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inkwellimps 's review for:
War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read with the subreddit r/ayearofwarandpeace in 2024. There were moments I was very engaged with the story, particularly Princess Maria's storyline, the later half of Pierre's storyline, and the ups and downs of Natasha and Prince Andrei's relationship. That said, there were large portions of the book (perhaps the majority of it) that I did not find engaging.
I'm not fond of Tolstoy's decision to drop the narrative at certain points of the book to preach in his own voice about the reasons he believes certain historical events occurred, the nature of man, or his opinions on determinism. It feels as though, rather than letting the narrative speak for itself, he needs to explicitly state the ideas he means to convey.
It feels like sacrilege to say that I largely did not like War & Peace given its cultural relevance, but these are my honest thoughts on it.
I'm not fond of Tolstoy's decision to drop the narrative at certain points of the book to preach in his own voice about the reasons he believes certain historical events occurred, the nature of man, or his opinions on determinism. It feels as though, rather than letting the narrative speak for itself, he needs to explicitly state the ideas he means to convey.
It feels like sacrilege to say that I largely did not like War & Peace given its cultural relevance, but these are my honest thoughts on it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Grief