I just started reading War and Peace 2 days ago. I ordered the 3 volume of Every Men’s Library because of your recommendation. I absolutely love it so far! Not sure why I never got it. Tolstoy writes in a way that is more immersive than even watching a movie. You smell and feel and see what he writes.I have read Anna Karenina 3 times in my life time so far. I have been binging on all your videos the past less than 2 weeks since I found you. You are so inspiring, thanks so much for all you do. 😊
I have that same three volume Everyman set :) I treasure those volumes! I'm so happy that you're enjoying it so far. You're so right about Tolstoy's writing being immersive. He's incredibly cinematic. You've put it perfectly - "You smell and feel and see what he writes." So true! Thank you so much for watching and reading with me, Adele :)
Thanks for the reply Benjamin, I feel honored. You are changing people’s life’s and building good karma for yourself. Because of your advise on this video I just got out one of my 1917 journals (I have many still packaged, I’m an avid journaler). I put it in zippered Garlen leather cover to carry with me, and I just started to journal what I read so far on War and Peace. I wish I would had done this years ago when I read Madame Bovary, Les Miserables, Picture of Dorian Grey, Anna Karenina and more. I fell in love with literature when I bumped into Anton Checov at around 21. My life was changed, but I suddenly stopped. I dabbled into contemporary books and I lost my love for reading. But now I found you like and angel from the sky, to get me back on track with what I truly love! Happy New Year 😊
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I've read the Everyman version and while I love the 3-book, superb way in which it was printed, I was disappointed by two things. I guess it's the case that Maude originally converted all the names to English and eliminated all the French. At some point some French was restored but not much and the names were kinda-sorta (not completely) restored to Russian names. I say kinda-sorta because Andrei is sometimes referred to as Andrew and sometimes as Andrei. In 2010, it seems, Amy Mandelker fixed these problems, restoring the French and fixing the name problems. My version of the Everyman is the middle version. Do you know if currently available versions have the more recent translation?
@Ben- So In volume 2, Rostov looses the money to Dolokhov and this happens mostly at new years eve as 3rd day after Christmas, Dolokhov is rejected by sonya and he throws going away party 2 days after the rejection. When Rostov pays the money and gets the receipt for it, he dosent meet anyone and leaves for Poland at the end of November. Does it take one year for this to happen or is it a translation mistake in penguin classic books. ( volume 2- Chapter 16- page 373)?? @Ben- i would love the insight as the timeline isnt fitting😊
As a student at the university with an unfully developed frontal lobe I set out to read War and Peace by signing up for Russian 101. That was oh so many years ago. I did it. Actually, I read it five or sex times in Russian, listened to the audio book, took a doctoral seminar on the book, taught the book a couple of times, and still love it. Perhaps it is time to read it again.
Hey man, I just wanted to say that your channel has made me discover SO many writers and, being a teacher, I find your way of explaining things and hyping up certain works quite inspirational to keep my students interested. Happy new year and good wishes from India!
Thank you so much! I’m honoured that you are sharing these discussions with your students :) Happy New Year to you too, and happy reading over in India, my friend 🇮🇳🙏
I first read War & Peace when I was 14 and I could not put it down (finished in under two weeks), it remains one of my favourite novels by one of my favourite authors. Following your video I have picked it up and settled in for an indulgent re-read.
Benjamin, my favorite insight of yours (and you’ve given me so many) is that “it’s not what a book brings to you, it’s what YOU bring to the book”. I’m 61 years old and reading War and Peace and Anna Karenina have brought back so many memories from MY own life (people and situations I haven’t thought about in years). BTW, I’ve discovered a site called “The Gutenberg Project”, most of the books you speak to are available their online for free. I like to listen to the free Libervox audio recordings on RUclips as I follow the text on the Gutenberg site. Instead of writing in the margins, I add to an online book report as I complete each chapter. I cut and paste in pictures, references from Wikipedia, etc as I do this. Thank you for all you do!
I'm 72 and excited about reading this book. I'm just a few chapters in (Maude version). Reading both an actual book and also the Project Gutenberg version (also Maude)
Righto. I’m going to listen to this video on my morning walk in a few minutes as I set off. However, just wanted to say that you inspired me to read this huge book and I started on 4 Dec. I’m 720 pages in and the book is AWESOME. I had no idea that it was like this. The characters are endearing yet also incredibly frustrating in their own way, but you end up understanding their actions. You see a little bit of yourself in every one of the main characters. I’ve been loving War & Peace and picking it up because it immerses me straight away. I look forward to it. It’s now like a big dog-eared, tagged, friend that sits beside me. It’s in my hand bag that I take with me and read on the train, in cafes, in waiting rooms much to the surprise of others on their phones. It starts conversations too. Thank you for the inspiration and recommendation. This is going to be one of my most memorable goals of 2023.
I love your comparison of W&P to a companion and how it becomes a converstation starter. Read this decades ago in school, and now, inspired by Benjamin, Im going to pick up my old dusty pb copy. Cheers!
I read War and Peace in the 80's. I should read it again to refresh my soul. Always enjoy your fervor and enthusiasm for great literature. Fabulous content!
Just finished War & Peace over my maternity leave...totally blown away by it. One of the best pieces of literature I have ever read. The characters are so incredibly realistic and vivid. Thank you for your videos which have helped rekindle a love of reading in my life!
I'm reading War and Peace in audiobook format and text on my Kindle simultaneously. It's the Maude translation on both because I couldn't find the Briggs translation (which I prefer) on audiobook. For me, the Maude translation is almost as good. My pace will start with 3 chapters per day and go to 6 or more chapters per day once the story take hold of me. Benjamin, thank you so much for your inspiring insights to these great works of literature. As an older reader my mind tends to wander when beginning reading a classic book, but starting with audiobooks and text together keeps me focused until I'm taken by the book. If others are have trouble getting into an older work of literature then try this method, it does make all the difference.
Wise advice! I also find it helps take root if I linger over the first chapter and then the first few chapters, re-reading them a few times. Then I'm "in" and it's easier!
In 1967 my new wife and I took turns reading War and Peace out loud before supper or washing dishes.I guess there is nothing like a young woman reading War and Peace out loud to you after months- for her also. It worked for 53 years. The Russian movie came to the US in 1968-9- it was about 6 hours here- worth watching. I thought of Edmund Burke in remark on sublime- Both are wonderful- and tell much about a life time and also the difference between the Russian Tolstoy and William James -tells a lot about conflicts today.- good comments
I just finished reading War and Peace on kindle yesterday. Still reeling from the power and depth of it, I started browsing today for shared experiences like my own and discovered this website. Now having now listened to your excellent guide for the past hour, I’ve decided to read it again. The depth and breadth of humanity in War and Peace strangely helps me view the times we live in and my own somewhat tumultuous past with new insights - worth taking more time to explore the novel more deeply. Thank you for your website both for your own very helpful guidance and suggestions and also for other readers’ shared experience with this awesome masterpiece.
Encountered this great book over 60 years ago as a young person, today upon hearing your moving introduction, I most likely will read it again, this time in English for sure. Sincerely, I thank you Benjamin.
Your channel is one of my favorite RUclips channels. Thank you for making incredibly awesome long form content. I'm so sick of watching 7 min videos...just long enough for people to give very surface explanations. In your videos, you take us all the way out into the deep end of the literary pool. Stay awesome!
Thank you so much, Nick. That means so much to me! Like you, I was hungering for long-form content. Part of what inspired me to make these videos :) I appreciate you being here, my friend! Stay awesome too :)
Happy 2023 Ben !! Started reading "War & Peace" promptly from Jan 01, 2023...... Pacing about 25 pages a day.... I have consciously slowed myself down to do my research, understand the backdrop, place the characters, copy some brilliant prose sections... 6 -7 weeks should give me enough time to ensure a deep read..... I am proceeding with the Maude translation...
I am done reading with 'War & Peace' today.... Thank You Ben.... but for you I would not have read this great book....I have done myself a great favour....
