Started War and Peace. Quit War and Peace.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

After about 200 pages, I just couldn't justify in my mind continuing. It was just boring. The prose was good, but it wasn't enough. On top of that, I couldn't keep track of all the characters. It's a bit difficult to when the author decided to call each one by different names; choose a name and STICK WITH IT.

When it comes down to it, I have a rule. When I read at night before I go to bed, if it feels more like a chore than a pleasurable experience, I start a different book. That ended up being the case with War and Peace.

[Desolation]

I couldn't stand War and Peace. However, I'm currently reading Anna Karenina, and I'm loving it, so I'd recomend giving it a try. It starts out slow, the first hundred pages or so are just setting up the stroy, and can be kind trying, but it gets better.

As far as atmosphere goes, Anna Karenina is kind of like a nice walk in the rain, while War and Peace was more along the lines of licking sand-paper.

[Emil Miller]

I really don't see the point in struggling to read something unless it is part of a study course which must be read. There is nothing to be ashamed of in admitting that the book isn't doing anything for you even though it's touted as a literary classic. I have read some pretty monumental works in the past but only because I wanted to, the fact that War and Peace isn't one of them doesn't worry me in the slightest. Many people will read it and find it a fascinating read but it doesn't follow that everyone will.

[Mr.lucifer]

Your own opinion of a book should more important to you than anyone else.

[OrphanPip]

Anna Karenina is definitely an easier read. I found War and Peace tedious at times too, but I absolutely loved Anna Karenina. I have a feeling it might have been the translation, or maybe the subject matter. I did manage to finish W&P though.

[*Classic*Charm*]

I haven't attempted the novel yet, but I know that the film version was the most boring three and a half hours of my life. Even Audrey Hepburn couldn't save it. It's made me really reluctant to pick up the novel.

[dfloyd]

War and Peace, Resurrection, Anna Karenina, and his autobiographical work: Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth; three novels which are generally bundled together. Tolstoy does not call his characters different names:he folows the Russian form of names - first name, patronymic, sir name, diminutive. This is common among the great Russian writer, and if you want to read them you have to understand this. Reading Russian authors is an acquired taste. If you don't like them,don't read them, but don't denigrate some of the worlds best literature because your not up to the task of reading them.

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

I had completed War and Peace several months back. For years I had heard the phrase; "It's not like you have to read War and Peace" in response to my grumblings when assigned a chore.
Those words resounded in my head for all these years.
That's it! I am going to read it by God.
It was a struggle at times, but I eventually finished.
If for nothing else, I can now proudly proclaim that I have read War and Peace!

Gilliatt

[chum]

War and Peace, Resurrection, Anna Karenina, and his autobiographical work: Childhood, Boyhood, and Youth; three novels which are generally bundled together. Tolstoy does not call his characters different names:he folows the Russian form of names - first name, patronymic, sir name, diminutive. This is common among the great Russian writer, and if you want to read them you have to understand this. Reading Russian authors is an acquired taste. If you don't like them,don't read them, but don't denigrate some of the worlds best literature because your not up to the task of reading them.

I do not think the OPs post was denigrating the work. He even stated the prose was good...it just was boring to him.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Yeah, I wasn't denigrating his work at all. It just gets confusing when there is a character called Prince Andrew who is also called Bolkonski on the very next page, and with him doing this with what seemed like a good third of the characters, it was very difficult to keep track. I also realize this is a failing of mine in comprehension, not really the authors fault, but it was frustrating.

And I may give Anna Kareninininina, a try. I would like to get one of Tolstoy's works under my belt.

[Joreads]

[QUOTE=Desolation;901975]I couldn't stand War and Peace. However, I'm currently reading Anna Karenina, and I'm loving it, so I'd recomend giving it a try. It starts out slow, the first hundred pages or so are just setting up the stroy, and can be kind trying, but it gets better.
QUOTE]

Couldn't agree more. I loved Anna Karenina but War and Peace on the other hand

[mal4mac]

Some pleasures are difficult! Part of the pleasure is in the difficulty! I'm struggling with Dante's Inferno at the moment, which requires reading the notes every few minutes, and doing some hard thinking most of the time. Not a choice for light bedtime reading, certainly, but definitely a choice for when you're up for a challenge. Sometimes I want to do the Times crossword puzzle, or something of equal difficulty, at other times I want to play ping pong, or relax with something equally easy. My ping-pong book at the moment is Huck Finn, but, wonderful as it is, I wouldn't want just a diet of Huck Finns!

I thought War & Peace was a great read. Some translations are easier going than others, so, rather than give up, why not try another translation? Some modern translators try and 'write Russian in English', which can make reading them feel like trying to solve the Times crossword puzzle. So you might want to find an earlier, domesticating translation - I recommend the Maude's for W & P - although you can find even easier ones that 'normalize' the names, abridge historical detail, and so on.

Some versions have list of characters in an appendix, with a quick reminder of who they are, and a short essay telling you how Russian names work, and why they keep changing depending on circumstances. That might be enough to get you over the name problem.

Never develop an opinion of a great novel from a film version. I avoid watching films of classics novels, at least until I have read the novel. The film is never as good as the novel, and sometimes incredibly bad. But, taken in the right spirit, even a clunker can be an amusement. Just make sure to laugh at the actors & script, not Tolstoy.

[prendrelemick]

I was going to say keep going, its worth it. But if you've read 200 pages and still not hooked you've probably done the right thing.

[blazeofglory]

I have tried war and peace several times and yet the book turned up very hard and I gave up on it. One of the difficulties in reading the book is to memorize the characters and there are too many characters and when I flip through several pages I feel lost and cannot synchronize.

Of course the book is great no matter whether it interests me or not and as a matter of fact that there are so many great books I cannot comprehend does not mean that they are great.

[victorianfan]

War and Peace is one of the most beautiful novels that I've ever read! I read it three times, so far. I also enjoyed the Russian movie Война и мир by Sergei Bondarchuk as well. I warmly recommend it to everyone.