War and Peace question

If you think of it as 4 smaller books you might find it easier to approach.
Break it into chunks and off you go. There are points that provide a natural "breather" to allow you to do this.
As to the "cast of thousands" issue...don't worry. The folk that matter will become apparent as you go along...just enjoy the ride.
And don't feel too guilty if you get annoyed by Tolstoy's historical ranting at time...but then again, wallow in it if you dig that type of thing (I enjoyed them...gives insight into the author).

Sure. That's how I've been reading it over the past two or three months. I read it continuously for several days if I'm at a part I enjoy, then put it aside and read something else if I come up against some of the dull bits, then pick it up again after finishing one or two other books, and so on.

It's not as hard a read as its reputation might suggest. Most of the 'Peace' sections are very fast-moving, and quite funny at times. The 'War' sections can be a bit tedious, especially the long descriptions of military movements and discussions on military strategy. But just try to get through them, and don't bother trying to remember every name, or you'll drive yourself crazy!

That was my problem when I read the book, was trying to get through the names. In this novel, it is really not that important to know the names, per se! The last time I read the book, I just wanted to get through it and I felt that it was a tedious read. I just looked at the amount of pages and, to myself, I rolled my eyes, and thought, well, here we go! But after reading other 1,00 or more page books, I do want to get back to it and enjoy it the next time around!

I made a list of characters with all their names and kept it by my side. Though it helped me get through it, it did not increase my enjoyment of this awfully boring book.

Deb - try reading it a chapter a day. It will take a whole year but it will make the whole thing seem more epic.

It is a very readable book. I second that a lot of it is funny, though some of it is also very moving.

I disagree that the war stuff is boring as it includes for me some of the very best bits of the book. The bits where Tolstoy goes off on one about his theory of history are genuinely not great, but they clump towards the end of the book, by which point you will be convinced of the book's genius.

Has anybody а favourite character or maybe a character that you dislike most?

Deb wrote: "Thinking of attempting this, recently bought it on kindle. Is it something you can dip in and out of?"

No, not particularly, you have to stick with it, or you lose the feel of the book.
You should definitely read it :)

Best book i have ever read.

The best way to read Tolstoy or any of the classical Russian authors is to start at page one and just read. Don't sweat trying to keep everyone straight right out of the gate, if you do, this can become very confusing, due to all the different names, each character goes by. But if you read in around a hundred pages, everyone starts to fall into place. Otherwise reading books like War and Peace become a chore and to much like a school project. Hope you enjoy it is a great book.