War and Peace ....I'm compelled to read it

[mark waters]

Everybody is tempting me to read War and Peace. I don't even own the book. I have picked it up a few times at the book store, but put it back down. I'm actually considering reading it. Although, I keep making up excuses; sort of like lying to oneself. I can come up with millions of excuses for not reading it! I think I will go buy myself a copy this week; pick it up, and read it.

[EasyRead]

Everybody is tempting me to read War and Peace. I don't even own the book. I have picked it up a few times at the book store, but put it back down. I'm actually considering reading it. Although, I keep making up excuses; sort of like lying to oneself. I can come up with millions of excuses for not reading it! I think I will go buy myself a copy this week; pick it up, and read it.

These are my words also.......exactly

[nmstu]

I've been reading the Constance Garnett translation for about a month now and am on page 800. I dutifully bought the newest one by that couple first, but was put off by the huge amount of French at the beginning, so got another one. They may be great and everything, but I'm finding Garnett to be an easy read...and all in English! She tends to mention when a character is speaking in French. Don't worry about the names or the class system, just read and everything will make sense in a few hundred pages.

[Quark]

I started reading the novel a few days ago, but haven't settled on a translation either. I'm torn between the Maude version and the one by by Dole. The Maudes appear to have used fewer words and better diction, but the I like the rhythm of the Dole translation. I'm still a little split, but I think I'll stick with the Maude duo for now. Garnett's War and Peace is pretty common in bookstores and appears to be good as well, but I don't want to have to pay thirteen dollars for a book I could get at library. I suppose the one certain suggestion I can make is to avoid the Weiner translation which is filled with crabbed prose and clunky words.

[promtbr]

I have re-structured my 2009 reading plan and its now a toss up between War & Peace and In Search of Lost Time next (I should have my head examined for trying to read these two in sucession)...

Is the group read for W & P still a "go" starting Feb 1?

[promtbr]

OK, I see no recent response so I'm out. I am going to take on In Search of Lost Time instead. And since for some reason Proust isn't in the listed authors on this forum...(but writers like Ayn Rand are) ) I will take my leave...anon

[Melisande]

I started about 10 days ago - so count me in. I find I can't put it down. I've read Anna Karenina four times (and other Tolstoi too), but I wasn't prepared for how much I would love this book and feel compelled to continue. We're reading it aloud, my husband and I. I usually read the chapters to myself first, then I read aloud. We're already to book 4 - no way I could hold myself to four chapters a week. We are reading more like 4-5 chapters a day, but trying to slow down as now it seems it is a short book, rather than a long one!

Anyway, if anyone is also just reading for the first time - I'll be checking this thread. I have to say that I find it hard to recommend that anyone read anything else, just now!

[Logos]

.... And since for some reason Proust isn't in the listed authors on this forum...(but writers like Ayn Rand are) ) I will take my leave...anon

The "Forum" at this time does not have a "sub-forum" for Proust or Rand.

Discussion on Specific Authors & Books --> http://www.online-literature.com/for...lay.php?f=3156 but you can always start a thread on either in the General Literature section:

http://www.online-literature.com/for...isplay.php?f=4

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