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happylilkt's review against another edition
5.0
There is a mass of movement in this book:
Armies and artillery, evacuating (or looting) Moscow, advancing and retreating. Tolstoy asks: who is really causing this movement? Is it really a "hero" or "great man"—what about all of the individuals involved? He also exposes political maneuvering, rumor-mills and machinations.
There is a feeling of inevitability in this book: Entanglements. Marriage. War. Death.
Yes, this book is about war and peace in Russia, but it is also about war and peace in the inner lives of its characters—particularly in the uncomplicated happy Rostovs and the more tortured intellectual Bolkonski family. Both families intersect especially through the plot arc of their massive, somewhat bumbling, golden-hearted friend Pierre Bezukhov.
Near the end, Tolstoy's philosophizing grated on me (I'm actually rather tolerant of that sort of thing), HOWEVER, I am still rating it 4.5 stars because it was so interesting and beautifully written and I will absolutely be re-reading it. Also, he probably didn't have an editor, so... there's that.
I would probably still recommend Anna Karenina to Tolstoy first-timers, and especially for those who will only read one Tolstoy—it is a true novel with tighter construction. This one is, according to Tolstoy, not really a novel (it's mostly a novel, but has historical retellings and philosophy enmeshed). But, oh, I loved and cried over these characters more.
This time (July 2021) I read the Maude translation. Next time I will try Pevear and Volokhonsky.
Armies and artillery, evacuating (or looting) Moscow, advancing and retreating. Tolstoy asks: who is really causing this movement? Is it really a "hero" or "great man"—what about all of the individuals involved? He also exposes political maneuvering, rumor-mills and machinations.
There is a feeling of inevitability in this book: Entanglements. Marriage. War. Death.
Yes, this book is about war and peace in Russia, but it is also about war and peace in the inner lives of its characters—particularly in the uncomplicated happy Rostovs and the more tortured intellectual Bolkonski family. Both families intersect especially through the plot arc of their massive, somewhat bumbling, golden-hearted friend Pierre Bezukhov.
Near the end, Tolstoy's philosophizing grated on me (I'm actually rather tolerant of that sort of thing), HOWEVER, I am still rating it 4.5 stars because it was so interesting and beautifully written and I will absolutely be re-reading it. Also, he probably didn't have an editor, so... there's that.
I would probably still recommend Anna Karenina to Tolstoy first-timers, and especially for those who will only read one Tolstoy—it is a true novel with tighter construction. This one is, according to Tolstoy, not really a novel (it's mostly a novel, but has historical retellings and philosophy enmeshed). But, oh, I loved and cried over these characters more.
This time (July 2021) I read the Maude translation. Next time I will try Pevear and Volokhonsky.
1212westphalia8's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
imogens_corner's review against another edition
5.0
Controversial opinion: I enjoyed the second epilogue.
hydecircus's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I don't know what I can add about this book that hasn't already been said. I guess I would say this book definitely deserves its place in the classics (not that anyone is disputing that), but the second epilogue was actually so boring and repetitive i did want to kill myself a little.
dcm7918's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
myosotis_maddi's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
itsmjn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
liliac213's review against another edition
4.5
War and Peace was such a pleasant surprise to me, as it was not what I expected. I would have never thought that I would become so attached to the characters when there were so many of them, but I did. I loved the characters, I loved seeing them after the war, and I think I will miss reading this book. I have to admit, it’ll probably be strange not going to pick up War and Peace after doing it for the past two months!