From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

War and Peace

Leo Tolstoy,

Richard Pevear (Translator)

Start date: August 1, 2009

Finish date: August 1, 2009

Discussion: Classics Corner

Discussion leader: Barbara

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Classics Corner

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What Members Thought

Nov 16, 2007 Laurel Bradshaw marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 19th-century, russia, purchased, kobo, translations, napoleonic-wars, chunky-monsters

There are things I like about this translation, but having purchased it long ago via Kobo I find that it is difficult to maneuver between the text and two sets of notes. One set is not hyperlinked, so it isn't at all an easy thing to flip back and forth.

I have purchased the Oxford World Classics edition on Kindle, which is the Maude translation, but it retains the French text, and the Russian forms of names, so I am finding that very readable. I thought about continuing simultaneously with the ...more

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Feb 01, 2009 Jim rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I learned that a book 1350 pages long better be great given how long it took me to listen to it on CD - 47 discs
I will probably never listen/read another book that long again

I'm glad I did read it as Tolstoy's philosophical view of how events happen, his view of history and how people view it in hindsight was well worth the time invested in the book alone -

the 2nd part of the EPILOGUE by itself is a great discussion of history, whether individuals cause great events to happen, what power is, ho ...more

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Apr 02, 2008 Katy rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

I first read War and Peace 30 years ago in a different translation. Because our ideas and perspectives change so much over the years, I was very curious to see if my response to this book might have changed. It has not. I believe this is the greatest novel I've ever read.
Tolstoy is a genius. His story is sweeping in breadth and depth. His psychological understanding of his characters is remarkably acute, their actions are utterly believable. He is able pick out the telling detail that becomes ...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Melissa marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Purchased to read for the Classics Corner discussion at Constant Reader. I admired the translation by Pevear & Volokhonsky when we read Anna Karenina, so I think this time I might actually get past the first 50 pages!

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