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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
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
Tolstoy kind of spends the whole book talking about why my real life job is stupid but that’s okay because it’s a good book and he makes good points
The characters in this book are amazingly portrayed. I enjoy long books because you can be enveloped in the life and times of other people for a very long period of time. However, though I know the purpose of the book is primarily to espouse Tolstoy's philosophy of war, peace and, ultimately, people, the last 30 pages of the epilogue were too much for me (they go on and on and on and on over the same theory he has been describing through the first 1200 pages of the book). Other than that, I think it is not a behemoth of a read so much as people think, and I found it enjoyable.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a spectacular read!
This was an incredible reading experience, and I’m glad I took my time. The character arcs, the scope, the breadth of historical analysis, this book is a JOURNEY. Much like the digressions in Les Miserables, the historical essays that punctuate the second half of the book really do feel like they add to the human drama. It gives us a birds-eye view of the Napoleonic Wars, and explores the way it affected the Russian people’s conception of themself as well as the fictions that crept up during the war as people struggled to make sense of what was happening.
Pair that with the exquisite characters and their long complex arcs, you really get a sense that you’re living this war alongside them. When Pierre is doubting his reality and battling his own ideas of morality, you really feel like you understand him.
Don’t be put off by the length. The chapters are decently short, and you can enjoy this book over time in smaller chunks if need be. This isn’t a book to be rushed through (something I learned after finishing a section I hadn’t followed well and then plowing on rather than waiting and making sense of what I read).
Overall, this was a phenomenal book, and I would HIGHLY recommend it!
This was an incredible reading experience, and I’m glad I took my time. The character arcs, the scope, the breadth of historical analysis, this book is a JOURNEY. Much like the digressions in Les Miserables, the historical essays that punctuate the second half of the book really do feel like they add to the human drama. It gives us a birds-eye view of the Napoleonic Wars, and explores the way it affected the Russian people’s conception of themself as well as the fictions that crept up during the war as people struggled to make sense of what was happening.
Pair that with the exquisite characters and their long complex arcs, you really get a sense that you’re living this war alongside them. When Pierre is doubting his reality and battling his own ideas of morality, you really feel like you understand him.
Don’t be put off by the length. The chapters are decently short, and you can enjoy this book over time in smaller chunks if need be. This isn’t a book to be rushed through (something I learned after finishing a section I hadn’t followed well and then plowing on rather than waiting and making sense of what I read).
Overall, this was a phenomenal book, and I would HIGHLY recommend it!
informative
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
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-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