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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Even for someone who has read novels of this size before, War and Peace feels like a deliberate and tiresome marathon, the proportions of which will challenge readers not with an overabundance of information, but rather with a scarcity of emotional intrigue.
The whole work seems to be an oversimplified approach to drive home a rather simple philosophical concept: that people are simply “cogs in the wheel of time”; no one person has much of an effect on the outcome of events once forces beyond their control have decided the course of the future – a moral that becomes immediately clear in the first few chapters and never develops into a concept with more depth. It is a somewhat solemn and thought provoking concept, however Tolstoy leaves the reader no room to think for themselves and opts instead to remind the reader of his intent every few chapters in the most brash way possible.
The characters are not only naive and unlikeable, but one-dimensional - an especially offensive sin since any semblance of a plot is found in flat relationships and predictable interactions between characters that make mistakes but never develop.
There are a few pleasant aspects of the story, but they are quickly diluted by pseudo-historical bits, in which Tolstoy painfully over explains the difference between what “historians” think happened and what actually happened (I guess we’ve got to take the narrator’s word for it), as well as philosophical rambling and circling around a point that has already been beaten to death and, frankly, doesn’t deserve the attention.
The thing I enjoyed most about this novel were the simple interactions between characters wrestling with their morals at the beginning of the end of the Russian Empire, but even this has been executed better by Tolstoy himself in Anna Karenina. I can’t help but be sorely disappointed that, rather than the apex of Russian literature that I was expecting, War and Peace felt more like the exposition of a writer who thought himself clever and felt the need to bend interpretations of historical events and craft shallow characters such that every character, even Napoleon himself, was used as a brushstroke in a bland portrait of a compelling conflict.
The whole work seems to be an oversimplified approach to drive home a rather simple philosophical concept: that people are simply “cogs in the wheel of time”; no one person has much of an effect on the outcome of events once forces beyond their control have decided the course of the future – a moral that becomes immediately clear in the first few chapters and never develops into a concept with more depth. It is a somewhat solemn and thought provoking concept, however Tolstoy leaves the reader no room to think for themselves and opts instead to remind the reader of his intent every few chapters in the most brash way possible.
The characters are not only naive and unlikeable, but one-dimensional - an especially offensive sin since any semblance of a plot is found in flat relationships and predictable interactions between characters that make mistakes but never develop.
There are a few pleasant aspects of the story, but they are quickly diluted by pseudo-historical bits, in which Tolstoy painfully over explains the difference between what “historians” think happened and what actually happened (I guess we’ve got to take the narrator’s word for it), as well as philosophical rambling and circling around a point that has already been beaten to death and, frankly, doesn’t deserve the attention.
The thing I enjoyed most about this novel were the simple interactions between characters wrestling with their morals at the beginning of the end of the Russian Empire, but even this has been executed better by Tolstoy himself in Anna Karenina. I can’t help but be sorely disappointed that, rather than the apex of Russian literature that I was expecting, War and Peace felt more like the exposition of a writer who thought himself clever and felt the need to bend interpretations of historical events and craft shallow characters such that every character, even Napoleon himself, was used as a brushstroke in a bland portrait of a compelling conflict.
Revisiting Tolstoy. A study of the Napoleonic wars would add to the understanding overall, however I find the writing and story accessible regardless.
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So much has already been said about this book, and to try to summarize the experience of reading this novel in words seems like a paltry offering compared to what this book gave me. This book is said to be one of the greatest novels ever written, and it lives up to and far exceeds those expectations in my eyes. The scope of this book is unfathomably large, but is handled so deftly as to not even be noticed. Simultaneously one of the most haunting and most hopeful novels I've ever read, the character's who I lived with for some 1400 pages seem like old friends at this point, people who I've learned so much about and have taught me so much about myself, and it grieves me to wave goodbye to them. So many of the ideas and themes speak to me as a person still beginning my own journey in life, and I saw so many of my hopes and doubts reflected in the people that make up these pages, which speaks to the timeless nature of this book. It is a masterpiece, what more is there to say?
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to love this book, but it was hard for me to invest in the characters because of all of the historical information. Also, I'm more of a Dostoyevski girl.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
You're going to need a spreadsheet to keep track of all the characters