Who writes a 100 page epilogue? Who ends a 1400 page novel with a 50 page treatise on military theory and existentialism, never again referring back to the story or its characters? Well, it seems Tolstoy does. I do not know enough about Russian literature to know whether or not that is a common device, but I found it redundant on many points. That said, I did like the dynamic characters and I learned a lot about the era in which they lived. I think Tolstoy could have been a little less ‘obvious’ in expressing his feelings for Napoleon, and that he could have let the story illustrate his philosophy instead of beating us over the head with it in the conclusion of the work.

There is a reason why this monstrous novel holds a place in our cultural matrix, and it is NOT only because it is so damn long. It is also because it is a fascinating, detailed, moving, rich piece of literature.

So it’s long. So what? Yes, you could read four other novels in the time it takes you to read W&P, but will they be as good? If you’ve tried before, and given up, don’t worry. As I say, getting War and Peace read is much like quitting smoking… it took me three tries to accomplish it, but I sure am glad that I did.