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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
I've just finished reading War and Peace, and I can say without hesitation that it's one of the greatest novels I've ever read. Tolstoy's epic masterpiece spans decades and characters, from the glittering balls of high society to the bloody fields of battle, and brings the Napoleonic Wars to life with a level of detail and depth that is truly awe-inspiring. But it's not just a historical novel - it's also a deeply philosophical work, exploring themes of love, family, free will, and the meaning of life itself. The characters are unforgettable, from the impetuous Natasha to the brooding Pierre, and their journeys are both universal and unique. Yes, it's a long book, but it's worth every page. War and Peace is a must-read for anyone who loves great literature and wants to be transported to another time and place. Highly recommend it!
“Let the dead bury their dead; but, while we are alive, let us live.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
“Let the dead bury their dead; but, while we are alive, let us live.”
― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Although I admire Tolstoy's work in general, I absolutely despised reading "War and Peace". It is far too long and really rather pompous.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
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:
Yes
I really enjoyed War and Peace for the most part. Natasha and Pierre are wonderfully drawn characters, the time period and culture so interesting, and some parts of the story so moving. I will say that I enjoyed the 'peace' parts more than the 'war' sections, especially when Tolstoy strayed into nonfiction historical and philosophical ramblings - the book could have done without those parts for me. I also couldn't stand Nicholas Rostov, which barred me from truly enjoying his sections. Still, there was so much else in this book that I did enjoy. I would recommend it, though a little hesitantly.
Guerra e Paz é uma obra magnífica. O que mais me chama atenção é o fato dessa obra ser uma mistura de gêneros. Melhor dizendo, Tolstoi abandona a necessidade de gêneros e constrói um relato ficcional da história, recheado de discussões políticas e filosóficas, com traços de romance e anti-romance. Durante a leitura fui extraindo trechos que me chamavam atenção, dezenas de anotações...
Apesar das mil mensagens, é possível extrair algo como uma mensagem central por toda a obra: o modo como encaramos a realidade.
Tolstoi nos carrega de um personagem a outro, de uma cena a outra, e vai mostrando concepções distintas das coisas. A diferença entre o que está na mente do personagem e o que se apresenta no mundo ao redor dele. E vamos assim aprendendo aos poucos a encarar a realidade.
Talvez por causa de outra leituras minhas, encaixo a obra como muito vinculada ao estoicismo. O trecho abaixo, por exemplo, é uma representação do Amor Fati.
Existem outros trechos que seguem nessa linha, e alguns personagens ao longo da obra vão se encaminhando a um modo quase estoico de encarar a realidade.
Outro ponto muito interessante é a análise dos eventos históricos e de como se dá evolução. Toda a discussão de Tolstoi muito me recorda os psicohistoriadores que Asimov inventa ao escrever a trilogia da fundação, me pergunto se seria talvez inspirado no modo de Tolstoi de descrever as coisas.
Apesar das mil mensagens, é possível extrair algo como uma mensagem central por toda a obra: o modo como encaramos a realidade.
Tolstoi nos carrega de um personagem a outro, de uma cena a outra, e vai mostrando concepções distintas das coisas. A diferença entre o que está na mente do personagem e o que se apresenta no mundo ao redor dele. E vamos assim aprendendo aos poucos a encarar a realidade.
Talvez por causa de outra leituras minhas, encaixo a obra como muito vinculada ao estoicismo. O trecho abaixo, por exemplo, é uma representação do Amor Fati.
Quanto mais ele via a ausência de tudo o que era pessoal naquele velho, no qual restavam apenas, por assim dizer, os hábitos da paixão e no qual, em lugar da inteligência (agrupar os acontecimentos e extrair conclusões), restava apenas a capacidade de contemplação serena da marcha dos acontecimentos, tanto mais o príncipe Andrei se sentia tranquilo, pois tudo seria o que tinha de ser. “Ele não fará nada por si mesmo. Não vai inventar nada, não vai empreender nada”, refletia o
príncipe Andrei. “Mas vai escutar tudo, lembrar tudo, vai pôr tudo em seu lugar, não vai criar obstáculos para nada que for bom nem vai permitir nada prejudicial. Ele entende que existe algo mais forte e mais relevante do que a sua vontade — a marcha inevitável dos acontecimentos — e sabe ver os acontecimentos, sabe compreender o seu significado e, à luz desse significado, sabe eximir-se de tomar parte nos acontecimentos, sabe renunciar à sua vontade pessoal, direcionada para outra coisa.
