di questa vita。。。Tolstoj scrive un romanzo potentissimo che parla a tutti delle uniche cose che contano， e cioè del bene e del male。«Che cosa è male？ Che cosa è bene？ Che cosa bisogna amare， che cosa odiare？ Per quale ragione dobbiamo vivere？ E io che cosa sono？ Che cos’è la vita？ Che cos’è la morte？ Quale forza guida tutto？» si domandava Pierre。 E non trovava risposta ad alcuno di questi interrogativi， tranne una sola illogica risposta， che per contro non rispondeva affatto a queste domande。 «Morirai e tutto sarà finito。 Morirai e saprai tutto e smetterai di fare domande»。 Ma anche morire era una cosa terribile。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=War and Peace
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=War and Peace&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,War and Peace&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0