Just finished reading War and Peace for the first time and loved it a lot! I really appreciated your tips for getting started, and after taking lots of notes on the characters in the beginning, I became immersed and was able to read fluently, and happily. I enjoyed the history lesson and was intrigued by the many parallels to our world today. However, the last 30 pages were a struggle, and I probably would need to really study that again to have a firm understanding. Thanks for your inspiration
Dear Benjamin, your podcast, Hardcore Literature is a listening habit with me now. It not only takes me back into a world of great literature, but it helps me sort out my own life. Happy 2023! God bless you!
There are so many "bigger than life" moments in Anna Karenina that make you feel ascendant. Levin returning from hay works and seeing Kitty is one of my favourite, most heart twisting moments in all of literature. I am looking forward to seeing how Tolstoy gives "Great" a new meaning yet again with War And Peace. And how this "Great" will turn from meaning into a feeling. Thank you for the video!
That’s one of my favourites too! I actually have that marked in my battered copy and I return to it whenever I reread the novel :) Thank you so much for watching, and I’m so keen to hear your thoughts on W&P!
I think my favorite thing about your videos is how positive you are toward these works and their authors. Even when you bring up what some may call flaws you still tell us why you love that flaw. Not saying criticism isn't necessary, but in doing so you let us make our minds up about the books. I started War and Peace and Les Miserables around the same time(I know) but I'm greatly enjoying taking my time with both. Keep up the great work
@@Yesica1993 see what happened was that I realized Les Miserables, War and Peace, and A Tale of Two Cities all revolve around a crazy time in this world and I want to read all of them. So far I'm not disappointed
Hi Benjamin, thank you for all you do. You have rekindled the love of reading for me and truly are the literary torch bearer of this generation. Keep up the great work n wish you a great 2023!
I started War and Peace a few days ago and I definitely would find it difficult to read slowly - it is too fun to not pick it up and read more. It has been making laugh and the characters feel so real. So excited for the lectures to begin!
Nice one on starting War and Peace, Leah! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it. There are so many moments that make me laugh and put a smile on my face too!
Thank you for this insightful and delightful (that rhymes!) elucidation of ways to immerse oneself and discover the pleasures of this amazing book. I began reading War and Peace just a few days ago and was actually surprised at how much I have fallen in love with his power to bring characters alive, from the outside (the description of various smiles, gestures, etc.) inward (the way you get to see just how the character is feeling and thinking at each moment) and from the inside outward. Many decades ago, the sheer number of names daunted me --- I myself in my ability to fulfill my own promises and views of the world, wasn't ready to experience the book. What a triumph it is to find the Hardcore Literature Book Club and especially you! The passion and descriptive accuracy of your expressions as you bring these great books to us is a Total Joy! By the way, I am looking up each word I don't understand and writing the definition in the margin, plus also reading the 11th volume of Will (and Ariel) Durant's History of Civilization, The Age of Napoleon whilst reading War and Peace. About joining officially the book Club: I myself (turning 80 on March 1st but still glowing with the child of 8 within and creating music in the Grand Tradition of classical music but spiced with contemporary touches, paintings in styles from impressionistic, super-realism and abstract, poems about the very preciousness of life and the ironies withal, a novel and a non-fiction book, and happily married to a great man --- and we've gone through thick and thin, but we grow with the experience and the challenges) well, enough about myself, I WILL JOIN your patreon bunch as soon as I can, but it's been a bit meager financially but This Will Change. I intend until I can join your Club officially, to purchase each book you have scheduled for this year 2023, read each, listening intently to your tips and insights and then --- Happy Day! ---- I will someday be able to Join!! Thank you more than words can say, Carol Worthey
Hello Benjamin! I just joined the Hardcore Literature Book Club to start the new year and I'm very excited! I stumbled upon your channel here and was completely hooked at how well you present the various topics and how wonderful your passion captivates the viewer. You got me hooked! I am a little bit unsure how well I'll do in reading these classic works given my schedule, but I decided to jump in and get started anyway. I'm about 200 pages into War and Peace and I am so grateful for diving in and becoming immersed. Without you, I would not have read this masterpiece or those to come on the 2023 list. So grateful to be in the club and looking forward to meeting people, learning, and sharing. All the best and Happy New Year Benjamin!
Yes, your description of the rewards of reading War and Peace is at once gratifying (as they mirror my own thoughts) and insightful. I had read War and Peace as an adolescent and found it amazing, but when I returned from the Vietnam war rather scarred and humbled by the heights and depths of human behavior, I reread the book and found it transcendent. For me, no other novel conveys so much on so many levels. I do not believe it would be published today, which is a commentary on our current state of literary sophistication (or lack thereof), and it is so much the worse for all of us that writers are browbeaten into writing within the narrow confines of modern publishing strictures (with some exceptions). Nonetheless, we still have access to great novels like War and Peace thanks to people like yourself who appreciate and share such important views to others so that these books may continue to live and breathe. Thank you for your good work.
Your energy and enthusiasm about literature and books are so contagious. Your content is superb. You are helping other people to rediscover themselves through books . THANK YOU !
I fell in love Tolstoy's writing.His writing resonates with me in a way I cannot put into words. His characters are so flawed and complex. I cannot wait to reread this with you
I first read War and Peace in high school and have re read it at least ten time throughout my life. Each time I discover something new that speaks to some different experience. The characters are more real than some people I know.
You’ve convinced me to finally dive in after it sitting on my shelf for over a decade. I think I’ll start with a chapter a day and assume I’ll get it read by then of 2023.
I read War and Peace over my 2022 college Christmas break (I'm 19 currently) and I feel in love with this story, I'm not 100% sure if it's my favorite book of all time, but it's getting up there the more I think about it. After my grandma gave me the book for my 19th birthday in 2022, I was excited but also scared of the book, not sure why as I read tons of fantasy and sci fi books that were the same length or longer (like The Wheel of Time or Dune or C.S. Lewis' Space trilogy and Brandon Sanderson books). But I never touched it until that moment. And what a journey it was, Tolstoy's writing felt as if God himself wrote this book and showed me the effects of what war does to the human spirit. War can change you but also enrich you as a person. Bringing out who you really are, or sometimes forcing your character core to change (for soldiers and society at large). All the characters were interesting, but Andrey and Pierre were the best IMO. They shall remain two of my all-time favorite characters in any piece of fiction. The battles were all so epic and gut wrenching, I could feel just how brutal and horrible it was through the text alone, that shows you the power of words. If you have not read this book yet, I highly encourage you to. It is fantastic. If you're like me, (that includes the fantasy and sci fi thing I said) I shall quote Michael K Vaughan "If you can read these giant Brandon Sanderson epics you can certainly get through this". Great book, definitely read it.
The suggestion to watch Lucy Wolsey’s documentaries on Russian history was the biggest help! I knew pretty much nothing of it and now I have a bit of context for War and Peace. Thank you!
I’m currently reading Anna Karenina, which you inspired me following your videos. Your videos are so educational. The goal this year is to read slow and absorb instead of focusing on how many books I get through. Quality over quantity is the goal for 2023. Thank you again for your wonderful videos. 🙌😊
I’m so happy to hear you’re reading Anna Karenina. Such a beautiful work. Your goal of quality over quantity is a brilliant one! The very first time I consciously made the shift to do that, I ended up having the best reading year of my life! Happy reading, and happy New Year!
I'm glad I studied this book in school. It remained well preserved in my memory. But thanks to you I would like to read it again to see it from another perspective, as an adult. Thank you for your advices and happy new year!
This was so good, and I echo what you said about breaking things down in chunks. This is how I got through grad school and how I plan on reading a book a week this year. It makes it so doable that I regret not applying the same principle to other areas in my life in the past. With War and Peace, I am embracing the idea that this may take as long as a year given the other reading I have planned, but I've always wanted to read it, and this is how it will get done.
