• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Leo Tolstoy: War and Peace

Darren, is this book? you are discussing now :rolleyes:




audrey11.jpg



I like natasha in the film that adapated from this book. Audrey Hepburn is my fav actress.
 
Haven't seen the movie, tho I love Audrey. It got horrid reviews: "Not enough war. Too much peace."

You know, I don't think I own this book. Back to the used book store . . .
 
Ashlea said:
Haven't seen the movie, tho I love Audrey. It got horrid reviews: "Not enough war. Too much peace."

You know, I don't think I own this book. Back to the used book store . . .
Click to expand...

:) Ashela, I hope you can see the movie. It is wonderful. No sooner after i had seen the movie than I began to read the book. I guess you will like it, the movie. :)
 
I really love the book (and the film also), though it requires a lot good will to get through at a one go. It portrays perfectly a Russian high society in a time of a crisis: when all that you regarded as natural, obvious and absolutely necessary to live is unexpectedly and suddenly lost. It probably also says a lot about what are the rules which create history, and philosophy of history, but I must admit I missed out these parts, as I'm not a big fan of history.
 
The other day, I thought a lot about this book. I came up with the idea that everyone in this book, even countries, i.e Russia and France, underwent some kind of 'war' and 'peace'. Prince Bolkonsky and M. Pierre, Natasha, general Kutuzofu, etc,etc, wanted to find a way out of the conflict that was either inside or outside, politically, individually, psychologically, physically....

Sorry. I couldnot express myself more clearly. Those thinking was as vague as shallow. sometimes the thoughts seemed very clear to me, but when I wanted to write down, they escaped away.

Bests,
crystal
 
I think I understand you pretty well, Watercrystal, so don't feel sorry. :)

I agree with your idea of the characters being at "war and peace" states in their lifes. As Tolstoy put much attention not only to revealing implicite mechanisms which rule the history, he also tried to get into is heroes and heroines's minds and souls. Their lifes were, partly because of the hostile world in which they were forced to live in, full of crisises, personal tragedies and moral conflicts. They had to compare the norms to the ruthless war conditions, change their understanding of good, evil, justice, and these all in a situation in which they had lost a sense of safety, and all they loved. That was the "war" part. Then, they were able to find strength and support in others - and this is the "peace" part.
 
Finally! I'm done. :) Whew!

I would have loved the book if half of it wasn't Tolstoy's lectures about what REALLY causes the war to proceed like it does. As it was, I found it very tedious reading. But, I will admit that I fell in love with his characters.
 
watercrystal said:
:) Ashela, I hope you can see the movie. It is wonderful. No sooner after i had seen the movie than I began to read the book. I guess you will like it, the movie. :)
Click to expand...

Watch the real movie and you'll enjoy what I believe to be a much more accurate account of what Tolstoy was getting at. By real I mean the Russian version. It's around 6 hours long, but worth every minute of it. If you loved the book watch this movie. If you just want to see another American popular movie, and do not care so much for the writing perspective of Tolstoy, watch Audrey Hepburn. :mad:
 
{Tigress} said:
Finally! I'm done. :) Whew!

I would have loved the book if half of it wasn't Tolstoy's lectures about what REALLY causes the war to proceed like it does. As it was, I found it very tedious reading. But, I will admit that I fell in love with his characters.
Click to expand...

Very true. Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky being my favorite authors, I believe that they both get in trouble when they try to add to much personal social commentary. They are one of a kind at developing characters and more than express what they are saying through them. The abstract paragraphs although still interesting reading, often seem to interupt the flow of the reading and turn people off a bit.

I love this book so much I have actually read it twice, and actually become angered when things happen to MY characters :) (Prince Andrey in particular) I about ripped apart my punching bag the first time i read it and Natasha fell into the deception of that lowlife Anatole. (I swear I know people like that guy! )

GOOD DAY ALL!! I wish i had joined the forum sooner so i could have completely shared in the discussion of this book, or got it going more. Although it could take an extremely long time to actually get through all of the issues that are raised in this book. I think the emotion alone invoked by the characters is beyond my capability to fathom how an author can create something so powerful.

G'day!!
 
True@1stLight said:
Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky being my favorite authors, I believe that they both get in trouble when they try to add to much personal social commentary. They are one of a kind at developing characters and more than express what they are saying through them.
Click to expand...
Don't know about Tolstoy, but Dostoyevsky used to comment on society and mental state of his characters by descriptions of buildings, places, didn't he?
The abstract paragraphs although still interesting reading, often seem to interupt the flow of the reading
Click to expand...
Bear in mind, that War and Peace is an epic about a war, and slowing the action down by descriptions is an inherent part of an epic (like making Achilles's shield in Iliad).

I love this book so much I have actually read it twice, and actually become angered when things happen to MY characters :) (Prince Andrey in particular)
Click to expand...
I was so shocked when his wife died. But from what I remember, he didn't suffer much, as he didn't love her, and the worst was that she knew this.

My favourite character was Pierre.
 
True@1stLight said:
I about ripped apart my punching bag the first time i read it and Natasha fell into the deception of that lowlife Anatole. (I swear I know people like that guy! )
Click to expand...

i terribly misunderstood you. :eek: Very sorry.

To be honest, i did not hate Anatole that much. Natasha was naive/innocent, less sophisticated, and had not that much social experiences, which differentiated her from Helen, right? Plus, without Anatole, she would not have known what was love, I thought, though not necessarily.
 
Idun said:
I was so shocked when his wife died. But from what I remember, he didn't suffer much, as he didn't love her, and the worst was that she knew this.

My favourite character was Pierre.
Click to expand...

I was feeling sad when his wife died, yes, because she knew he did not love her, which i thought a bit cruel, especially considering that she knew it so clearly before her death.

As i said, everything happened in Prince Bolkonsky's life has paved its way to his final destiny. however, i was wondering how this loss affected his life. :confused:
 
Idun said:
Bear in mind, that War and Peace is an epic about a war, and slowing the action down by descriptions is an inherent part of an epic (like making Achilles's shield in Iliad).
Click to expand...

I always thought the broader or more complicated context in which the charactors of book were given/provided, the more successfully a reader could achieve the udnerstanding the dynamics of their (charactors') changing.
 
True@1stlight said:
i want a little wolfy like the one in your avatar, he's so cute, but you know he could whip some @$$.
Click to expand...

:p I did not get it. #$%&*#$%@


Idun, I did not like Pierre, though i had achieved a good understanding of him. Yet it seemed that his love to Natasha has always been quoted as a certain model.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top