Tolstoy's epic novel set during the Napoleonic Wars
Sarah Bagby's Book Review War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
(Knopf)
7.14.08
Leo Tolstoy's epic novel, War and Peace, is many things: a timeless classic, a standing joke, a door stop…and for many readers, an imposing mountain they fear to climb.
This summer Watermark Books issued the "War and Peace Challenge," inviting one and all to tackle the daunting masterpiece together.
A surprising number of people took up the invitation – and even more surprising for many, found it to be a remarkably accessible and enjoyable read.
Now halfway through the Challenge, KMUW book critic Sarah Bagby shares some thoughts about the new translation and the experience of reading War and Peace.
The next session of the War and Peace Challenge, with a group discussion and guest experts, takes place Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Watermark Books.
You can hear Sarah Bagby's book reviews the second and fourth Mondays of every month on Morning Edition.
