"War and Peace"

...and Love and Feuds and
Ironic Money Troubles and
Tolstoy's Philosophy of History, etc.

When I tell people I've read Tolstoy's War and Peace, the two most common reactions are "The whole thing?" and "Eh, I liked Anna Karenina." I think a few things make this a difficult read: the length¹, that the recommended translations use overly florid language², and the subject matter. It's a novel that reads a bit like history, or perhaps more like philosophy wrapped in a parable about, well, war and peace.

Set during the opening decades of the 19th century amidst the Napoleonic wars, War and Peace ultimately criticizes both the war and the French and Russian high society that made it (perhaps) inevitable. Tolstoy himself was born to an aristocratic family and portrays high society in a very unflattering light – appearance-valuing, honor-seeking, missing what's most important. War brings ruin, not glory, to those caught up in its gears.

Tolstoy's philosophy seems to be that history is too big and sweeping for individuals to have a real impact on the direction it takes. History is made not by kings or generals, but by the will of the people. I'm not sure I agree, but his huge cast of well-realized characters makes a compelling case, careening off one another like billiard balls as they celebrate, plot, philosophize, pray, fall in love, fight, and sometimes die together. This cast is why the book works. Each character is realistic and distinct, with his or her own dreams and insecurities, and they all develop in believable ways. Many scenes and conversations are almost magical in the way they flow in the moment and fit together afterward.

Verdict: while not an easy read, Tolstoy's sweeping novel masterfully portrays the lives and relationships of some of the best-realized characters in fiction. Recommended.

1 1400+ pages! (back)

2 I went with Anthony Briggs's modern 2009 translation, as I got my fill of purple prose in high school English class. (back)