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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
War and Peace was a brilliant read. Those 1215 pages were worth it. (Except for part 2 of the Epilogue; which was all historical mumbo jumbo. Only history enthusiast will enjoy it.)
I never knew anything about Napoleon and now you can quiz me about him. Lol.
Tolstoy explained a chunk of history embedded in a beautiful story. He didn't make it feel like a history lesson. It was fun all along. In the beginning I wasn't bothered with the war parts but half way through the book, I had no issues with war chapters. I was enjoying them!
2 months with this beast of a book! I was so glad I joined the read-along cause otherwise I don't know how I would have read this.
I liked War and Peace more than I liked Anna Karenina (which I need to re-read) but this story was meaningful: there were a lot of characters with a lot of character development and a bigger plot line with depth.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Rostov's were just amazing and such a contrast with the Bolkonsky's family. The parents were both sweet and the feelings of a mother for her son were described so perfectly. They were mean yet true.
Tolstoy doesn't hesitate to be bluntly honest when describing what Countess Natalya feels for her son Count Nikolai.
I felt so sorry for Petya: poor thing. His death was just sad and made me realize how many innocents were unjustly killed.
Prince Andrei was a bit selfish as he didn't bother how his sister was suffering at home.
I really liked both Sonya and Princess Marie but I'm glad Princess Marie married Count Nikolai.
Nikolai was such a child even when he is all grown up but I couldn't hate him for it. Cause it was just who he was.
I hated Pierre at the beginning. I thought he was an idiot but by the end I was able to understand him; which rarely happens for me. (My good opinion once lost is lost forever. Lol. But not in this case.)
I was so glad when Helene died; cause she was giving me all "Anna Karenina" vibes with her beauty and cheating on her husband. So much infidelity makes me sick.
I felt bad for Denisov and Dolokhov: the poor guys didn't get any one.
I forgot about Natasha; I didn't understand her at the beginning of the book but when she falls for Anatole and the way she rebels was pretty brilliantly described. And it felt relatable. I have seen girls go mental like that. And for the wrong guy. And how she changes when she gets married! I see that all the time as well! I kid you not, all the time, around me!
I read the translation by Richard Pevear during the first 1/3 and the last 1/3 of the book and the Maude translation during the middle 1/3. Maude's translation over simplified a lot of things so it was easy and quick to read but Pevaer translation had more details and references so it gave depth and meaning to every single detail.
2016 BBC adaptation; 5 stars
1956 Film Adaptation; 2 stars
Third book for Booktube-a-thon ✅
I never knew anything about Napoleon and now you can quiz me about him. Lol.
Tolstoy explained a chunk of history embedded in a beautiful story. He didn't make it feel like a history lesson. It was fun all along. In the beginning I wasn't bothered with the war parts but half way through the book, I had no issues with war chapters. I was enjoying them!
2 months with this beast of a book! I was so glad I joined the read-along cause otherwise I don't know how I would have read this.
I liked War and Peace more than I liked Anna Karenina (which I need to re-read) but this story was meaningful: there were a lot of characters with a lot of character development and a bigger plot line with depth.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Rostov's were just amazing and such a contrast with the Bolkonsky's family. The parents were both sweet and the feelings of a mother for her son were described so perfectly. They were mean yet true.
Tolstoy doesn't hesitate to be bluntly honest when describing what Countess Natalya feels for her son Count Nikolai.
I felt so sorry for Petya: poor thing. His death was just sad and made me realize how many innocents were unjustly killed.
Prince Andrei was a bit selfish as he didn't bother how his sister was suffering at home.
I really liked both Sonya and Princess Marie but I'm glad Princess Marie married Count Nikolai.
Nikolai was such a child even when he is all grown up but I couldn't hate him for it. Cause it was just who he was.
I hated Pierre at the beginning. I thought he was an idiot but by the end I was able to understand him; which rarely happens for me. (My good opinion once lost is lost forever. Lol. But not in this case.)
I was so glad when Helene died; cause she was giving me all "Anna Karenina" vibes with her beauty and cheating on her husband. So much infidelity makes me sick.
I felt bad for Denisov and Dolokhov: the poor guys didn't get any one.
I forgot about Natasha; I didn't understand her at the beginning of the book but when she falls for Anatole and the way she rebels was pretty brilliantly described. And it felt relatable. I have seen girls go mental like that. And for the wrong guy. And how she changes when she gets married! I see that all the time as well! I kid you not, all the time, around me!
I read the translation by Richard Pevear during the first 1/3 and the last 1/3 of the book and the Maude translation during the middle 1/3. Maude's translation over simplified a lot of things so it was easy and quick to read but Pevaer translation had more details and references so it gave depth and meaning to every single detail.
