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fortheloveofclassics 's review for:
War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace was a brilliant read. Those 1215 pages were worth it. (Except for part 2 of the Epilogue; which was all historical mumbo jumbo. Only history enthusiast will enjoy it.)
I never knew anything about Napoleon and now you can quiz me about him. Lol.
Tolstoy explained a chunk of history embedded in a beautiful story. He didn't make it feel like a history lesson. It was fun all along. In the beginning I wasn't bothered with the war parts but half way through the book, I had no issues with war chapters. I was enjoying them!
2 months with this beast of a book! I was so glad I joined the read-along cause otherwise I don't know how I would have read this.
I liked War and Peace more than I liked Anna Karenina (which I need to re-read) but this story was meaningful: there were a lot of characters with a lot of character development and a bigger plot line with depth.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Rostov's were just amazing and such a contrast with the Bolkonsky's family. The parents were both sweet and the feelings of a mother for her son were described so perfectly. They were mean yet true.
Tolstoy doesn't hesitate to be bluntly honest when describing what Countess Natalya feels for her son Count Nikolai.
I felt so sorry for Petya: poor thing. His death was just sad and made me realize how many innocents were unjustly killed.
Prince Andrei was a bit selfish as he didn't bother how his sister was suffering at home.
I really liked both Sonya and Princess Marie but I'm glad Princess Marie married Count Nikolai.
Nikolai was such a child even when he is all grown up but I couldn't hate him for it. Cause it was just who he was.
I hated Pierre at the beginning. I thought he was an idiot but by the end I was able to understand him; which rarely happens for me. (My good opinion once lost is lost forever. Lol. But not in this case.)
I was so glad when Helene died; cause she was giving me all "Anna Karenina" vibes with her beauty and cheating on her husband. So much infidelity makes me sick.
I felt bad for Denisov and Dolokhov: the poor guys didn't get any one.
I forgot about Natasha; I didn't understand her at the beginning of the book but when she falls for Anatole and the way she rebels was pretty brilliantly described. And it felt relatable. I have seen girls go mental like that. And for the wrong guy. And how she changes when she gets married! I see that all the time as well! I kid you not, all the time, around me!
I read the translation by Richard Pevear during the first 1/3 and the last 1/3 of the book and the Maude translation during the middle 1/3. Maude's translation over simplified a lot of things so it was easy and quick to read but Pevaer translation had more details and references so it gave depth and meaning to every single detail.
2016 BBC adaptation; 5 stars
1956 Film Adaptation; 2 stars
Third book for Booktube-a-thon ✅
I never knew anything about Napoleon and now you can quiz me about him. Lol.
Tolstoy explained a chunk of history embedded in a beautiful story. He didn't make it feel like a history lesson. It was fun all along. In the beginning I wasn't bothered with the war parts but half way through the book, I had no issues with war chapters. I was enjoying them!
2 months with this beast of a book! I was so glad I joined the read-along cause otherwise I don't know how I would have read this.
I liked War and Peace more than I liked Anna Karenina (which I need to re-read) but this story was meaningful: there were a lot of characters with a lot of character development and a bigger plot line with depth.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Rostov's were just amazing and such a contrast with the Bolkonsky's family. The parents were both sweet and the feelings of a mother for her son were described so perfectly. They were mean yet true.
Tolstoy doesn't hesitate to be bluntly honest when describing what Countess Natalya feels for her son Count Nikolai.
I felt so sorry for Petya: poor thing. His death was just sad and made me realize how many innocents were unjustly killed.
Prince Andrei was a bit selfish as he didn't bother how his sister was suffering at home.
I really liked both Sonya and Princess Marie but I'm glad Princess Marie married Count Nikolai.
Nikolai was such a child even when he is all grown up but I couldn't hate him for it. Cause it was just who he was.
I hated Pierre at the beginning. I thought he was an idiot but by the end I was able to understand him; which rarely happens for me. (My good opinion once lost is lost forever. Lol. But not in this case.)
I was so glad when Helene died; cause she was giving me all "Anna Karenina" vibes with her beauty and cheating on her husband. So much infidelity makes me sick.
I felt bad for Denisov and Dolokhov: the poor guys didn't get any one.
I forgot about Natasha; I didn't understand her at the beginning of the book but when she falls for Anatole and the way she rebels was pretty brilliantly described. And it felt relatable. I have seen girls go mental like that. And for the wrong guy. And how she changes when she gets married! I see that all the time as well! I kid you not, all the time, around me!
I read the translation by Richard Pevear during the first 1/3 and the last 1/3 of the book and the Maude translation during the middle 1/3. Maude's translation over simplified a lot of things so it was easy and quick to read but Pevaer translation had more details and references so it gave depth and meaning to every single detail.
2016 BBC adaptation; 5 stars
1956 Film Adaptation; 2 stars
Third book for Booktube-a-thon ✅