Existem outros trechos que seguem nessa linha, e alguns personagens ao longo da obra vão se encaminhando a um modo quase estoico de encarar a realidade.
Outro ponto muito interessante é a análise dos eventos históricos e de como se dá evolução. Toda a discussão de Tolstoi muito me recorda os psicohistoriadores que Asimov inventa ao escrever a trilogia da fundação, me pergunto se seria talvez inspirado no modo de Tolstoi de descrever as coisas.
Apenas admitindo uma unidade infinitesimal para observação — o diferencial
da história, ou seja, as tendências homogêneas das pessoas — e alcançando a
arte de integrar (fazer a soma dessas unidades infinitesimais), podemos esperar
apreender as leis da história.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Complicated
If I had a penny for every time my favourite character decided to romantically pursue a teenage girl and then die poignantly in front of her I'd have two pennies and I'm angry about both.
POV: You are Victor Hugo having just finished Les Mis and basking in the glory of having written the definitive doorstop classic when suddenly one of your friends comes running in with a copy of War and Peace. And you choke back tears of envious rage as you realise Tolstoy succeeded where you failed. Not only was his book more compelling and better structured, but he also managed to hang together a realistic cast of characters whose constant interactions sprung from them being in the same social circles rather than being the only five people in Paris. On top of that the characte arcs of his three main protagonists actually back up the point he was trying to make and while they are all flawed this simply makes them realistic rather than just unlikeable as each of them has enough redeeming features to counterbalance the bad parts. This book was compelling, but in a contemplative and philosophical way not because there was wall to wall action and I kept reading because I wanted to not because I felt forced to. There were sections that really brought the story to life such as Natasha attending her first ball or Andrew staring up at the sky having been wounded during a charge and in those moments Tolstoy's ability to get inside his characters' emotions and thoughts really shone. Despite the sad demise of my favourite character I was still willing to give this book a 4.5 and then we hit the freaking epilogues and this was almost on the level of the Paris sewer system in being so uneeded that you want to go back in time and give Tolstoy's editor a slap. Still I would recommend this book as a sometimes funny, sometimes devastating, and sometimes profound classic that deserves its place in history.
POV: You are Victor Hugo having just finished Les Mis and basking in the glory of having written the definitive doorstop classic when suddenly one of your friends comes running in with a copy of War and Peace. And you choke back tears of envious rage as you realise Tolstoy succeeded where you failed. Not only was his book more compelling and better structured, but he also managed to hang together a realistic cast of characters whose constant interactions sprung from them being in the same social circles rather than being the only five people in Paris. On top of that the characte arcs of his three main protagonists actually back up the point he was trying to make and while they are all flawed this simply makes them realistic rather than just unlikeable as each of them has enough redeeming features to counterbalance the bad parts. This book was compelling, but in a contemplative and philosophical way not because there was wall to wall action and I kept reading because I wanted to not because I felt forced to. There were sections that really brought the story to life such as Natasha attending her first ball or Andrew staring up at the sky having been wounded during a charge and in those moments Tolstoy's ability to get inside his characters' emotions and thoughts really shone. Despite the sad demise of my favourite character I was still willing to give this book a 4.5 and then we hit the freaking epilogues and this was almost on the level of the Paris sewer system in being so uneeded that you want to go back in time and give Tolstoy's editor a slap. Still I would recommend this book as a sometimes funny, sometimes devastating, and sometimes profound classic that deserves its place in history.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Princess Maria and Natasha should've banged other than that no notes.