Read this when
War and Peace
Pierre tried money, marriage, philosophy and secret societies to find meaning. What worked? A peasant soldier and a prison march. 🌌
Who it's for
War and Peace lets readers live with Pierre, Andrei and Natasha for years, watching each of them chase meaning through ambition, philosophy, love and war, fail, and slowly change.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Leo Tolstoy's novel, serialised from 1865 and published in full in 1869, is set in Russia during the Napoleonic era, including the Battle of Austerlitz, the Battle of Borodino and Napoleon's 1812 invasion.
Where to find it
Public domain in the US in the Louise & Aylmer Maude translation (and Garnett's), free on Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks; Pevear & Volokhonsky and Briggs translations are in copyright, in print.
Before you start
Heads up: A suicide attempt and war violence.
Age: Ages 16+
I am certain of nothing but of the holiness of the Heart's affections, and the truth of Imagination.John Keats, Letter to Benjamin Bailey