2016 BBC adaptation; 5 stars
1956 Film Adaptation; 2 stars
Third book for Booktube-a-thon ✅
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 truly only because Tolstoy often goes off on philosophical tangents that make little difference to the plot or message of the book and because, though he sees humanity so plainly, he refuses to see women as human. A great book, a great adventure, and a great romance.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Creo que es difícil hacer una reseña de un libro de semejante tamaño, aun así, intentaré expresarme lo mejor posible. El resumen podría ser que no esperaba que me gustara Guerra y paz, y lo ha hecho. A pesar de la gran cantidad de personajes todos se diferencian bien en cuanto a motivaciones y acciones, y aunque de entre todos tan solo 4-5 podrían ser considerados verdaderamente 'principales' incluso los que seguimos menos resultan interesantes. Menos interesantes me resultaron las divagaciones sobre historia *ejem, el Epílogo Parte 2*, aunque también entiendo su lugar en algunos puntos. Por recordar mi aventura, dejo aquí los comentarios que hice al final de cada libro:
<u>Libro 1</u> Fin del Libro Primero (1/4+Epílogo). Me gustó mucho la presentación de los personajes en la fiesta para que se vean desde el principio los intereses y carácter de cada uno. También primeras batallas y comienza a sentirse el descontento de la guerra. Pensé que me iba a sentir más abrumada por el elenco de personajes pero creo que Tolstoi consigue individualizarlos bien
<u>Libro 2</u> Casi en el ecuador y habiendo terminado 2/4+Epilogo. El final del Segundo libro es intenso y los conflictos de cada uno de los personajes comienzan a mostrarse. Me aburrió un poco al comienzo de este libro las divagaciones sobre la masonería, pero luego repuntó mucho mi interés al comenzar a verse interacciones entre personajes que hasta entonces no habían estado juntos en escena
<u>Libro 3</u>Superado Libro 3/4+Epilogo. Mucha guerra, drama y el avance de los franceses. Algunas partes de este libro se me hicieron pesadas debido al aumento de escenas en batalla y temas históricos pero sigue siendo muy interesante. Muy espectacular la narración de la caída de Moscú. Natasha y Nikolai son sin duda mis favoritos y el pobre Pierre vive en una crisis constante. Noto el cansancio, pero tengo muchas ganas de acabar
<u>Libro 4</u> 4/4 libros, victoria rusa y mía, mañana epílogo y fin de la aventura
<u>Epílogo</u> Realmente solo la primera parte actúa como verdadero final de la historia y el segundo es reflexivo. Me gusta, creo que da una buena conclusión a todo lo vivido y muestra bien cómo han crecido nuestros personajes.
Como comentario final diré que si bien voy a ponerle nota al libro, creo que es imposible categorizar todo lo que se vive en él pues es una experiencia que creo que se debe vivir 4/5
<u>Libro 1</u> Fin del Libro Primero (1/4+Epílogo). Me gustó mucho la presentación de los personajes en la fiesta para que se vean desde el principio los intereses y carácter de cada uno. También primeras batallas y comienza a sentirse el descontento de la guerra. Pensé que me iba a sentir más abrumada por el elenco de personajes pero creo que Tolstoi consigue individualizarlos bien
<u>Libro 2</u> Casi en el ecuador y habiendo terminado 2/4+Epilogo. El final del Segundo libro es intenso y los conflictos de cada uno de los personajes comienzan a mostrarse. Me aburrió un poco al comienzo de este libro las divagaciones sobre la masonería, pero luego repuntó mucho mi interés al comenzar a verse interacciones entre personajes que hasta entonces no habían estado juntos en escena
<u>Libro 3</u>Superado Libro 3/4+Epilogo. Mucha guerra, drama y el avance de los franceses. Algunas partes de este libro se me hicieron pesadas debido al aumento de escenas en batalla y temas históricos pero sigue siendo muy interesante. Muy espectacular la narración de la caída de Moscú. Natasha y Nikolai son sin duda mis favoritos y el pobre Pierre vive en una crisis constante. Noto el cansancio, pero tengo muchas ganas de acabar
<u>Libro 4</u> 4/4 libros, victoria rusa y mía, mañana epílogo y fin de la aventura
<u>Epílogo</u> Realmente solo la primera parte actúa como verdadero final de la historia y el segundo es reflexivo. Me gusta, creo que da una buena conclusión a todo lo vivido y muestra bien cómo han crecido nuestros personajes.
Como comentario final diré que si bien voy a ponerle nota al libro, creo que es imposible categorizar todo lo que se vive en él pues es una experiencia que creo que se debe vivir 4/5
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
War and Peace was meant to be the great literary goal of 2024. Like many other projects that year, it miserably failed. Fortunately—unlike other things—one never gets too old for Tolstoy, and this tome has patiently waited for me to be ready to give it a second chance.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be human. While reading it, I was often impressed with the quality of the details: even if some could argue that we didn't need to know all the movements of the French and Russian troops, some scenes conveyed emotions so well—without even naming them—that I can't help but declare every sentence in it worth the experience.
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be human. While reading it, I was often impressed with the quality of the details: even if some could argue that we didn't need to know all the movements of the French and Russian troops, some scenes conveyed emotions so well—without even naming them—that I can't help but declare every sentence in it worth the experience.
Only by taking infinitesimally small units for observation (the differential of history, that is, the individual tendencies of men) and attaining to the art of integrating them (that is, finding the sum of these infinitesimals) can we hope to arrive at the laws of history.
He can make history sound interesting. He can cite mathematical concepts beyond fractals.
What else do you need?
(August 2025)
It was the characters’ journeys that kept me going. The very last part is pure commentary, and I have no interest and take no enjoyment from it. The characters’ journeys are finished.
It was the characters’ journeys that kept me going. The very last part is pure commentary, and I have no interest and take no enjoyment from it. The characters’ journeys are finished.
I hate this book. It feels like it was written by a man in how women are written about. Also- there are so many fucking names thrown out for people who aren’t relevant. It could be that I’m just not in the mood, but I am not here for this right now.
