War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy
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Book Summary Information
Author: Leo TolstoyTranslator: Richard Pevear
Translator: Larissa Volokhonsky
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-16
ISBN: 0307266931
Number of pages: 1296
Publisher: Knopf
Book Reviews of War and Peace
Book Review: An Excellent Edition of War and Peace
Summary: 5 Stars
I read the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation, and while I do not know Russian (or French very well), I can say that this translation is beautifully produced, readable, and convincing. This edition contains a useful introduction, list of main characters, notes, historical appendix, and chapter summaries, plus Tolstoy's epilogue and appendix--over 1,273 pages in all. The type-face is attractive and the layout is pleasant. It is a hefty book that still looks almost new after a thorough reading and some abuse by my three year old granddaughter. My only qualm is that the book is so large and heavy that it is difficult to read in bed or lying down. I have not read other editions of War and Peace for comparison, but I would recommend this edition to anyone intent on reading this massive novel.
Of course, War and Peace is a great classic of world literature so I will not offer a plot summary or criticism. I found, on this my first and probably only reading, that the novel is uneven. Parts are brilliant and absorbing, rivaling anything by Austin or Trollope, while other parts are tedious or maudlin. I could almost not believe they were written by the same author. Generally I found the parts depicting intimate family or romantic relations to be the most engaging and psychologically convincing--Tolstoy's philosophical and religious ruminations to be worthy of only brief skimming. The Epilogue was particularly disappointing. I found that as the novel wore on Tolstoy's insightful satirical approach evolved into a far less entertaining and enlightening attitude of reverence and religiosity.
The historical events depicted were/are of monumental importance for Russians and Europeans in general, less so for Americans. The Napoleonic wars were not emphasized in American schools, at least not the ones I attended. This novel is very rooted in Russian history--the glorious Great Patriotic War against the French and Napoleon. I found that brushing up on the history helped me to follow the course of the story. Nevertheless there were many many places and events that meant nothing to me and that I could not locate in my mental space. Perhaps some maps would have helped, but the sweep of events and the Russian landscape is so vast that I fear the American reader is just lost for the most part. I was also struck by the profound divisions in Russian society of the time; that the muziks and peasants were literally slaves was startling to me even though I vaguely knew about it. Most of the characters are very aristocratic Russians who barely spoke Russian at all, were educated in France or by French tutors, and who felt no unity with the Russian people--apparently until the invasion that is. This was a very different time and place from our own. Despite this lack of historical orientation the events of the novel are gripping as are the personalities and intrigues. Napoleon's invasion in 1812 was a formative event for the Russian nation, in the way perhaps that the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, or the attack on Pearl Harbor was for us.
Reading this book is a major project not to be undertaken lightly. Several friends have told me they gave up part way through. If you have the time, inclination, and tenacity, reading War and Peace, especially in this translation, is a worthwhile and entertaining project.
Summary of War and Peace
From Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the best-selling, award-winning translators of Anna Karenina and The Brothers Karamazov, comes a brilliant, engaging, and eminently readable translation of Leo Tolstoy's master epic.
War and Peace centers broadly on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the best-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves behind his family to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman, who intrigues both men. As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy vividly follows characters from diverse backgrounds-peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers-as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving-and human-figures in world literature.
Pevear and Volokhonsky have brought us this classic novel in a translation remarkable for its fidelity to Tolstoy's style and cadence and for its energetic, accessible prose. With stunning grace and precision, this new version of War and Peace is set to become the definitive English edition.
Tolstoy, Leo Books
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