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| War and Peace (Penguin Red Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Leo Tolstoy
Creator: Anthony Briggs
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book
List Price: £9.99
Buy Used: £4.00
You Save: £5.99 (60%)
New (32) from £5.48
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 4622
Media: Paperback
Pages: 1408
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 4.4 x 2.1
ISBN: 0141025115
EAN: 9780141025117
ASIN: 0141025115
Publication Date: May 25, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-10 of 10 | | « PREV | | |
 Honestly, the Greatest Novel Of All Time January 18, 2007
29 out of 34 found this review helpful
I'm 16 years old and have just finished War and Peace. Funnily enough I didn't actually buy the novel to bask in the glow of pretension that such an achievement could have me in. I was curious. Will it be tedious as it's so long? The answer is a certain no.
I Loved this book so much since the moment I started reading in the Summer (yes that long ago) to finishing now in January, that I feel like re-reading it. I can't see the point in reading any other novel as they will only be inferior to this masterpiece.
The characters are the main reason I loved War and Peace so much.
Pierre Bezukhov a man searching for a meaning to his life. It's through him Tolstoy explores the depths of the human soul most vividly.
The Bolkolnsky's with the timid, plain-looking Princess Marya who has a pure and zealous heart. Then there's the loving father who is unable to show his true emotions. And possibly my favourite character Prince Andrey who could be said as the opposite to Pierres' abstract, and absent-minded nature. But who I felt the most affinity with through his struggle to find any self-esteem or truth. (I will not spoil the storyline, but the ending with him is the most beautiful scene I have ever read).
The Rostovs who are the family studied in most detail. There's the loving parents who are have infinite pride in their sons but especially their daughter Natasha Rostov. Her impulsive nature is both frustrating and adorable, a real flawed heroine. Another character who I have noticed not one person mention so far is Sonya. She is a cousin to the family who is incredibly hard-working and suffers alot but never complains, Tolstoy makes her the perfect woman. But as such she never is really accepeted by anyone. Nikolay is possibly the fourth main character (after Pierre, Andrey and Natasha), and he's likeable, but ill-tempered.
The minor characters like the vile, false Kuragins, Denisov the humourus general with a lisp, Dolokhov the classic rogue and the superficial Drubetskoys are excellently portrayed.
The Peace parts seem to be everyones' favourite parts of the novel, and I have to agree. They are utterly spell-binding. If you're incredibly angry or depressed, there's nothing like it to mysteriously calm and comfort the soul. Nevertheless the War parts are described in such detail they really DO put you in the place of the characters involved.
There are scenes in this novel which I will never forget. So beautifully depicted, by the master of all authors. The horror of warfare and life itself is shown here also, as it's such a fantastic panorama of the characters it doesn't shy away from the darker sides to life.
My only qualm with War and Peace is the epilogue. I am not a fan of them in the first place but here it seems altogether rather tedious and Part 1 is far too straightforward for a Tolstoy Part.
BUT
READ WAR AND PEACE. EXPERIENCE INCREDIBLE VITALITY. DO NOT LET THE SIZE PUT YOU OFF. IT FLIES BY, AS IT IS -
THE GREATEST NOVEL OF ALL TIME.
New translation breathes life December 11, 2006
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This translation has the power to take you back into the days of Napoleon and Alexander, into the social whirl of Russian aristocracy in all its glitter, into the mud and terror of the warfare, depths of self examination and it even manages to breathe a coherent readability to Tolstoy's philosophy of history. Tony Briggs has the gift of making language dance to the original tune and excels himself in this version. The only thing that felt odd, was reading Tolstoy in English without having to allow for translator's anachronisms ... no tea with little plums here! If you have never tried this book before then this is the time to take the plunge. Thank you Tony !
A deep and profound classic August 11, 2006
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
WAR AND PEACE successfully captured life's promises, challenges, joys, triumphs, and losses in a way that no other novels has done before and after. In this novel with more characters than any other I can imagine; the main characters are Pierre Bezuhov, Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, and Natasha Rostov, who are all affected by the destabilization of the war Napoleon brought upon Russia in the early nineteenth century. It is around them that the other characters revolve. Even though the sheer size of this novel of over a million words may discourage readers to pick it up, the consuming nature of the story keeps a reader glued to the book from the opening pages. The sheer power of this romantic and adventurous story made this classic story to survive as perhaps the best of all times.
The essence of Power, which is what leads individuals to move nations is the ultimate question of War and Peace. And this individuals or great men of history, are in reality the slave of history. That underlying fact can be found in other Russian stories. UNION MOUJIK, TARAS BULBA, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT,MASTER AND MAN feature that concept. The war part of the story features remarkable military campaigns such as those by Napoleon and his Russian counterpart, Emperor Aleksandr, as they employed their different strategies in the quest for victory on the lands of Russia.
War and Peace is entertaining as well as enlightening and is considered by many to be the master of all Russian novels. Its overview of Russian life and culture involving peasants and the aristocracy gives a true to life portrayal of humanity. You can find glimpses of other Great Russian novels in this story. In short, this epic cannot be forgotten after you have read it.
Not as tedious as expected August 7, 2006
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
When first approached with the daunting task of reading war and peace i thought of reading it solely for the prestige that reading such a famous and formidable book brings. Although the first few chapters aren't dynamite they introduce many of the characters that are to become so important later on, and gradually the book picks up pace and becomes surprisingly easy to read and enjoy.
After reading this book its easy to see why it is considered a classic by so many; it combines the romance and intimacy of characters falling into and out of love with epic battle scenes (which can be occasionally overpowering and so some sections may require re-reading) to the backdrop of the Russian war of 1804 against Napoleon. Throughout the book there is also a constant narration which explains the theology of war and how historians are inevitably wrong when they talk about the 'genius of Napoleon' however this is much less tedious than it sounds and doesn't disrupt the flow of the storyline(s).
My favourite aspect of the book is by far the characters, at the end of the book you feel as if you've gone through the whole experience with them and come out again at the other side.
Admittedly this novel is a bit of a beast at 1400 pages, but is throughly rewarding and will have you coming back to it, and is undeniably satisfying to finish. There are 2 epilogues; one which shows the characters again in 7 years time and gives a real ending to the book, the second is unneccesary and difficult to read, so by skipping it dont feel that you're missing out.
There are many characters and families in this book and so in the recent penguin version a handy bookmark is included which has a list of the characters for quick reference.
Overall a terrific book, well worth anybodies time- even for those who wouldn't consider themselves a veteran reader, a classic well deserving of being put to the top of anyones reading list.
Fantastic Translation June 13, 2006
25 out of 30 found this review helpful
There have been many reviews of War and Peace written (perhaps more than any other work of fiction) so I thought I'd confine my review to the merits of this particular edition. Needless to say this new translation is utterly outstanding and it's incredible to think of the work which must have gone into producing it. I cannot read Russian and therefore have never read the original version, but the subtleties of language and superb flowing prose present in this edition at times struck me as some of the greatest passages I had ever read in the English language. Tolstoy must have been a flat out god amongst men if he could top this in Russian.
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