I read this book for the first time in 6th grade. Yes I was a complete nerd. I saw the BBC miniseries with Anthony Hopkins as Pierre and fell in love with the book. NOBODY is a better Sonya than Joanna David [a terrific actress]. The version I had in 6th grade was only 800 pages. It is to this day my all time favorite book! I now have two versions: signet at about 1500 pages with no French translation as I can tell. The other one is the the 3 volume HB which I think is an Everyman. I am initially using the Signet.... In love all over again!!
I am new to the Hardcore Literature community. I am very excited though and am really enjoying War and Peace. Tolstoy is intimidating to pick up…once I did, however, I am thoroughly loving it! His writing style keeps me interested and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Happy to have found your channel. ☺️
I was wondering when your next video would be out. I just listened to the podcast episode about The Crucible last week, and it is my first reading in 2023! I am so excited because to me the movie is incredible. And now this video is a treat 😊 Thank you so much and happy new year, Ben!!! Love from Vietnam
Not me having just reconfigured my ”read at least a page” daily goal on Habitica as ”read War & Peace for 15 min” 😅 Been at it since 2021 and it’s time to get it done.
I jokingly tell people who ask what the gist of the story is because they don't want to invest the time reading it themselves "Napoleon invades Russia. Fails. Pierre marries Natasha. And a bunch of other stuff in-between" 😆
Always rewarding to hear you. Read War in Peace in 1999 during my military service. I still retain an incredible amount of impressions from this monumental work.
I took your advice and found an entrance to War and Peace by way of The Picture-Story of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace by Bernard Geis. 1956 I also found a collection of short stories and read The Snow Storm while northern Wisconsin was pummeled with snow. Thank you so much for this channel. 2023 is going to be a rich and wonderful year for me thanks to great literature!!
Fascinating: maturation is a process of imagination atrophying. I have felt this but never put it in words. I think this is what reading fantasy helps shake loose. I have a natural aversion to fantasy now that I’m older (60’s) but recently watched a bunch of Game of Thrones highlight videos, and the world seems a bit more interesting now. Somehow one needs to engage creativity and possibilities. Something to think about.
I just stumbled upon your channel and what a joy it is! I am reading Anna Karenina and have not started War and Peace yet but I am excited to do so now more than ever!
I'll make sure to read about the Napoleonic Wars and other relevant history before digging into War and Peace. I like to know the historical contexts of books I read. That piece of advice was especially helpful! Thank you!
Benjamin, you have outdone yourself with this video. I read the Everyman/Maude version and hope to start re-reading using the Pevear/Vollokonsky version this month. Thanks for this video.
I read W&P last spring with my best friend and it was an unforgettable experience! Prince Andrey is now one of my favourite characters of all time, alongside Levin and Oblonski; Great video as always, happy new year ben!!
That sounds like such a magical reading experience. He's absolutely one of my favourite characters too. I find myself identifying with him on many levels! Thank you so much for watching, Julia :) Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
Happy new year! You have basically gotten me from never reading a book to working my way joyfully through blood meridian and the sound and the fury, this one is on my list for next year!
I love your channel so much, I stared reading more in 2022, especially classics and your channel is amazing! Everytime I watch one of your videos, there's something about them that inspires me to just jump in and read some of the books I've had on my mind, it could be your accent, the passion you put into making these videos, the amount of knowledge you have on the topics you discuss or all 3 of these. Last month, I picked up Moby Dick after seeing how much you like the book and I love it so much! Thanks you for everything you're doing and I wish you nothing but the best!
I've read this book 10 times! 10 times!!!!🤯🤪 The best read was the 10th sitting, took me only a month, it was like watching one of the greatest Hollywood films ever produced, because I knew the story by heart, and my visualisations of the characters were awesome. I saw major Hollywood actors in mostly all the characters and it made for great reading experiences. Next time you read this book try visualizing Cary Elwes as Prince Andrei, young Keanu Reeves as Nikolai Rostov, young Mel Gibson as Pierre(this actor being such a religious stoic, makes the character just lift off the pages especially during the free mason chapters and his spiritual awakenings during the Moscow occupation 1812), Patrick Stewart as Prince Vasili Kuragin(OMG this was like perfect actor for this character), and so many more. I may just have to read this book again for an 11th time to enjoy the grand movie experience of pages.
You know, it’s not helpful to ask people to imagine characters the way you see them. The whole beauty of literature is everyone gets to meet the characters on their own terms and with their own imagination.
I am currently reading it ( finally I found an edition I fell in love with, and it smells amazing, very important haha ). For me it feels like watching a play on a stage in my mind. He does mention the word "stage" quite a lot, and it gives me a whole new perception on this story, with so many more meanings and depth. I hope I explained myself well,since English is not my first language. Also, you are the most inspiring person, and you manage to transfer a piece of your passion on us viewers as well. Thank you for that.
Hello! Would like to express my appreciation for your videos! I have recently discovered your channel and am enthralled by how substantial the literature you discuss is! Thanks for all the videos :)
One cannot talk about adaptations of War and Peace without mentioning the Broadway pop opera Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812. It's only based on a section of the source, but it is so incredible and knowing the musical has helped me follow the plot of War and Peace much more easily. Many of the lyrics are directly lifted from Tolstoy, which gives it an immersive narrative style I absolutely love.
There’s two types of war and peace fans: people that are reading it for the masterpiece of literature, and people who heard about it from the musical. I am the latter, and I’m so excited! Don’t worry, I’m also an avid reader and I’m about to start tonight!
Great timing, sir. I just started reading this as a Christmas gift to myself. I look forward to hearing more of your insights on this and I thank you for the tips you’ve kindly included here. Cheers!
I was on holiday in Bali with my copy of War and Peace by the pool. This guy went by with his girlfriend, saw the book, and whispered to her: "He's reading War and Peace," in the way someone would say "He's climbing Everest."
These videos are superb. Thank you so much. You’ve helped me read so many classics and taught me so much. I feel a greater sense of being alive and I am craving to go deeper into the rich world of literature. I’m working to revive a sense of passion in the history of literature and philosophy in the dramatic arts and these videos have been a great help to me… I’m just about to start War and Peace. I was slightly lost at sea with Moby Dick but loved Don Quixote. Thank you. Thank you. I will recommend you to all students I work with and anyone else. Morgan (The Base Creates)
Ben, took your advice and read 15 minutes a day for about two months. Well worth it. Woody Allen said he took an Evelyn Wood speed reading course, went home, read War and Peace in 45 minutes. Later, he could only remember that it was a novel about Russia.😅 Seriously your advice is good. Reading Anna Kareina these days. Same technique. 😉
Excellent summation, if this doesn't make people try this wonderful book then I have no idea what would. I have at the age of 70 just finished reading it for the third time. I always jot down the main characters on a sheet of A4 as that way I don't have to go backward and forward in the book I can just glance at the paper. I do this with all large books whether it be Tolstoy or Grossmann.
Love this video man; War and Peace has been looming over me for a long time; I am going to deploy the “chapter a day” philosophy to supplement my other reading! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you so much, Shane! I'm thrilled to hear you're going to deploy the chapter-a-day approach. Such a brilliant way to experience War and Peace. I can't wait to hear what you make of Tolstoy's masterpiece!
Sounds like the same mistake I made on my first read. I was (and still am) simply not sharp enough to pick up the book’s full meaning into deep philosophy, history, life lessons, and anything else, even down to its plot in such a short time span. It’d definitely entertain me though. But did you fully absorb what the book and Tolstoy wants you to know?
What did you get from it? Could you please help me understand part 2 of the epilogue? I think i could take another year to reread just this part of the book.
I have noticed that the the way the book is organised (volumes, chapters) depends on the edition/language. In Romanian, for example, it is organised differently, în several parts (I have counted 7 so far). That is why it is nice to have multiple editions of the same book, or even the same book in various languages, if you can read those languages, of course. Love your channel, love the books you suggest! Keep up the good work! 🤗
Hey, found your channel last week and got kind of addicted. Thank you for being such an inspiration, I finally picked up war and peace and tried this slow reading, but somehow I can't stop reading 😅. Really looking forward to more of your videos.
