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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I DID IT!
Honestly, War and Peace isn't that hard to read. It's just reeeally, reeeeally long.
I liked how the book took place over the course of fifteen years, so it really showed how actions are connected and how history doesn't end, it just keeps going on. I also liked Prince Andrey and his inner conflict. The second epilogue was also really interesting because it was trying to ask and answer the question "What is Power?"
I didn't like how long it was. I don't think it's worth reading unless you really, really want to. I would recommend Crime and Punishment over War and Peace.
I think Tolstoy should have just written a couple of novels for his stories and several essays for his philosophy, instead of trying to combine them in the world's longest book. War and Peace is at the same time a romance, a drama, a history, a philosophical treatise, and a lesson in patience. That's no necessarily a good thing.
Honestly, War and Peace isn't that hard to read. It's just reeeally, reeeeally long.
I liked how the book took place over the course of fifteen years, so it really showed how actions are connected and how history doesn't end, it just keeps going on. I also liked Prince Andrey and his inner conflict. The second epilogue was also really interesting because it was trying to ask and answer the question "What is Power?"
I didn't like how long it was. I don't think it's worth reading unless you really, really want to. I would recommend Crime and Punishment over War and Peace.
I think Tolstoy should have just written a couple of novels for his stories and several essays for his philosophy, instead of trying to combine them in the world's longest book. War and Peace is at the same time a romance, a drama, a history, a philosophical treatise, and a lesson in patience. That's no necessarily a good thing.
El libro está bien, pero hay momentos en que se hace pesado y termina por hacerse largo. Me gusta la descripción de las batallas. Hay tramas que atraen más que otras. Sobre los personajes, creo que no hay ninguno que te deje indiferente. Recomendable, pero no hay que tener miedo a saltarse los párrafos y capítulos que parecen más un ensayo que una novela. Si este hombre le hubiera quitado toda la paja que tiene el libro, sería 5 estrellas. Como no, pues 4 estrellas justitas.
This title owes its reputation to the sheer breadth and scope of the story, which encompasses dozens of characters in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. Also, its length. At over 1450 pages, this is the longest book I've read and a complete portrait of human life. It wouldn't be hyperbole to say Tolstoy represents the total human experience through adversity and triumph within this book. Yet, this isn't quite a novel and Tolstoy is explicit about it. Sizable portions of the book are devoted to long digressions on the philosophy of history, military strategy and analysis. Without a background in the latter, the passages can be tedious. But that said, this book is a demonstation of Tolstoy's complete mastery as a novelist.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Who am I to give this any less than five stars? It is easy to see why this book has stood the test of time, but I would have traded the Second Epilogue, reciting Tolstoy's theory of history, for some more information earlier in the narrative regarding the off-camera (and convenient!) deaths of two of the characters. Though I did enjoy the "happily ever after" victory lap of the First Epilogue, after the long journey I had come on with these people. Now I want to see a sequel musical, "The Great Comet: Moscow Burning," with Princess Mary as the lead character (I never did warm up to Natasha).
Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2021-a fave category from a prior year-a book you see someone reading on tv (Erin on the Waltons).
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. very descriptive. Lots of characters so there is the potential of forgetting who's who. Crazy plot twists all the way through.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. very descriptive. Lots of characters so there is the potential of forgetting who's who. Crazy plot twists all the way through.
I'm not sure it's fair to categorize this one as a novel. It has fictional elements but it's also History, Philosophy, Theology, etc. There is just so much here and I'm sure much of it went over my head or beyond my comprehension. Despite my devotion to reading unabridged works, this is one that would probably benefit by some careful abridging to appeal to a wider audience.
(One aside and a reason I marked off stars: Tolstoy's women are his weakest characters. They are all caricatures and in a book this lengthy, that's fairly inexcusable. Also, the Russians, including the men, sure were kissing a lot or asking for kisses and all that sounded really strange to my modern ears.)
(One aside and a reason I marked off stars: Tolstoy's women are his weakest characters. They are all caricatures and in a book this lengthy, that's fairly inexcusable. Also, the Russians, including the men, sure were kissing a lot or asking for kisses and all that sounded really strange to my modern ears.)
War and Peace feels both shorter and longer than it really is, and it is dependent entirely on what the focus of a given chapter is. Have you ever gone to a science museum, or even a science class, where you got to see frequencies shift between high and low? And you see the wave pattern either stretch out or compress?
It's like that.
When you have a character on the page, especially an interesting one (such as, basically, everyone in the Rostov family), time flies. It's easy to get lost in the melodrama, in the over-the-top thoughts and actions, or the larger than life moments and set pieces (see the characters weave their way through battles against Napoleon's forces! Watch as one character is caught up in the invasion and burning of Moscow!). That part of the book is fantastic, and is the main thrust of things.
But Tolstoy also sounds like he wants you to know his opinion about history, and historical events and people (such as Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander I). As the book goes on, and Napoleon begins his invasion of Russia (spoiler for a 200 year old war), Tolstoy makes it extremely clear he has Opinions, and you are damn well going to hear them. People more dedicated than I have most likely written thousands of words about whether those sections offer context for characters and their actions, but the regular humble reader is going to find some parts just drag, and time stretches out, and you're caught in a prison of your own making. Because by the time you reach those, you are Dedicated to knowing what happens to the characters.
And A Lot Happens.
War and Peace is a fantastic book. I can highly recommend my edition, because the translation drew me right in and kept me there, and the extensive footnotes and endnotes meant I had context for everything happening. But the story's pacing is uneven, and the second epilogue (of course there are two!) is really just one long diatribe on how historians are all bad at their jobs. If you can make it through the opening scenes, and reach the parts where things begin to happen, then you will be soundly rewarded for your read. But go in knowing that it starts off slowly and finishes on a frankly low note.
I read this one in a book club with a couple friends, and I'm glad I did, because they kept me motivated through the slower parts. They also caught things I missed, and vice versa. So I can recommend that as well.
Go forth and enjoy, if you decide to tackle this particular book. I wish you the best!
It's like that.
When you have a character on the page, especially an interesting one (such as, basically, everyone in the Rostov family), time flies. It's easy to get lost in the melodrama, in the over-the-top thoughts and actions, or the larger than life moments and set pieces (see the characters weave their way through battles against Napoleon's forces! Watch as one character is caught up in the invasion and burning of Moscow!). That part of the book is fantastic, and is the main thrust of things.
But Tolstoy also sounds like he wants you to know his opinion about history, and historical events and people (such as Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander I). As the book goes on, and Napoleon begins his invasion of Russia (spoiler for a 200 year old war), Tolstoy makes it extremely clear he has Opinions, and you are damn well going to hear them. People more dedicated than I have most likely written thousands of words about whether those sections offer context for characters and their actions, but the regular humble reader is going to find some parts just drag, and time stretches out, and you're caught in a prison of your own making. Because by the time you reach those, you are Dedicated to knowing what happens to the characters.
And A Lot Happens.
War and Peace is a fantastic book. I can highly recommend my edition, because the translation drew me right in and kept me there, and the extensive footnotes and endnotes meant I had context for everything happening. But the story's pacing is uneven, and the second epilogue (of course there are two!) is really just one long diatribe on how historians are all bad at their jobs. If you can make it through the opening scenes, and reach the parts where things begin to happen, then you will be soundly rewarded for your read. But go in knowing that it starts off slowly and finishes on a frankly low note.
I read this one in a book club with a couple friends, and I'm glad I did, because they kept me motivated through the slower parts. They also caught things I missed, and vice versa. So I can recommend that as well.
Go forth and enjoy, if you decide to tackle this particular book. I wish you the best!
challenging
emotional
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