War and Peace

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War and Peace Details

Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece intertwines the lives of private and public individuals during the time of the Napoleonic wars and the French invasion of Russia. The fortunes of the Rostovs and the Bolkonskys, of Pierre, Natasha, and Andrei, are intimately connected with the national history that is played out in parallel with their lives. Balls and soirees alternate with councils of war and the machinations of statesmen and generals, scenes of violent battles with everyday human passions in a work whose extraordinary imaginative power has never been surpassed. The prodigious cast of characters, seem to act and move as if connected by threads of destiny as the novel relentlessly questions ideas of free will, fate, and providence. Yet Tolstoy’s portrayal of marital relations and scenes of domesticity is as truthful and poignant as the grand themes that underlie them. The last word of the landlord’s literature and the brilliant one at that. —Fyodor DostoyevskyThe best ever Russian historical novel. —Nikolai LeskovOne of the most remarkable books of our age. —Ivan TurgenevThis is the first class work!… This is powerful, very powerful indeed. —Gustave FlaubertThe best novel that had ever been written. —John GalsworthyThis work, like life itself, has no beginning, no end. It is life itself in its eternal movement. —Romain RollandThe greatest ever war novel in the history of literature. —Thomas MannThere remains the greatest of all novelists — for what else can we call the author of “War and Peace”? —Virginia WoolfTolstoy is the greatest Russian writer of prose fiction. —Vladimir Nabokov

Reviews

I received this book free from one of the book sites. I do not remember which one! This is my honest and voluntary review.All I can say is that this is quite the Epoc. War and Peace is not a book that any attempt at speed reading will succeed. This is a book to read thoughtfully & there are many places to re-read, until the light bulb goes off. This is a book to read, when you have no distractions & can give it your complete focus...you just might miss something. I will admit that there were times when I wished Tolstoy would just get to the point! He could say the same thing in many ways, but he was always trying to get the reader to consider all of the information contained.That is not to say that this is a dry book either! While I was confused by the many Nicholas-es & Alexanders, it would not be long before I was back on track. For me, the repeat names could confuse me during the chapters related to battles.The mentality of the characters are amazing. To be locked in serfdom because of the belief that change was of the devil & staying in serfdom was better than living in Siberia or death, was not a complete surprise, but I still had to ruminate on the societal beliefs before some scenes could make sense to me. Walking for hundreds of miles because a peasant just did not ride on horses, with feet frozen or bloodied, made no sense to 21st century me. I would have been on the horse!The higher societal levels absolutely blew me away. No where else have I read such intricate musings of how the rich and powerful thought. I do not believe that things are quite so different there. Societal problems were similar poverty, murder, rape, looting, and mental illness were all very much apparent. The way various problems were addressed, or not, were often more brutal. However, what people think & would accept was much different too.When people lack communications, such as we have today - or even 100 years ago, they are willing to accept that it's the same everywhere, it's just life. What little one has is considered a blessing, even if they are starving or being beaten by the owner for not producing enough produce, for example. The small village would accept poor conditions faster than they would have been willing to accept extra grain for bread. Acceptance of more than normal was to give the owner even more power over you.Tolstoy hits the hard questions with a vengeance. Why do men go into battle, even though there is no way to win? What caused society to lean one way or another? What is genius? What compels man to make war? Who is responsible for revolution? Advancement? What is History? According to Tolstoy, history is a fairytale.I am not doing this book justice. By the way, what is justice and who decides? What is power & how does one achieve it?I am 61 & I will state emphatically that I was not ready to read this book before. Life & learning has taught me to think about the questions & situations of which Tolstoy has written. Some are able to discern the messages younger, so do not shy away from the critical thinking! Read War and Peace. I highly recommend it to you. I will probably read it again, next year.

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