I’m amazed how readable this from the beginning this is. I’ve always thought a book like this was always boring for the first couple hundred pages. Not this novel- I have high hopes for it now.
A fun way to read the battle scenes in War and Peace is to pair it with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Listening to Overture (with canons) while reading the battle of Austerlitz or Borodino is game changer. Good review and recommendations!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks Ben. In your opinion if I had to make a deep reading goal, should I start with "War and Peace" or "Middlemarch". I know it's a subjective opinion but I wanted your take. Thanks!
@@30secondsflat That's a difficult one. I love them both so much. Do you have a preference for English vs Russian Literature? Because that could very well sway the decision!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I don’t think I have a preference either way. I think right now I’m looking for literature that emphasizes the complexities of people’s inner life, and not necessarily the grand sweeping scope of how people are caught up in history. I don’t know if I’ve made that more or less difficult, as I know you can say both of them fit the criteria :)
I just finished this for the first time a few days ago and loved it. I read the Oxford world's classics paperback. Knowing that I will read it many more times over the years I bought the Everyman's Library hardcover set, which is both beautiful and reasonably priced. I gave my 17 year old daughter the Oxford paperback because I wouldn't stop talking about it and she wanted to give it a read.
Congratulations on finishing this incredible masterpiece :) I have that same Everyman's Library set and I agree it really is so beautiful. It's so fantastic that you inspired your daughter to read Tolstoy's great work too!
Magnificent guidance & additional materials. You are a prince - thank you so very much for this exceptional work! War and Peace will be a much greater experience for me personally - thanks to your willingness to educate.
Thank you again, Benjamin, for your meticulously divergent, (albeit permeated with healthy insights), of presentations, upon which genuine interest in a story is fanned into flame and developed; where every golden inspiration is conceived, nurtured and judiciously made use of in its exact place, as though by a geometric divider!
As I said yesterday while mentioning my acute partiality to the works of Charles Dickens, I am nonetheless quite ready to take on hitherto unexplored literary horizons, (incidentally, not without the aid of knapsack, compass and walking stick on my trek, so to speak!), particularly on the subject of Leo Tolstoy's famous novel. On that note then, I shall obtain a copy of "War And Peace", bearing in mind your recommendations concerning the better translation versions of that novel from Russian to English. I once studied a smattering of the Ukrainian Language, enough to realize though that like Russian, it consists in many instances of enormously subtle meanings, reflections and interactions, thereby rendering its translations by unskilled interpreters dubious, obscure and to say nothing of confusing, to readers. On the contrary however, it seems that I needn't concern myself with that particular consideration as excellent translations have already been not only fully accomplished but indeed honed to perfection since his lifetime. To work, I'm off!
Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful video. Finding your series has given me the push I needed to delve into some of these more "unapproachable" authors (what I thought) such as Tolstoy. (I've had a copy of this book since 2017 when I watched Natacha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway but never read it. I do find myself already thinking of the characters as friends based on my love for the musical though.) I quickly read The Death of Ivan Ilyich this morning as I was starting War & Peace and fell in love immediately with Tolstoy and his writing style and voice. I am so excited for this journey.
After struggling while reading the Briggs and Maude translations, and I decided to finally break down and try the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation and it has made all the difference. I personally like the literal French language with the translation footnotes and enjoy the authenticity. I now actually look forward to reading War and Peace everyday. I enjoy this translation a lot.
I have my Maude translation of War and Peace beside me. I've read a chapter or two already and look forward to daily readings for the next 6 weeks. What a joy to be consumed by a great book.
Since the beginning of December twenty pages a day. But I love the richness of the language, the extensive number of characters and the history of the battles contained within the epic.
Hi Benjamin. Just joined the HCBC. War and peace and brothers K were both on my TBR for this year so it’s like things aligned perfectly when I came across your channel. I am so excited to deep read these novels in addition to your lecture series and insight.
Reading 'War & Peace,' one gets a feeling that one is not reading a novel or a large tome; it is more like watching a grand movie. Tolstoy's eyes, mind, philosophical perspectives, humanistic bent and epic writerly talents observe everything, give a form of words to his thoughts resulting in a kind of prose that just flows. The challenge I am facing right now is the need to remember the characters and their relationships with one another and War & Peace has an unusual profusion of characters. Russians have long original names with unique family names and short pet names. Tolstoy keeps using the names interchangeably in descriptions and conversations creating a maze. A way out of this is to be patient and keep going back to family trees to fix the characters in mind. Once this is done the pace of reading improves and the way the novel begins to play out gives one a feeling of awe. One realizes that one is in contact with something very profound and magnificent. Now I have begun to understand the meaning and depth of Isaac Babel's comment: "If the world could write by itself, it would write like Tolstoy." Anna Karenina, Kruetzer's Sonata, Death of Ivan Illyich, Resurrection are great, but they revolve around limited characters and are more of moral explorations.... War & Peace on the other hand demands some understanding/knowledge of the mid and latter 18th century history of Central Europe.
Just recently discovered this podcast. I absolutely love the intellectual passion you convey. I haven't read "War and Peace yet but, like yourself, I'm crazy about "Anna Karenina" and "Middlemarch."
I read this novel a few years ago and loved it. I inhaled the thing within two months, that's how spellbound I was. People get scared of the length, but it's probably one of the most accessible doorstoppers I've ever come across. This video is making me want to revisit it.
I found a super clean, tabbed penguin classics copy at our local book resale shop for 50c today! Here I am to get your best tips - thanks for the great videos!
I first read War and Peace many years ago in my 20's, again in the 2010's--both times in the Edmonds translation, and at the beginning of the pandemic in the Maude translation ( which I liked more). After the third reading I almost started it again immediely!! This has happened to me with George Eliot also. Your advice about slowing down, marginalia, and Journaling is something I need to take to heart! I get too excited and just keep plunging ahead. The most recent reading made me very sympathetic to Tolstoy's depiction of Napoleon as a monster wreaking devastation not only on Russia, but Europe! By the way, Leonidas Pasternak--father of Boris Pasternak made beautiful illustrations, one of which is used for the cover of Edmonds' translation. The vivid characterizations and profound humanity of Tolstoy are deeply moving.
You're readings from the text and speaking on Russian history has me hooked. I want to read War and Peace so bad right now! I am extremely interested in the Lucy W. Documentary. I have to wait a little bit though, I am finishing up the Count of Monte Cristo currently, and I promised myself that my next long novel would be W&P. I'm so hyped right now it's hilarious 😂
Started reading it today, pacing myself for 30 pages a day. Thank you for this video! Reading the same copy my mother read back in the 90s :) EDIT: Done! I loved it :) Moving on to some smaller books primarily while slowly tackling and annotating Proust's Swann's Way in the background.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Leo Tolstoy was the greatest writer I have ever read!!!
I just started reading War and Peace 2 days ago. I ordered the 3 volume of Every Men’s Library because of your recommendation. I absolutely love it so far! Not sure why I never got it. Tolstoy writes in a way that is more immersive than even watching a movie. You smell and feel and see what he writes.I have read Anna Karenina 3 times in my life time so far. I have been binging on all your videos the past less than 2 weeks since I found you. You are so inspiring, thanks so much for all you do. 😊
I have that same three volume Everyman set :) I treasure those volumes! I'm so happy that you're enjoying it so far. You're so right about Tolstoy's writing being immersive. He's incredibly cinematic. You've put it perfectly - "You smell and feel and see what he writes." So true! Thank you so much for watching and reading with me, Adele :)
Thanks for the reply Benjamin, I feel honored. You are changing people’s life’s and building good karma for yourself. Because of your advise on this video I just got out one of my 1917 journals (I have many still packaged, I’m an avid journaler). I put it in zippered Garlen leather cover to carry with me, and I just started to journal what I read so far on War and Peace. I wish I would had done this years ago when I read Madame Bovary, Les Miserables, Picture of Dorian Grey, Anna Karenina and more. I fell in love with literature when I bumped into Anton Checov at around 21. My life was changed, but I suddenly stopped. I dabbled into contemporary books and I lost my love for reading. But now I found you like and angel from the sky, to get me back on track with what I truly love! Happy New Year 😊
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I've read the Everyman version and while I love the 3-book, superb way in which it was printed, I was disappointed by two things. I guess it's the case that Maude originally converted all the names to English and eliminated all the French. At some point some French was restored but not much and the names were kinda-sorta (not completely) restored to Russian names. I say kinda-sorta because Andrei is sometimes referred to as Andrew and sometimes as Andrei. In 2010, it seems, Amy Mandelker fixed these problems, restoring the French and fixing the name problems. My version of the Everyman is the middle version. Do you know if currently available versions have the more recent translation?
