thelittlebookowl

Hi guys how are you all? I know I’ve already done a post about this book but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to do this type of review as well – I did a post of some thoughts I had while reading it, which you can check out here. I read this at the beginning of the year and it is definitely now one of my all time favourite classics. I am so glad that I picked it up. It is a big book but it is well worth a read. So let me give you five reasons to read this amazing book :).

1. It is a wonderful look into human nature. Through the different characters, we see so many different personalities and traits – it is really interesting. Tolstoy is wonderful at creating intricate characters that are both complex and flawed. No character is set apart as the villain or the hero. It is one of my favourite things about this book.

2. The writing is fantastic. Obviously I didn’t read it in the original Russian, but the translation I read (Penguin Clothbound edition) was very good. I was pretty much immediately engaged with the writing and so immersed in this world.

3. As I’ve mentioned before I am interested in history, so the look into Russian culture, as well as the look into the war and the battles, were some of my favourite parts. Through the different characters we get different perspectives, for example on the hierarchy of the Russian army. Some may find the battle sequences boring, but I personally felt they are very well written.

4. The plot is engaging throughout, and once I had gotten used to the Russian names and into the writing, I actually found it hard to put down. I have always thought this would be a very dense and confusing book, but I found it to be the opposite. It is actually very enjoyable.

5. This is a well known and beloved classic for a reason. It has definitely became a new favourite classic of mine. If you are a fan of classics then I think this is a must read.

I know the size is intimidating but this fantastic book is well worth a read. There were points that I did skin read a little bit, for example the free mason part, but it didn’t really detract anything for me. I cannot recommend this book enough. Just give it a go. I am so excited to read more by Tolstoy – I hope to get to Anna Karenina soon. Also Vintage are releasing a new gorgeous edition of this in January and I know I am going to find it very hard to resist getting myself a copy :). Let me know if you’ve read it and what you thought of it – I’m interested to see what other people thought. I hope you are all having a great day and I will see you next time.

Pippa