I started reading War and Peace on Thursday afternoon and have barely looked up since. Work, meals, and sleep are all unwelcome distractions – all I want to do is read. When I picked this up, I had planned on reading it slowly, pacing myself over a few weeks while reading other books at the same time. That is not going to happen. Why would I want to read anything else? What book could possibly have as much to offer? In Anna Reid’s history of the siege of Leningrad, she mentions that War and Peace was a popular reading choice during the first deadly winter of the siege, when half a million civilians died. I can completely understand why Leningraders, starving, freezing, and watching civilisation disintegrate around them, sought to escape their surroundings with this massive, enthralling novel.
The Captive Reader 
Fantastic, it is on my to do list, glad to hear it deserves its reputation, Ruby
I hope, when you do read it, Ruby, you find it as enjoyable as I have!
I, too, have this book in my library along with “Anna Karenina”.
Having discovered my love for it, I now know I have to get a copy for my own collection! Right now, I’m reading a public library copy.
This is definitely one that I want to tackle someday!
I hope you do! It’s wonderful.
I think it is best just to keep on going. I started reading it a couple of years ago and was thoroughly enjoying it, until I put it down because I had due dates on some other books. I haven’t ever picked it up since.
My problem right now isn’t the temptation to put it down but the temptation to cast everything else aside so I can just keep reading! But I can definitely understand why it might be a difficult book to pick back up after momentarily abandoning. It’s such a complete world that to try and throw yourself back in after an absence could be overwhelming.
Yes. I am not sure that I won’t have to start at the beginning again when I do decide to finally pick it up again.
I read this when I was 17. I remember being fascinated by it, but also confused by the greatness of its reputation. I didn’t think it was THAT good – there are lots of extraneous parts that bloat the novel out to gargantuan proportions, if you ask me! When you get to the battle bits you’ll see what I mean.
All the same it is a brilliant and powerful story. I should reread it one of these days. Are you liking the translation? I read Anna Karenina around the same time as War and Peace, and the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation of that had just come out. I absolutely loved it, but last year I thought their Dr Zhivago translation was dire. So I’m not sure what I think of their stuff now.
If you haven’t read Anna Karenina yet, then launch into that straight after W&P. I think it’s much better – no battle scenes. Or chapters of philosophical rambling!!
I love the battle bits, so can’t mark it down based on them! I love the translation so would certainly recommend the P/V edition. I haven’t tried their Doctor Zhivago but nor am I likely to: I find the story too absurd and soap opera-ish.
Rachel, I have tried reading Anna Karenina so many times and have loathed and abandoned it every single time, which is part of the reason it took me so long to finally try War and Peace! I will probably try again after I finish this but, whereas I feel intensely sympathetic towards all the key figures in W&P, I miss that in AK.
I started a project to read one chapter a day, but I find I can’t do that. So I want to set some time aside over the next couple of months and just devour the book. It is too hard to read a little a day, I want to keep going.
I certainly couldn’t pace myself, so I can completely understand your dilemma! Good luck finding the time to read it in a more concentrated manner!
Thanks. I look forward to your review.
I, like Rachel, read this one in my late teens, which for me means that I don’t remember very much of it. After seeing Thomas keep a chart of all the characters last year, I got a little daunted at the thought of a reread. However, your enjoyment of it has encouraged me that I might still get back to it. I reread Anna Karenina last year and enjoyed it far better than the first time around, so perhaps I should seriously consider giving W&P another shot. So glad that you are enjoying it.
There really aren’t that many characters, so don’t feel too daunted! Or maybe I’m just used to epic sagas with casts of thousands, which make this feel positively cosy in comparison. Reading it without many pauses also helps – you don’t have the time to forget who anyone is! It’s been a few years since I last attempted Anna Karenina and I am planning to try it again after I finish this, though I’ve loathed it on every other attempt. Glad to hear you had a better experience rereading it recently. I hope the same happens for me!
leo tolstoy…
I’ll get into this soon….
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
I know exactly what you mean! I started reading it with a friend at the beginning of January. The plan was to read about 200 pages per month until the end of the year, but we’re enjoying it so much that we decided to pick up pace and should be done in half that time.
It’s also the perfect book to read-along. So much to discuss!
Oh, it would certainly be a fun book to read-along! How fun for you and your friend!
[…] Claire (The Captive Reader) very well put it, In Anna Reid’s history of the siege of Leningrad, she mentions that War and […]
Nice piece and I am glad to discover and follow your blog. I came across it while doing a little research for my own. Starting War and Peace today in fact: http://rendered-public.blogspot.ch/2013/01/a-lifetime-to-read-war-and-peace.html Hope you enjoyed it to the end.