@@adele3002 fb. The yhrf
@Ben- So In volume 2, Rostov looses the money to Dolokhov and this happens mostly at new years eve as 3rd day after Christmas, Dolokhov is rejected by sonya and he throws going away party 2 days after the rejection. When Rostov pays the money and gets the receipt for it, he dosent meet anyone and leaves for Poland at the end of November. Does it take one year for this to happen or is it a translation mistake in penguin classic books. ( volume 2- Chapter 16- page 373)??
@Ben- i would love the insight as the timeline isnt fitting😊
As a student at the university with an unfully developed frontal lobe I set out to read War and Peace by signing up for Russian 101. That was oh so many years ago. I did it. Actually, I read it five or sex times in Russian, listened to the audio book, took a doctoral seminar on the book, taught the book a couple of times, and still love it. Perhaps it is time to read it again.
Hey man, I just wanted to say that your channel has made me discover SO many writers and, being a teacher, I find your way of explaining things and hyping up certain works quite inspirational to keep my students interested. Happy new year and good wishes from India!
Thank you so much! I’m honoured that you are sharing these discussions with your students :) Happy New Year to you too, and happy reading over in India, my friend 🇮🇳🙏
Most glad to hear that you're a teacher. May I say that we in this country need more dedicated ones like you!
Thank you for your time!
78 year old woman agrees just now, this holiday, took many hours with the War and Peace. CANADA❤
I first read War & Peace when I was 14 and I could not put it down (finished in under two weeks), it remains one of my favourite novels by one of my favourite authors. Following your video I have picked it up and settled in for an indulgent re-read.
как получилось так много читать, по скольку страниц в день
Потому что нужно было для школы, если летом не прочитали, приходилось читать во время учебного года за 2-3 недели ☺️
Benjamin, my favorite insight of yours (and you’ve given me so many) is that “it’s not what a book brings to you, it’s what YOU bring to the book”. I’m 61 years old and reading War and Peace and Anna Karenina have brought back so many memories from MY own life (people and situations I haven’t thought about in years).
BTW, I’ve discovered a site called “The Gutenberg Project”, most of the books you speak to are available their online for free. I like to listen to the free Libervox audio recordings on RUclips as I follow the text on the Gutenberg site. Instead of writing in the margins, I add to an online book report as I complete each chapter. I cut and paste in pictures, references from Wikipedia, etc as I do this. Thank you for all you do!
Great tips!
I'm 72 and excited about reading this book. I'm just a few chapters in (Maude version). Reading both an actual book and also the Project Gutenberg version (also Maude)
Righto. I’m going to listen to this video on my morning walk in a few minutes as I set off. However, just wanted to say that you inspired me to read this huge book and I started on 4 Dec. I’m 720 pages in and the book is AWESOME. I had no idea that it was like this. The characters are endearing yet also incredibly frustrating in their own way, but you end up understanding their actions. You see a little bit of yourself in every one of the main characters. I’ve been loving War & Peace and picking it up because it immerses me straight away. I look forward to it. It’s now like a big dog-eared, tagged, friend that sits beside me. It’s in my hand bag that I take with me and read on the train, in cafes, in waiting rooms much to the surprise of others on their phones. It starts conversations too. Thank you for the inspiration and recommendation. This is going to be one of my most memorable goals of 2023.
Hi, the same with me. I can't put it down. Just about to board a flight to Sydney from Auckland am looking forward to uninterrupted reading time
ditto, in to the second volume now. it's amazing.
@@irenejennings3747 enjoy! I carried mine back and forth from Canberra to Melbourne. Heavy hand luggage. 🤣
I love your comparison of W&P to a companion and how it becomes a converstation starter. Read this decades ago in school, and now, inspired by Benjamin, Im going to pick up my old dusty pb copy. Cheers!
I read War and Peace in the 80's. I should read it again to refresh my soul. Always enjoy your fervor and enthusiasm for great literature. Fabulous content!
Thank you, Brian! I really appreciate that :)
Just finished War & Peace over my maternity leave...totally blown away by it. One of the best pieces of literature I have ever read. The characters are so incredibly realistic and vivid. Thank you for your videos which have helped rekindle a love of reading in my life!
The Russians can really write characters.
I'm reading War and Peace in audiobook format and text on my Kindle simultaneously. It's the Maude translation on both because I couldn't find the Briggs translation (which I prefer) on audiobook. For me, the Maude translation is almost as good. My pace will start with 3 chapters per day and go to 6 or more chapters per day once the story take hold of me. Benjamin, thank you so much for your inspiring insights to these great works of literature. As an older reader my mind tends to wander when beginning reading a classic book, but starting with audiobooks and text together keeps me focused until I'm taken by the book. If others are have trouble getting into an older work of literature then try this method, it does make all the difference.
Wise advice! I also find it helps take root if I linger over the first chapter and then the first few chapters, re-reading them a few times. Then I'm "in" and it's easier!
Yes. I am 77. I read the text as I listen on audiobook
I also wanted the Briggs, but I couldn’t find an audio version.😢
In 1967 my new wife and I took turns reading War and Peace out loud before supper or washing dishes.I guess there is nothing like a young woman reading War and Peace out loud to you after months- for her also. It worked for 53 years. The Russian movie came to the US in 1968-9- it was about 6 hours here- worth watching. I thought of Edmund Burke in remark on sublime- Both are wonderful- and tell much about a life time and also the difference between the Russian Tolstoy and William James -tells a lot about conflicts today.- good comments
I just finished reading War and Peace on kindle yesterday. Still reeling from the power and depth of it, I started browsing today for shared experiences like my own and discovered this website. Now having now listened to your excellent guide for the past hour, I’ve decided to read it again. The depth and breadth of humanity in War and Peace strangely helps me view the times we live in and my own somewhat tumultuous past with new insights - worth taking more time to explore the novel more deeply.
Thank you for your website both for your own very helpful guidance and suggestions and also for other readers’ shared experience with this awesome masterpiece.
Encountered this great book over 60 years ago as a young person, today upon hearing your moving introduction, I most likely will read it again, this time in English for sure. Sincerely, I thank you Benjamin.
I’m so happy to hear that, Rosalind :) I’d love to hear your thoughts upon rereading this great book! Thank you so much for being here 😊
Your channel is one of my favorite RUclips channels. Thank you for making incredibly awesome long form content. I'm so sick of watching 7 min videos...just long enough for people to give very surface explanations. In your videos, you take us all the way out into the deep end of the literary pool. Stay awesome!
Thank you so much, Nick. That means so much to me! Like you, I was hungering for long-form content. Part of what inspired me to make these videos :) I appreciate you being here, my friend! Stay awesome too :)
The shorts are what’s awful. They’re like gumdrops when you need a steak!
Happy 2023 Ben !! Started reading "War & Peace" promptly from Jan 01, 2023...... Pacing about 25 pages a day.... I have consciously slowed myself down to do my research, understand the backdrop, place the characters, copy some brilliant prose sections... 6 -7 weeks should give me enough time to ensure a deep read..... I am proceeding with the Maude translation...
Your videos are astounding. The content, undoubtedly, but more so the passion you dedicate to each work and author. Very inspiring!
Aw, thank you so much :) That means the world to me!
Just wanted to comment - don't ever stop making these videos
This channel is everything ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am done reading with 'War & Peace' today.... Thank You Ben.... but for you I would not have read this great book....I have done myself a great favour....
