I knew very little about War and Peace before I read the book except it written b a Russian Leo Tolstoy and it was very long. It is long, about 1300 pages in paperback. By comparison the Harry Potter box set is 4167 pages with the print admittedly larger. I think the majority of us have read all the Harry Potter books.
This is not an attempt to review such a classic, but perhaps some impetus for someone to read this worthy book.
It is an historical novel. It uses the fortunes of several folks to move the narrative forward. It is a love story, but certainly not in the vein of Jane Austen. Tolstoy brings the characters alive to point that you do care what happens to them. Will Natasha marry the Prince? Will Princess Mary ever find happiness? How long will Count Bezukhov put up with his wayward wife? Will the Rostovas go bust before the novel ends? I had to remind myself it was normal for those times. I found it a little creepy that 30 and 40 year old men were chasing the main love interest of the story, 16 year old Natasha. Apparently if you were not married by the time you were 17 or 18 your were an old maid. People were not so worried about marrying for love, but in making a match that increased the family’s finances.
It is a history of Russia from about 1800 to 1813 or so. The epilogue goes past those dates. It is the story of Bonaparte’s invasion into Russia and the Russian response. Continue reading “War and Peace”