War and Peace

by Leo Tolstoy, Anthony Briggs (Translator), Orlando Figes (Introduction)

L. Tolstoy, A. Briggs,Prof. O. FigesRelease 01-12-2006 War and Peace (Penguin Classics, Deluxe Edition) [Paperback]Leo Tolstoy (Author) , Anthony Briggs (Translator), Professor Orlando Figes (Introduction) PaperbackItem UsedGood

Genres: Classics

1408 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2006

About the author

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: Лев Николаевич Толстой; most appropriately used Liev Tolstoy; commonly Leo Tolstoy in Anglophone countries) was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist fiction. Many consider Tolstoy to have been one of the world's greatest novelists. Tolstoy is equally known for his complicated and paradoxical persona and for his extreme moralistic and ascetic views, which he adopted after a moral crisis and spiritual awakening in the 1870s, after which he also became noted as a moral thinker and social reformer.

His literal interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus, centering on the Sermon on the Mount, caused him in later life to become a fervent Christian anarchist and anarcho-pacifist. His ideas on nonviolent resistance, expressed in such works as The Kingdom of God Is Within You, were to have a profound impact on such pivotal twentieth-century figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reviews

[Sherry Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatest book of all time! Brigg’s translation is imminently readable; don’t let the length discourage you. I could barely put it down. Tolstoy fought in the Crimean War, some of his ancestors fought against Napoleon. He drew on these experiences to write this masterpiece with a palpable sense of war. Not just that - his characters learn, evolve, change views and relationships in realistic ways. Motivations and actions fit each character. He creates a world that envelops you from the beginning, with layers of meaning that pierce your heart. This is the only “must read” from my 65+ years of constant reading.

[Carrianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished War and Peace and I’m on a reading high. How can I not give it five stars? Tolstoy, the genius he is, makes me confused and muddled but somehow at the same time makes everything seem abundantly clear. I went into this expecting similar revelations like I had while reading Anna Karenina but this book seemed different to me. I learned different, more nuanced things and ideas that honestly I’ll probably be musing on for a while so can’t really speak on now. But on the story side of things-what a wild ride! It had me chuckling, sympathetic, incredulous, utterly speechless, boiling mad almost to the point of tears (those who have read it will know😂) and in the end overwhelmingly giddy with joy and glee. Thoreau said it best-“for what are the classics but the noblest recorded thoughts of man?” Tolstoy was a noble man and he had noble thoughts. Thanks be to God those thoughts were recorded.

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

People talk about this book as if it's an impenetrable mystery. In reality, it is a simple love story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent translation of a wonderful book. It is accessible and lively, while retaining what I believe to be Tolstoy's intentions.

[Hannah Kish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never felt more neutral about a book. Part 2 of the epilogue was incredibly difficult for me to get through. I wouldn’t read this again, but Pierre makes this 3 stars instead of 2.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Love gets in the way of death.
Love is life. Every single thing I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is bound up with love, and love alone. Love is God.'
- War and Peace,

It's in the sweeping battle scenes that Tolstoy shows how insignificant the individual really is--how even generals and emperors are at the mercy of random and unpredictable events. Then when Tolstoy switches to the intimate drawing room scenes, the entire perspective shifts, and nothing matters more than the individual consciousness that he depicts. The juxtaposition of these two feelings is just, well, genius!

Tolstoy has created a world. A world we are invited into. We are observers of this time, this place and these people. We age as they age and die as they do. This is much more than a novel. It’s a piece of history. History that will change the way you think. It is simply brilliant.