You took the plunge and then get to brag (as you say) about doing it.Description for War and Peace Paperback. I think reading War and Peace is the equivalent to bungee jumping. I contend it was his devotion to God and his Christian beliefs that endowed him with this gift. You compared his perspicuity to the Bible. Tolstoy is the most insightful writer I’ve ever read.

(But I’m still glad Pierre got to marry Natasha in the end.) I wanted to hate Princess Elena, but she was a tragic, empty person, after all, whose life ended sadly. Young, foolish girls like Natasha mature into responsible and devoted mothers…bumbling, clueless Pierre starts to figure out life and learns to love all people unconditionally. I love how Tolstoy doesn’t allow you to pigeon hole his characters The ones you’re ready to hate, he turns around and makes them objects of compassion. I also agree that it lacks the formula for a successful novel today (lack of graphic sex, violence and language, dystopian viewpoint etc.) I think if more people understood that they wouldn’t find reading it so off putting. It is like a big soap opera with lots of colorful characters. So you’ve finally finished my favorite book of all time. One of the benefits of reading this famous book, which everyone talks about but few actually read, is the bragging rights which come with this accomplishment.

The analogies to this day and age could be made with ease and the historical aspect simply raises the book to another level. Tolstoy’s existential thinking, philosophical musings and observation of humans falls just short (if at all) from the Bible. No, this is an excellent book which is still relevant despite being written long ago. I’d like to say that I’m not recommending War & Peace because it’s a famous book, or considered a classic, or because I’m afraid that I’d look like the uncultured, uncouth shcmo which I actually am. The story of three families which the narrative moves around characters come and characters go, lovers split up, make up or die and friends fight. The novel is in all actuality a soap opera which is a bit formulaic even by today’s standards. But this is real literature, with validity and artfulness. It’s not popular, too long and too tiresome – they would say.

It’s too bad that if Tolstoy would have lived today, War & Peace wouldn’t even have been published. I felt that I learned a lot from reading this book, not only about history, but also about culture and human intelligence. If you didn’t read War & Peace you should, not only is it full with studies of the human condition, but also full of wisdom which is still relevant to this day. It took me a while to read War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy, not only for the obvious reason (1,024 pages) but also because I read it in spurts, between reading other books. Great price on this book in paper or electronic format

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy