/lit/ - Literature

Discuss

So I just finished this and it floored me, is there anything else that does was War and Peace does, or at least approaches it's level of quality?

Why did the peoples of west march east?

Why did the peoples of east march west?

so I picked up a copy of this for 50 cents, just out of curiosity. I have heard about it from cartoons and the joke that it is too long.

but is it worth it? is it difficult?

If you've read War & Peace, what's your opinion on it?

Alright, so I decided to actually read it from start to finish, but i'm still trying to figure out which translation I should pick up. It's between the Oxford World's Classics version translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude, or the Vintage Classics version translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. I know translation matters quite a bit, so I hoping one of you knows which is a more accurate representation of the original text.

I absolutely love this book. It's gorgeous. You can relate to many of the characters, you get to see them grow up and survive the vicissitudes of life, and, with the time commitment you have to put into it (as well as the perspicacity and depth of the author), you can't help but fall in love with them, or hate them.

That being said, I have one major problem with it. He distracts you completely by complaining about his contemporary historians. It's like an immature child who first gets an idea he feels is clever and annoys the hell out of you by bringing it up CONSTANTLY. Hell, the last 50 or so pages were dedicated to him trying to turn historical research into a science. Not only that, but earlier in the book he tries to compare the study of history with calculus, and then tries to show his mathematical prowess (very weak, by the way) by comparing the strength of two opposing armies.

Absolutely annoying. Besides that it was gorgeous, though. What are your thoughts? I can't be alone on this one.

Bit of an odd time to be asking this, but... what does /lit/ think of "War and Peace"?

I've seem to come to the understanding that it's the greatest piece of literature ever. I've actually never read it, but it's seems to be implied so whenever I hear about it.

While seeking to show the aristocracy in a similar light, Pride and Prejudice and War and Peace depict their characters in a different manner with the former opting for a satiric description and the latter a realistic one. Discuss?

So, what does lit think about War and Peace?

Started reading it a while ago and I am at page 190 and I really like it.

What about Tolstoy's other books? Got Anna Karenina lying around here and thought about reading after I finish War and Peace.

Thinking about reading War & Peace. Yeah, the larger opinion is that Anna Karenina is the better book..but I feel that War & Peace will interest me more.

Will it bore me to tears?

Is this book worth reading? Y'know, since it has a reputation for being a dense tome.

And if so, what's the best translation?

Reading War and Peace. About 2/3 through.

Its blowing my mind

It was the best of times, it was the worst of time.

Just shut up already.

And infinite jest

obviously