Congratulations on reading War and Peace, Vishweshwer! You should be so proud of yourself. Extraordinary reading accomplishment right there :)
Just finished reading War and Peace for the first time and loved it a lot! I really appreciated your tips for getting started, and after taking lots of notes on the characters in the beginning, I became immersed and was able to read fluently, and happily. I enjoyed the history lesson and was intrigued by the many parallels to our world today.
However, the last 30 pages were a struggle, and I probably would need to really study that again to have a firm understanding.
Thanks for your inspiration
Dear Benjamin, your podcast, Hardcore Literature is a listening habit with me now. It not only takes me back into a world of great literature, but it helps me sort out my own life. Happy 2023! God bless you!
Thank you so much, Lisa :) Your kind words have made my day. Happy New Year, and God bless to you too!
There are so many "bigger than life" moments in Anna Karenina that make you feel ascendant. Levin returning from hay works and seeing Kitty is one of my favourite, most heart twisting moments in all of literature. I am looking forward to seeing how Tolstoy gives "Great" a new meaning yet again with War And Peace. And how this "Great" will turn from meaning into a feeling. Thank you for the video!
That’s one of my favourites too! I actually have that marked in my battered copy and I return to it whenever I reread the novel :) Thank you so much for watching, and I’m so keen to hear your thoughts on W&P!
So happy to see someone mention that moment
I think my favorite thing about your videos is how positive you are toward these works and their authors. Even when you bring up what some may call flaws you still tell us why you love that flaw.
Not saying criticism isn't necessary, but in doing so you let us make our minds up about the books.
I started War and Peace and Les Miserables around the same time(I know) but I'm greatly enjoying taking my time with both. Keep up the great work
@@Yesica1993 see what happened was that I realized Les Miserables, War and Peace, and A Tale of Two Cities all revolve around a crazy time in this world and I want to read all of them. So far I'm not disappointed
This speaker is a wonderfully clever man,a high brow individual,a distinguished gentleman, I need a mentor like this
You're so kind! Thank you, my friend. I appreciate you ☺️
Hi Benjamin, thank you for all you do. You have rekindled the love of reading for me and truly are the literary torch bearer of this generation. Keep up the great work n wish you a great 2023!
Thank you so much, Payal. That is incredibly kind of you. I'm so happy you're here reading with me :) Wishing you a very Happy New Year, my friend!
I started War and Peace a few days ago and I definitely would find it difficult to read slowly - it is too fun to not pick it up and read more. It has been making laugh and the characters feel so real. So excited for the lectures to begin!
Nice one on starting War and Peace, Leah! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it. There are so many moments that make me laugh and put a smile on my face too!
I have been putting off reading war and peace for years and just saw your list so I decided to follow along. Thank you for pushing us.
And the journey begins! Great way to start the year. Thanks Ben!
Thank you for this insightful and delightful (that rhymes!) elucidation of ways to immerse oneself and discover the pleasures of this amazing book. I began reading War and Peace just a few days ago and was actually surprised at how much I have fallen in love with his power to bring characters alive, from the outside (the description of various smiles, gestures, etc.) inward (the way you get to see just how the character is feeling and thinking at each moment) and from the inside outward. Many decades ago, the sheer number of names daunted me --- I myself in my ability to fulfill my own promises and views of the world, wasn't ready to experience the book. What a triumph it is to find the Hardcore Literature Book Club and especially you! The passion and descriptive accuracy of your expressions as you bring these great books to us is a Total Joy! By the way, I am looking up each word I don't understand and writing the definition in the margin, plus also reading the 11th volume of Will (and Ariel) Durant's History of Civilization, The Age of Napoleon whilst reading War and Peace. About joining officially the book Club: I myself (turning 80 on March 1st but still glowing with the child of 8 within and creating music in the Grand Tradition of classical music but spiced with contemporary touches, paintings in styles from impressionistic, super-realism and abstract, poems about the very preciousness of life and the ironies withal, a novel and a non-fiction book, and happily married to a great man --- and we've gone through thick and thin, but we grow with the experience and the challenges) well, enough about myself, I WILL JOIN your patreon bunch as soon as I can, but it's been a bit meager financially but This Will Change. I intend until I can join your Club officially, to purchase each book you have scheduled for this year 2023, read each, listening intently to your tips and insights and then --- Happy Day! ---- I will someday be able to Join!! Thank you more than words can say, Carol Worthey
Hello Benjamin! I just joined the Hardcore Literature Book Club to start the new year and I'm very excited! I stumbled upon your channel here and was completely hooked at how well you present the various topics and how wonderful your passion captivates the viewer. You got me hooked! I am a little bit unsure how well I'll do in reading these classic works given my schedule, but I decided to jump in and get started anyway. I'm about 200 pages into War and Peace and I am so grateful for diving in and becoming immersed. Without you, I would not have read this masterpiece or those to come on the 2023 list. So grateful to be in the club and looking forward to meeting people, learning, and sharing. All the best and Happy New Year Benjamin!
Yes, your description of the rewards of reading War and Peace is at once gratifying (as they mirror my own thoughts) and insightful. I had read War and Peace as an adolescent and found it amazing, but when I returned from the Vietnam war rather scarred and humbled by the heights and depths of human behavior, I reread the book and found it transcendent. For me, no other novel conveys so much on so many levels. I do not believe it would be published today, which is a commentary on our current state of literary sophistication (or lack thereof), and it is so much the worse for all of us that writers are browbeaten into writing within the narrow confines of modern publishing strictures (with some exceptions). Nonetheless, we still have access to great novels like War and Peace thanks to people like yourself who appreciate and share such important views to others so that these books may continue to live and breathe. Thank you for your good work.
Your energy and enthusiasm about literature and books are so contagious. Your content is superb. You are helping other people to rediscover themselves through books . THANK YOU !
I fell in love Tolstoy's writing.His writing resonates with me in a way I cannot put into words. His characters are so flawed and complex. I cannot wait to reread this with you
I first read War and Peace in high school and have re read it at least ten time throughout my life. Each time I discover something new that speaks to some different experience. The characters are more real than some people I know.
You’ve convinced me to finally dive in after it sitting on my shelf for over a decade. I think I’ll start with a chapter a day and assume I’ll get it read by then of 2023.
I’m thrilled to hear that! The chapter-a-day approach is a lovely way to experience War and Peace! I’d love to hear what you make of it, Liz :)
I read War and Peace over my 2022 college Christmas break (I'm 19 currently) and I feel in love with this story, I'm not 100% sure if it's my favorite book of all time, but it's getting up there the more I think about it. After my grandma gave me the book for my 19th birthday in 2022, I was excited but also scared of the book, not sure why as I read tons of fantasy and sci fi books that were the same length or longer (like The Wheel of Time or Dune or C.S. Lewis' Space trilogy and Brandon Sanderson books). But I never touched it until that moment. And what a journey it was, Tolstoy's writing felt as if God himself wrote this book and showed me the effects of what war does to the human spirit. War can change you but also enrich you as a person. Bringing out who you really are, or sometimes forcing your character core to change (for soldiers and society at large). All the characters were interesting, but Andrey and Pierre were the best IMO. They shall remain two of my all-time favorite characters in any piece of fiction. The battles were all so epic and gut wrenching, I could feel just how brutal and horrible it was through the text alone, that shows you the power of words. If you have not read this book yet, I highly encourage you to. It is fantastic. If you're like me, (that includes the fantasy and sci fi thing I said) I shall quote Michael K Vaughan "If you can read these giant Brandon Sanderson epics you can certainly get through this". Great book, definitely read it.
The suggestion to watch Lucy Wolsey’s documentaries on Russian history was the biggest help! I knew pretty much nothing of it and now I have a bit of context for War and Peace. Thank you!
