War and Peace opens in a St Petersburg salon in 1805, where the talk is of Napoleon, and follows several aristocratic families over the following years: the warm, chaotic Rostovs, the proud Bolkonskys and the scheming Kuragins. At its centre are three figures: Pierre Bezukhov, an awkward illegitimate son who unexpectedly inherits a fortune; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, an ambitious, disillusioned officer; and Natasha Rostova, whose vitality lights up the book.
Tolstoy alternates between ballrooms, country estates and battlefields, including Austerlitz and Borodino, and the French occupation and burning of Moscow in 1812. Historical figures such as Napoleon and the Russian commander Kutuzov appear beside the fictional characters. Pierre's search for meaning takes him through Freemasonry, a disastrous marriage and captivity.
Lengthy essays argue that history is shaped by countless individual actions rather than by great men. Huge in cast and scope yet intimate in its psychological detail, the novel is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever written. Readers often worry about its length, but its short chapters and vivid scenes carry the story forward.
Book details
| Author | Leo Tolstoy |
|---|---|
| First published | 1869 |
| Original language | Russian |
| Translated by | Louise and Aylmer Maude |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Type | Fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 1225 |
| Setting | Russia and Austria, 1805-1820 |
Themes
- War
- History and free will
- Love and marriage
- Meaning of life
- Russian society
Who should read it
Ambitious readers ready for an epic that combines family saga, war story and philosophy of history.