War and Peace (III)

Leo TolstoyJul 2024

5.0

Word count: 113K words
Chapters: 62

Summary

War and Peace is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy and one of his representative works. This edition is in English. Centering on the Patriotic War of 1812, it depicts the experiences of four great noble families—the Bolkonskys, Bezukhovs, Rostovs, and Kuragins—in war and peace, reflecting major historical events in Russian society from 1805 to 1820. With extremely concise prose and outstanding psychological analysis, the novel vividly portrays one of the most stirring casts of characters in the history of Russian literature, presenting a magnificent panorama of Russian social life before and after the war.

The basic theme of War and Peace is to affirm the Russian people's just resistance in the war and praise the patriotism and heroism they displayed. With its grand historical background, profound dissection of human nature, and outstanding artistic achievement, it has become a classic in the history of world literature and has deeply influenced the development of human thought and art. It has also been adapted many times into film, television, opera, and other art forms, and is widely loved by audiences around the world.

Editor's review

As one volume of the English edition of War and Peace, this book carries an especially substantial part of Tolstoy's epic narrative. The work interweaves the private lives of noble families with the historical torrent of the Patriotic War; characters are numerous, storylines run in parallel, and psychological analysis is so meticulous as to be almost transparent. Its value lies not only in understanding historical events but in observing how Tolstoy lets individual fates and the pressures of the age shape each other. The English translation preserves long sentences and discursive passages, and the pace is not as tight as in modern fiction, requiring patience to follow. Treat it as a deep-reading text that needs blocks of time; using a character-relationship chart and a historical timeline will noticeably lower the threshold of comprehension. For readers who want to read Russian literary classics systematically or study how historical fiction is written, this volume is worth the investment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Deep readers planning to read world literary classics systematically
Readers interested in the history of the Napoleonic Wars and noble society
Readers of English originals who can accept long discursive passages and multi-stranded narrative
Literature students and learners studying narrative in historical fiction

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment and preferring short, fast-paced works
Beginners lacking patience for numerous characters and long discursive passages
Learners with little English reading experience who need simplified texts

Reading tips

First make a chart of main characters and family relationships, adding to it as you read, to avoid confusion.
Proceed volume by volume; after each part, review the historical timeline to clarify how war and family intertwine.
For discursive passages, read through first to grasp the viewpoint; no need to pause at every sentence.
Set a fixed daily amount of reading; keeping character threads continuous is more effective than reading a great deal at once.

版权信息
BOOK SEVEN: 1810 - 11
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
BOOK EIGHT: 1811 - 12
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
BOOK NINE: 1812
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXII
CHAPTER XXIII

FAQ

Can I read this volume directly without having read the first two?

Not recommended. Character relationships and events are continuous, and starting directly makes it easy to get lost. Best to read in order, or at least first learn the main members of the four noble families and their relationships; entering this volume will then be much smoother.

The English edition is hard to read—what can I do?

First use a Chinese translation or character-relationship material to become familiar with the plot framework, then read the English original, focusing on language and narrative. Long sentences can be divided into sense groups; discursive passages may be skimmed, so long as the story thread remains unbroken.

Must I read the historical discursive passages?

These passages are important expressions of Tolstoy's view of history, but you need not understand them all at once. On a first reading, grasp the plot first; look at the discussion more closely on a second pass. If you read only for the story, skipping some discussion does not affect understanding of the main line.

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About the author

Leo Tolstoy Author

Leo Tolstoy is one of the most influential writers in the history of Russian literature. Public information is limited: basic details such as his dates of birth and death and his nationality are not recorded in our database, yet the themes and style of his works still convey the character of his writing. Our collection includes eighteen of his works, with War and Peace and Resurrection as representative titles; the former is presented in several volumes and also appears in English editions. His writing is known for interweaving grand historical scenes with individual destinies, depicting characters across the broad canvas of war, family, and moral and ethical questions in a steady, reflective narrative style, while Resurrection focuses more on the conflict between personal conscience and social reality. His works are commonly found in categories such as foreign literature and war and military fiction, and are still widely read today.