Translated from the Russian by Anthony Briggs.
This edition published 27th September 2007 by Penguin Classics.
From the cover of the book:
War and Peace begins at a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, where conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches on Russia, and the lives of three young people are changed forever. The stories of quixotic Pierre, cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast, from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself.
Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Anthony Briggs with an Afterword by Orlando Figes.
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War and Peace is one of those books that everyone knows for its hefty size, not without cause as this edition numbers a densely-printed 1400 pages! It was one on my to-be-read pile for many years before I finally tackled it in 2023 - at the pace of a chapter-a-day throughout the year. It is impossible to do justice to it in a short review, so, instead, this is more of a reflection upon my experience reading this (in)famous tale of love, loss and family, through times of war and peace in imperial Russia.
The journey begins in a grand salon in St Petersburg in 1805. War is on the horizon as Napoleon casts his ambitious eye towards the East, and for a country that has long been enamoured with courtly French ways, this act of aggression will set in motion unforeseeable consequences for mother Russia...
It is a many threaded, complex story as befits one which deals with the complicated history Tolstoy presents, with a huge cast of characters, ranging from society glitteratti to the lowly peasant classes, many of whom are only on the stage for a short time. However, he mainly guides the reader through the momentous events through the eyes of a handful of central characters and their families - Pierre Bezukhov, an illegitimate son who finds himself becoming a wealthy Count; Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, Pierre's friend; and the Rostovs, primarily through brother and sister, Count Nikolay and Countess Natasha. I will admit to having a complicated relationship with many of these characters, especially the Rostovs, but Tolstoy deftly uses them all to display human nature in all its many shades of black, white, and murky grey, and he certainly knows how to transport you through his words to feel every moment of their joy and despair. My favourite of them all was Pierre, who goes on an epic personal journey, through tremendous spiritual and emotional peaks and troughs - he is also the character who provides the most comic moments as he blunders about attempting benevolent works for the good of mankind, despite his marital woes. I adored him.
Of course this is a book which concerns itself with times of war and peace, and my expectations about how these elements would fit together - and how I would feel about them afterwards - have probably provided most of the surprises. I love a well-written battle, so was really looking forward to these parts of the story, and Tolstoy does an incredible job carrying you through the intricacies of Napoleon's attempt to conquer Russia. He can immerse you in the terrifying heat of battle with aplomb, but he also has a propensity to digress into academic speculation about the whys, wherefores, and what-might-haves about military strategy on both sides of the conflict which gets a bit tedious after a while. I found myself switching off during these ramblings, and wondering whether these might have been better shifted into an appendix for fans of the minutiae of military tactics. Nevertheless, I learned so much about this part of the Napoleonic wars that I did not know before, and went down a whole warren of rabbit holes about the battles and their aftermath - especially Borodino.
Ultimately, it is the characters who drive you on through the story, as you get to know them intimately through the years - and they pull you through the slower sections where Tolstoy indulges himself with wordy speculations. Tolstoy triumphs here. Despite some oddness at the closing of the tale, where we see a glimpse of the future, and times when I wanted more about some of the side characters, there is nothing I would have changed about how Tolstoy delves into the personal cost of war.
I have had a lot of thoughts after having taken a few weeks to mull over my time with Tolstoy's masterpiece. I imagine this is a book that leaves many impressions in the minds of those who are brave enough to tackle it, but for me, it is a compelling story about identity - both on the part of the individual characters, and an entire nation - following the breakdown of Russia's love affair with France. I do not think I can claim to be in love with Tolstoy's style, but it was an incredibly rewarding experience to finally read War and Peace, and I am proud of myself for sticking through the thick and thin to the very end. I do not know whether I will ever revisit the story as a whole again, but there are beautifully written sections I will definitely refer back to in the future.
If you have ever considered taking on this behemoth yourself, I highly recommend going the slow-read route with a chapter-a-day, as it really does make it more achievable. Take some time to think about the translation you use too, as I started with the Vintage Classics edition to begin with, but found the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation far too 'French heavy' for my language skills - in my opinion, the Penguin Classics Brigg's translation flows much better for English speakers.
I can also recommend reading this novel along with others, as there are many things you will want to talk about as you make your way through the many chapters - I would like to thank Simon Halsell aka @footnotes.and.tangents for organising the #WhiskyAndPerseverance readalongs on Instagram. His enthusiasm and love for Tolstoy is inspirational. Simon has another readalong for War and Peace going in 2024, so look him up if you are tempted to join in!
War and Peace is available to buy now in multiple formats.
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