War and Peace

"5 stars! a classic tale about the napoleonic wars! It was all fantastic but I wasn’t a fan of the added theorizing towards the last epilogues. I’m used to them (as Tolstoy is my fav author.) but it felt a bit much. it’s still a wonderful read. the characters are interesting and fascinating and I love learning more about the napoleonic wars. it was a great historical fiction story! 🥰"

"How to review one of the greatest novels ever written? All I can say is some classics are every bit as good as they're cracked up to be. What I didn't expect was the sudden flashes of ironic humor, e.g. "Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered". The insights into the emotions of a teenage girl at her first dance, a young soldier who idolizes his sovereign, an idealist leaping enthusiastically into every fad and growing disillusioned, a cynic disgusted with his life...until just before he loses it; these are what will stick with me.<br/><br/>For more of our thoughts on War and Peace, see the Evanston Public Library's War and Peace blog, http://missionimpossiblewarandpeace.wordpress.com/<br/><br/><br/><br/>"

"too long"

"So I just read Book Eight (1811-1812) that the musical "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" is based off of. It's only about 70 pages but wow does it pack a lot in to those few chapters!! And while I hardly read an sort of majority of this massive tome, I did really love it. Tolstoy really captures the emotional and marital problems that have plagued humanity since long before 1812, but in a way that acknowledges the intrinsic failure while still making the reader understand why we do what we do. It almost (key word: almost) makes me want to tackle the rest, but I'll hold off for now!!"

"An excellent translation of a great book."

"It’s great. I underlined so many quotes and passages and put so many tabs in this book it’s silly. I’m sure I’ll come back to this one a lot."

"Well, my own personal hell is over. I have finally finished this damn book. Admittedly, I don't think I remember a thing about the second epilogue - my brain just shut off during Tolstoy's endless theorizing. My love/hate relationship with this book goes like the: Love - anything including the mind boggling quantity of main characters. Hate - everything else. Tolstoy goes on for hundreds of pages about military history, math and his own rants about Napoleon. And despite his tendency to over explain everything, when one of the characters dies (Helene), you just get one small paragraph! Basically, it went like this: Helene died, back to my rant about any other subject. I can not ever recommend this to anyone no matter how masochistic they may be feeling. Just watch the 6 hour BBC mini series. It will save you the frustration of reading this chore of a novel which inexplicably seems to be beloved by almost everyone. Maybe they are just so proud to have finished it that they can't bear not to agree that this is great literature!"

"<b>Wow. Tolstoy truly is a master at capturing the essence of human existence.</b> His ability to depict emotions, relationships, and human dynamics is unparalleled. I’m not sure how he does it, but his characters feel like living, breathing individuals, and I was completely immersed in their lives. Every character—from Anatole to Andrei, and from Hélène to Natasha—was captivating.<br/><br/>The <i>Peace</i> sections immediately drew me in, while the <i>War</i> sections took a bit more effort to appreciate. However, as I progressed, I found that some of the most moving moments were hidden within those <i>War</i> chapters. One particular scene brought me to tears—a rare feat for any book. I honestly can’t remember the last time a book had that effect on me; it must have been over 15 years ago.<br/><br/>Tolstoy’s fervent belief in determinism offers an unconventional perspective on Napoleon and his role in history. According to Tolstoy, revolutions are not sparked by the will of a single leader but are the inevitable result of the collective will of all individuals involved. It’s no wonder that the descendants of the indomitable bear that is Russia have a different impression of “the little man” than I do, having grown up in a small nation annexed by France in 1810. After all, history is written by the victors.<br/><br/>It took me a few attempts to fully engage with this towering masterpiece of literature, and the culprit was the translation. The Dutch version by Boland was abysmal, as <a href=“https://www.tijdschrift-filter.nl/webfilter/vrijdag-vertaaldag/2017/week-5-willem-weststeijn/“> this (Dutch) article</a> explains. To my surprise, even ChatGPT produced a better translation than what has been printed in Dutch up til now. In contrast, the English translations posed a different challenge: the absence of French. Ultimately, the revised Maude edition by Mandelker struck the perfect balance for me as it kept the original French. I appreciated the footnotes to double-check my understanding when needed.<br/><br/>For anyone struggling with <i>War and Peace</i> my advice is to try different translations until you find one resonates with you. Podcasts like those by <a href=“https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpfKYmO8_0CTcPglZppJRu_aWDhBNvTs2”>Brian E. Denton</a> or <a href=“https://ayearofwarandpeace.podbean.com/e/ep0742-war-peace-book-1-chapter-1-leo-tolstoy/“>Ander Louis</a> can also help you find the rhythm of the book.<br/><br/>I’ve fallen so deeply in love with Tolstoy’s writing that I’m already planning to reread this novel in another translation—most likely P&V. <i>War and Peace</i> is a book I’ll treasure for a lifetime.<br/><br/><b>Links:</b><br/>- The Dutch article about Boland’s translation: https://www.tijdschrift-filter.nl/webfilter/vrijdag-vertaaldag/2017/week-5-willem-weststeijn/<br/>- Brian E. Denton’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpfKYmO8_0CTcPglZppJRu_aWDhBNvTs2<br/>- Ander Louis’ podcast: https://ayearofwarandpeace.podbean.com/e/ep0742-war-peace-book-1-chapter-1-leo-tolstoy/"

"Those last 30 pages though...."

"Amazing read! Easier and faster than I anticipated. Tolstoy's prose is delightful and the themes imbedded in the text are not as obscure or as complicated as, say, Dostoyevsky. It's an immersive journey to a different place and a different time, where people are still people, and sometimes they do things that don't make sense. There's romance, mystery, war, death, uncertainty; something for everyone. Highly recommend. "