"We all think we only have to be knocked a little bit off course and we've lost everything, but it's only the start of something new and good. Where there is life, there is happiness. There is a huge amount yet to come. "
War and Peace was my constant companion for one month, and I feel a bit bereft now that I've finished this amazing literary journey.
This is a monumental novel that spans the lives of several aristocratic families in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. I think the title could aptly be "War and People", as Tolstoy not only focuses on war, but he also intensely explores the intricacies of human behaviour. Tolstoy knows how to describe people, from revealing their thoughts to describing their facial expressions and overall countenance with remarkable precision. He truly possesses an extraordinary ability to explore the minds of his characters. His portrayal of complex characters felt so honest. He just gets it.
Tolstoy's writing is readable and accessible with a delightful touch of humour. He was able to inject humour in this story in a way that I just didn't expect. I acquired profound insights into war, Russian history and there were some ineresting insights on Napolean himself. Surprisingly, the sheer length of this 1,300 page tome did not deter my full engagement at all. I found myself devouring the characters' lives, feeling like I was reading not just a book but life itself- a sentiment eloquently captured by Isaac Babel -"If the world could write itself, it would write like Tolstoy."
Upon revisiting the quotes I annotated while reading this book, I realized how much War and Peace touched me emotionally. Understanding the full story and then reverting to various quotes made me appreciate this novel even more. I Made a separate post with all the quotes that resonated with me here.
My only complaint is that the second epilogue (yes there are two) felt slightly repetitive and unexpectedly philosophical in its exploration of history, power and war. But, in the end, I still admired it because it made me think about history in a deeper way, and it offered a valuable perspective on the importance of understanding history beyond surface-level events.
War and Peace has earned a place among my favourite books of all time. Tolstoy's simple yet profound writing, coupled with an expansive narrative and a diverse cast of complex characters leaves an indelible mark. The sentiment encapsulated by a quote from the novel "There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth" perfectly resonates with my experience. This book is greatness in its purest form.
War and Peace falls under two reading challenges that I'm doing- Reading The World (for Russia) and The Top 100 Books of All Time
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