I'm so glad you found it helpful, Andrea! She's great :)
Excellent suggestion. Thank you
I’m currently reading Anna Karenina, which you inspired me following your videos. Your videos are so educational. The goal this year is to read slow and absorb instead of focusing on how many books I get through. Quality over quantity is the goal for 2023. Thank you again for your wonderful videos. 🙌😊
I’m so happy to hear you’re reading Anna Karenina. Such a beautiful work. Your goal of quality over quantity is a brilliant one! The very first time I consciously made the shift to do that, I ended up having the best reading year of my life! Happy reading, and happy New Year!
I'm glad I studied this book in school. It remained well preserved in my memory. But thanks to you I would like to read it again to see it from another perspective, as an adult. Thank you for your advices and happy new year!
This was so good, and I echo what you said about breaking things down in chunks. This is how I got through grad school and how I plan on reading a book a week this year. It makes it so doable that I regret not applying the same principle to other areas in my life in the past. With War and Peace, I am embracing the idea that this may take as long as a year given the other reading I have planned, but I've always wanted to read it, and this is how it will get done.
I read this book for the first time in 6th grade. Yes I was a complete nerd. I saw the BBC miniseries with Anthony Hopkins as Pierre and fell in love with the book. NOBODY is a better Sonya than Joanna David [a terrific actress]. The version I had in 6th grade was only 800 pages. It is to this day my all time favorite book! I now have two versions: signet at about 1500 pages with no French translation as I can tell. The other one is the the 3 volume HB which I think is an Everyman. I am initially using the Signet....
In love all over again!!
I am new to the Hardcore Literature community. I am very excited though and am really enjoying War and Peace. Tolstoy is intimidating to pick up…once I did, however, I am thoroughly loving it! His writing style keeps me interested and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Happy to have found your channel. ☺️
I was wondering when your next video would be out. I just listened to the podcast episode about The Crucible last week, and it is my first reading in 2023! I am so excited because to me the movie is incredible. And now this video is a treat 😊 Thank you so much and happy new year, Ben!!! Love from Vietnam
Not me having just reconfigured my ”read at least a page” daily goal on Habitica as ”read War & Peace for 15 min” 😅 Been at it since 2021 and it’s time to get it done.
I jokingly tell people who ask what the gist of the story is because they don't want to invest the time reading it themselves "Napoleon invades Russia. Fails. Pierre marries Natasha. And a bunch of other stuff in-between" 😆
Always rewarding to hear you.
Read War in Peace in 1999 during my military service. I still retain an incredible amount of impressions from this monumental work.
Thank you, Andy. That's incredible. There must have been a lot that resonated with you whilst serving in the military!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy indeed.
I took your advice and found an entrance to War and Peace by way of The Picture-Story of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace by Bernard Geis. 1956 I also found a collection of short stories and read The Snow Storm while northern Wisconsin was pummeled with snow. Thank you so much for this channel. 2023 is going to be a rich and wonderful year for me thanks to great literature!!
Fascinating: maturation is a process of imagination atrophying. I have felt this but never put it in words. I think this is what reading fantasy helps shake loose. I have a natural aversion to fantasy now that I’m older (60’s) but recently watched a bunch of Game of Thrones highlight videos, and the world seems a bit more interesting now. Somehow one needs to engage creativity and possibilities. Something to think about.
I just stumbled upon your channel and what a joy it is! I am reading Anna Karenina and have not started War and Peace yet but I am excited to do so now more than ever!
I'm so happy you stumbled upon the channel, Brandi :) I hope you're enjoying Anna Karenina!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I am so much!! Tolstoy has such a way with words!😊
I'll make sure to read about the Napoleonic Wars and other relevant history before digging into War and Peace. I like to know the historical contexts of books I read. That piece of advice was especially helpful! Thank you!
Benjamin, you have outdone yourself with this video. I read the Everyman/Maude version and hope to start re-reading using the Pevear/Vollokonsky version this month. Thanks for this video.
Happy New Year to the best teacher I’ve ever had :)
That's so sweet of you to say :) Wishing you a very Happy New Year too!
I read W&P last spring with my best friend and it was an unforgettable experience! Prince Andrey is now one of my favourite characters of all time, alongside Levin and Oblonski; Great video as always, happy new year ben!!
That sounds like such a magical reading experience. He's absolutely one of my favourite characters too. I find myself identifying with him on many levels! Thank you so much for watching, Julia :) Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
Happy new year! You have basically gotten me from never reading a book to working my way joyfully through blood meridian and the sound and the fury, this one is on my list for next year!
Wow! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you so much. I’m thrilled you’re enjoying Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece. Happy New Year, my friend! 🥳🙏
I love your channel so much, I stared reading more in 2022, especially classics and your channel is amazing! Everytime I watch one of your videos, there's something about them that inspires me to just jump in and read some of the books I've had on my mind, it could be your accent, the passion you put into making these videos, the amount of knowledge you have on the topics you discuss or all 3 of these.
Last month, I picked up Moby Dick after seeing how much you like the book and I love it so much!
Thanks you for everything you're doing and I wish you nothing but the best!
I've read this book 10 times! 10 times!!!!🤯🤪 The best read was the 10th sitting, took me only a month, it was like watching one of the greatest Hollywood films ever produced, because I knew the story by heart, and my visualisations of the characters were awesome. I saw major Hollywood actors in mostly all the characters and it made for great reading experiences. Next time you read this book try visualizing Cary Elwes as Prince Andrei, young Keanu Reeves as Nikolai Rostov, young Mel Gibson as Pierre(this actor being such a religious stoic, makes the character just lift off the pages especially during the free mason chapters and his spiritual awakenings during the Moscow occupation 1812), Patrick Stewart as Prince Vasili Kuragin(OMG this was like perfect actor for this character), and so many more. I may just have to read this book again for an 11th time to enjoy the grand movie experience of pages.
You know, it’s not helpful to ask people to imagine characters the way you see them.
The whole beauty of literature is everyone gets to meet the characters on their own terms and with their own imagination.
I am currently reading it ( finally I found an edition I fell in love with, and it smells amazing, very important haha ). For me it feels like watching a play on a stage in my mind. He does mention the word "stage" quite a lot, and it gives me a whole new perception on this story, with so many more meanings and depth. I hope I explained myself well,since English is not my first language. Also, you are the most inspiring person, and you manage to transfer a piece of your passion on us viewers as well. Thank you for that.
I’m a big fan of your channel and also your podcast ❤️ thank you so much for making such a wonder content. I really do appreciate this.
Thank you so much, my friend! I really appreciate you watching and listening :) ❤️
Hello! Would like to express my appreciation for your videos! I have recently discovered your channel and am enthralled by how substantial the literature you discuss is! Thanks for all the videos :)
Your videos are a treat for me. New Year, new ideas, new goals.
Thank you, Bonnie :) Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
One cannot talk about adaptations of War and Peace without mentioning the Broadway pop opera Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812. It's only based on a section of the source, but it is so incredible and knowing the musical has helped me follow the plot of War and Peace much more easily. Many of the lyrics are directly lifted from Tolstoy, which gives it an immersive narrative style I absolutely love.
There’s two types of war and peace fans: people that are reading it for the masterpiece of literature, and people who heard about it from the musical. I am the latter, and I’m so excited! Don’t worry, I’m also an avid reader and I’m about to start tonight!
I purchased this book a few years ago; still reading it.This book has transformed me. Thanks for your insight on this magnificent book.
You're so welcome! Thank you so much for watching :) I'm so thrilled that Tolstoy's masterpiece has been so rewarding for you!
Great timing, sir. I just started reading this as a Christmas gift to myself. I look forward to hearing more of your insights on this and I thank you for the tips you’ve kindly included here.
Cheers!
Came across your videos. Love them. You are so engaging. Just getting started on my first read of War & Peace!
Thank you so much, Rachel! I can't wait to hear what you make of War & Peace :)
I was on holiday in Bali with my copy of War and Peace by the pool. This guy went by with his girlfriend, saw the book, and whispered to her: "He's reading War and Peace," in the way someone would say "He's climbing Everest."
😂😂😂 I love that.
