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A review by eleventeen
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
4.0
Gonna try out my attempt at rating that's not limited by a shitty five star system.
Genre: Classic, Russian Literature
Characterization 5 stars - Tolstoy excels at making rich characters that are so very very human in their inconstancy. You know everyone in this book. You've met them before, or you see them so clearly in your minds eye you might as well.
Prose 3 stars - NOT tolstoy's strong suit. When you first pick it up you'll be like "uhh dude wtf"
Description 5 stars - tolstoy is BRILLIANT at setting a scene, particularly outdoor descriptions, and particularly with an eye to light, shadow, and dampness. I know that sounds weird, but you will get the most clear picture in your head of the scenes he describes, particularly ones set in outdoors (i.e. mainly war scenes)
In addition, the things Tolstoy focuses on? Those things are what makes this novel great. The depiction of wartime execution, of the form and character of an army, of a soldier staring up into the sky with a grievous wound - it's these things that sit with you.
Plot 4 stars - i mean it's war and it's peace, duh. It's learning about another culture and a war and Tolstoy's absolute disdain of napoleon. it's following a cast of characters, all of whom you love, an ensemble that makes such boneheaded choices that sometimes you want to stab them in the eye, yet makes beautiful choices the next moment, a cast that moves through time and 1400 pages.
Genre: Classic, Russian Literature
Characterization 5 stars - Tolstoy excels at making rich characters that are so very very human in their inconstancy. You know everyone in this book. You've met them before, or you see them so clearly in your minds eye you might as well.
Prose 3 stars - NOT tolstoy's strong suit. When you first pick it up you'll be like "uhh dude wtf"
Description 5 stars - tolstoy is BRILLIANT at setting a scene, particularly outdoor descriptions, and particularly with an eye to light, shadow, and dampness. I know that sounds weird, but you will get the most clear picture in your head of the scenes he describes, particularly ones set in outdoors (i.e. mainly war scenes)
In addition, the things Tolstoy focuses on? Those things are what makes this novel great. The depiction of wartime execution, of the form and character of an army, of a soldier staring up into the sky with a grievous wound - it's these things that sit with you.
Plot 4 stars - i mean it's war and it's peace, duh. It's learning about another culture and a war and Tolstoy's absolute disdain of napoleon. it's following a cast of characters, all of whom you love, an ensemble that makes such boneheaded choices that sometimes you want to stab them in the eye, yet makes beautiful choices the next moment, a cast that moves through time and 1400 pages.