A review by scaleraa
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

4.0

I can finally say I have finished this gargantuan novel and I have to say it feels good. I was intimidated by the size of the book but the characters lives are so exciting that the size of the book just rids you of that feeling of wishing a good book could go on forever. Tolstoy creates rich characters and delves into great detail on their personal development throughout the times of war and peace in Russia, often having character fates mirror the fate of Russia. It is well written and exciting. Personally, I found reading about characters in society and their personal struggles more interesting than the military commanders which was admittedly difficult for me to pay attention to at times (my reason for docking a star), but those moments are so important to Tolstoy’s overall message of the randomness of history and how it is often misinterpreted and his discussion on the qualities that make a good leader. This is definitely a book that all avid readers should undertake in their lifetime.