tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post8417420491107487198..comments2024-03-25T19:05:07.205-06:00Comments on Reading, Writing, Working, Playing: War and PeaceJaneGShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-17186958125968946282019-05-01T16:16:59.220-06:002019-05-01T16:16:59.220-06:00Lol - yes, a year seems like forever when you'...Lol - yes, a year seems like forever when you're young and so short now!JaneGShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11094501834387622997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-20654767304416312632019-05-01T04:07:24.827-06:002019-05-01T04:07:24.827-06:00I love that concept of Natasha as Mother Russia. I...I love that concept of Natasha as Mother Russia. I might be showing my age, but during that section where she chafed at having to wait a year for her marriage, I was thinking how fast a year seems to fly, haha. I do appreciate how she 'let herself go.' Tolstoy knew about the specific beauty of a loving wife and mother. Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-33393130619992601482019-04-20T08:47:40.225-06:002019-04-20T08:47:40.225-06:00Congrats on finishing this incredible tome! I hav...Congrats on finishing this incredible tome! I have not read it but you give a neat review of it here. Natasha surely falls in love quite a few times. I guess I didn't realize how enthralled by the French Russia once was. I'd like story parts too over philosophical ramblings. thecuecardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08870323589682197091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-28835597308448339602019-04-19T18:49:47.517-06:002019-04-19T18:49:47.517-06:00Congratulations on finishing! Someday, I will pick...Congratulations on finishing! Someday, I will pick it up again. I didn't read all the way through because of the spoilers, but I did like your observations on Tolstoy. I will keep that in mind when I dive back in again. Michelle Stockard Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03572227726980569386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-26049267743568580212019-04-16T11:52:33.478-06:002019-04-16T11:52:33.478-06:00Well done! I skipped most of your post because I ...Well done! I skipped most of your post because I still want to read it someday. I will come back and read it then. Silly because I would probably forget it but then, but maybe not!Ruthiellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03871834571645928819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-6443606301310276362019-04-16T07:59:05.117-06:002019-04-16T07:59:05.117-06:00Congratulations, Jane. This is quite an accomplish...Congratulations, Jane. This is quite an accomplishment! I've read the first 50 or 100 pages twice over the last decade or so, always deciding that I didn't have time to devote to such a long book. The time excuse doesn't work as well now, but I don't have the same sense of urgency to read it either. We'll see...JoAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13691864361197071517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-22244803211334984442019-04-14T22:54:14.393-06:002019-04-14T22:54:14.393-06:00Cheers for celebrating this reading milestone with...Cheers for celebrating this reading milestone with your readers! Thanks for your frank take on the book--how the characters, story, and history musings struck you. You are so right about the lovable Rostovs and disturbing Kuragins! For me, the concluding digression into philosophy of history was welcome enough, after experiencing such a sweeping tale covering the defining events for Europe in the first part of the 19th century. Napoleon as a personality and a problem--a conqueror and empire builder--dominated the political psyche until two World Wars brought other figures to replace him. I think Tolstoy wanted to make the case for a multitude of factors causing the Napoleonic wars, beyong the prevailing personality cult. The novel made the point dramatically, but as author, he couldn't help explaining it and arguing directly to the reader! I can easily see how this might be annoying. However, when my husband first recommended War and Peace to me, he enthused about that long philosophy section, which fascinated him and set him on the trail of history research as a hobby. Of course, he also loved the story, and he praised the 1972 British miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins as Pierre and Morag Hood as Natasha.Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00187517182328614133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-35767430260058812872019-04-14T21:12:49.092-06:002019-04-14T21:12:49.092-06:00Hi Jane, Congratulations on finishing War and Peac...Hi Jane, Congratulations on finishing War and Peace. You inspire me to tackle this great work. Interesting as you point out that in telling Natasha's story Tolstoy is telling the story of Russia. There does seem to have been in the 19th century a great deal of turmoil in Russia about which way forward and a dilemna about Europe, embrace Paris, London, Berlin or turn more inward seems to have been the question the great writers Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Turgenev grappled with.Kathy's Cornerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03967595794483824444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-87264409616484294572019-04-14T16:00:41.802-06:002019-04-14T16:00:41.802-06:00Voila, Jane! So glad to hear of your accomplishmen...Voila, Jane! So glad to hear of your accomplishment finishing this grand tome, which is such a great book. When I read it age 17, I must admit I skimmed the battle scenes, and that's because I was doing it for a school project and had only 10 days to complete it. I can remember lying on my bed reading 100 pages a night, and to hell with the rest of my homework! W&P was much, much more fascinating. <br />I'm long overdue for a re-read, and have the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation at hand, so I'd be very interested to know which translation you chose.Judithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06435116453270981662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-44180272712638482222019-04-14T15:23:54.926-06:002019-04-14T15:23:54.926-06:00Congratulations on finishing this. I must give it ...Congratulations on finishing this. I must give it a go sooner rather then later. I usually like philosophical musings in a book. With that, I thought that Tolstoy’s attempts at this fell a little short in Anna Kariana Thus I think that I know what you mean with your observation thaf you liked the story better then the other stuff. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15714418.post-4897727924443565412019-04-14T14:19:46.339-06:002019-04-14T14:19:46.339-06:00Congratulations on finishing this one! That's ...Congratulations on finishing this one! That's quite the accomplishment. I've never even wanted to try and make my way through it, it's so long and intimidating. So I am very impressed. :)Lark https://www.blogger.com/profile/13777891312147377769noreply@blogger.com