4.42k reviews for:

Guerra y paz

Leo Tolstoy

4.09 AVERAGE

aelyx_magnus's review against another edition

4.0

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

alenfed's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

cynthialwho's review against another edition

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Disappointed (in myself, honestly) that this didn't, like...blow me away. Tolstoy is writes with such aloofness that it was difficult to get invested in his characters. Are they finely drawn? Yes, very much so. Do they live, breathe, and bleed? To me...no. They are rendered, but not felt.

Also...Tolstoy's philosophical and historical digressions, good lord. I actually didn't mind them sprinkled throughout the narrative, as I appreciated a perspective on many of the historical events that wasn't just what the characters were experiencing, and I am interested in his theories of history, but the redundancy, the redundancy! The entire second epilogue did not need to exist. Not since Herman Melville blessed us with "Pictures of Whales, Parts I, II, and III" have I needed such willpower to get through a section of text.

reading_with_rhys's review against another edition

4.5

reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

applej314's review against another edition

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THE BEAST. anyway really good stuff generally. weirdly relatable (maybe not so much the free will vs history stuff at the end). extremely lengthy. excited to tackle this again in 50 years when i'm retired. learned a shit ton about russia in the early 19th century so big win for that also. catch me googling "marya and natasha lesbians or are they just like that???"

flo_floriane's review against another edition

2.75

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kallieann819's review against another edition

2.75

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

saepe's review against another edition

5.0

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addio, e grazie per tutto il the

richardpapensympathiser's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

cbglibros's review against another edition

4.0

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The story is truly phenomenal. I found myself eating away at the pages, I enjoyed everything with the exception of the epilogue. I saw the value in the epilogue, but it took forever for me to get through it. Tolstoy is as funny as he is brilliant. I wouldn't mind rereading this again in a few years.