These videos are superb. Thank you so much. You’ve helped me read so many classics and taught me so much. I feel a greater sense of being alive and I am craving to go deeper into the rich world of literature. I’m working to revive a sense of passion in the history of literature and philosophy in the dramatic arts and these videos have been a great help to me… I’m just about to start War and Peace. I was slightly lost at sea with Moby Dick but loved Don Quixote. Thank you. Thank you. I will recommend you to all students I work with and anyone else. Morgan (The Base Creates)
Ben, took your advice and read 15 minutes a day for about two months.
Well worth it.
Woody Allen said he took an Evelyn Wood speed reading course, went home, read War and Peace in 45 minutes.
Later, he could only remember that it was a novel about Russia.😅
Seriously your advice is good.
Reading Anna Kareina these days. Same technique.
😉
So excited about the year, James. Thank you so much for nudging me to read the Great books.
Excellent summation, if this doesn't make people try this wonderful book then I have no idea what would. I have at the age of 70 just finished reading it for the third time. I always jot down the main characters on a sheet of A4 as that way I don't have to go backward and forward in the book I can just glance at the paper. I do this with all large books whether it be Tolstoy or Grossmann.
Perfect, this was my Christmas present! It was the final book I needed to complete my Great Books of the Western World set.
What a brilliant Christmas present! Happy reading, B. J. :)
Love this video man; War and Peace has been looming over me for a long time; I am going to deploy the “chapter a day” philosophy to supplement my other reading!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you so much, Shane! I'm thrilled to hear you're going to deploy the chapter-a-day approach. Such a brilliant way to experience War and Peace. I can't wait to hear what you make of Tolstoy's masterpiece!
I read it last year in 13 days. I literally could not put it down. MASTERPIECE!
Sounds like the same mistake I made on my first read. I was (and still am) simply not sharp enough to pick up the book’s full meaning into deep philosophy, history, life lessons, and anything else, even down to its plot in such a short time span. It’d definitely entertain me though. But did you fully absorb what the book and Tolstoy wants you to know?
What did you get from it? Could you please help me understand part 2 of the epilogue? I think i could take another year to reread just this part of the book.
I have noticed that the the way the book is organised (volumes, chapters) depends on the edition/language. In Romanian, for example, it is organised differently, în several parts (I have counted 7 so far). That is why it is nice to have multiple editions of the same book, or even the same book in various languages, if you can read those languages, of course.
Love your channel, love the books you suggest! Keep up the good work! 🤗
Hey, found your channel last week and got kind of addicted. Thank you for being such an inspiration, I finally picked up war and peace and tried this slow reading, but somehow I can't stop reading 😅. Really looking forward to more of your videos.
I’m amazed how readable this from the beginning this is. I’ve always thought a book like this was always boring for the first couple hundred pages. Not this novel- I have high hopes for it now.
A fun way to read the battle scenes in War and Peace is to pair it with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Listening to Overture (with canons) while reading the battle of Austerlitz or Borodino is game changer.
Good review and recommendations!
I actually do this!
You're seriously tempting me into taking the Tolstoy plunge--outstanding video Ben
Thank you, my friend. Do take the plunge! I'm sure you'll love it :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks Ben. In your opinion if I had to make a deep reading goal, should I start with "War and Peace" or "Middlemarch". I know it's a subjective opinion but I wanted your take. Thanks!
@@30secondsflat That's a difficult one. I love them both so much. Do you have a preference for English vs Russian Literature? Because that could very well sway the decision!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I don’t think I have a preference either way. I think right now I’m looking for literature that emphasizes the complexities of people’s inner life, and not necessarily the grand sweeping scope of how people are caught up in history. I don’t know if I’ve made that more or less difficult, as I know you can say both of them fit the criteria :)
Happy New Year! Have a great 2023 and what a great first book to start with.
Happy New Year, Pokhraj! Wishing you a 2023 filled with happiness and great books :)
You’re an excellent guide. I started the book two days ago. Thank you.
Thank you so much :) I'd love to hear how you get on with it!
One of the very best analysis of a classic...Benjamin explains it well....
Thank you so much, Erren :)
I just finished this for the first time a few days ago and loved it. I read the Oxford world's classics paperback. Knowing that I will read it many more times over the years I bought the Everyman's Library hardcover set, which is both beautiful and reasonably priced.
I gave my 17 year old daughter the Oxford paperback because I wouldn't stop talking about it and she wanted to give it a read.
Congratulations on finishing this incredible masterpiece :) I have that same Everyman's Library set and I agree it really is so beautiful. It's so fantastic that you inspired your daughter to read Tolstoy's great work too!
Magnificent guidance & additional materials. You are a prince - thank you so very much for this exceptional work! War and Peace will be a much greater experience for me personally - thanks to your willingness to educate.
Thank you again, Benjamin, for your meticulously divergent, (albeit permeated with healthy insights), of presentations, upon which genuine interest in a story is fanned into flame and developed; where every golden inspiration is conceived, nurtured and judiciously made use of in its exact place, as though by a geometric divider!
As I said yesterday while mentioning my acute partiality to the works of Charles Dickens, I am nonetheless quite ready to take on hitherto unexplored literary horizons, (incidentally, not without the aid of knapsack, compass and walking stick on my trek, so to speak!), particularly on the subject of Leo Tolstoy's famous novel.
On that note then, I shall obtain a copy of "War And Peace", bearing in mind your recommendations concerning the better translation versions of that novel from Russian to English.
I once studied a smattering of the Ukrainian Language, enough to realize though that like Russian, it consists in many instances of enormously subtle meanings, reflections and interactions, thereby rendering its translations by unskilled interpreters dubious, obscure and to say nothing of confusing, to readers.
On the contrary however, it seems that I needn't concern myself with that particular consideration as excellent translations have already been not only fully accomplished but indeed honed to perfection since his lifetime.
To work, I'm off!
Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful video. Finding your series has given me the push I needed to delve into some of these more "unapproachable" authors (what I thought) such as Tolstoy. (I've had a copy of this book since 2017 when I watched Natacha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway but never read it. I do find myself already thinking of the characters as friends based on my love for the musical though.) I quickly read The Death of Ivan Ilyich this morning as I was starting War & Peace and fell in love immediately with Tolstoy and his writing style and voice. I am so excited for this journey.
After struggling while reading the Briggs and Maude translations, and I decided to finally break down and try the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation and it has made all the difference. I personally like the literal French language with the translation footnotes and enjoy the authenticity. I now actually look forward to reading War and Peace everyday. I enjoy this translation a lot.
I have my Maude translation of War and Peace beside me. I've read a chapter or two already and look forward to daily readings for the next 6 weeks. What a joy to be consumed by a great book.
Since the beginning of December twenty pages a day. But I love the richness of the language, the extensive number of characters and the history of the battles contained within the epic.
I recently discovered your channel, and your videos are inspiring me to introduce myself to the classics. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Genhi :) I really appreciate that!
You're baaaaack! Happy new year Ben!!!
Happy New Year, Myra!! :)
Hi Benjamin. Just joined the HCBC. War and peace and brothers K were both on my TBR for this year so it’s like things aligned perfectly when I came across your channel. I am so excited to deep read these novels in addition to your lecture series and insight.
Reading 'War & Peace,' one gets a feeling that one is not reading a novel or a large tome; it is more like watching a grand movie. Tolstoy's eyes, mind, philosophical perspectives, humanistic bent and epic writerly talents observe everything, give a form of words to his thoughts resulting in a kind of prose that just flows. The challenge I am facing right now is the need to remember the characters and their relationships with one another and War & Peace has an unusual profusion of characters. Russians have long original names with unique family names and short pet names. Tolstoy keeps using the names interchangeably in descriptions and conversations creating a maze. A way out of this is to be patient and keep going back to family trees to fix the characters in mind. Once this is done the pace of reading improves and the way the novel begins to play out gives one a feeling of awe. One realizes that one is in contact with something very profound and magnificent. Now I have begun to understand the meaning and depth of Isaac Babel's comment: "If the world could write by itself, it would write like Tolstoy." Anna Karenina, Kruetzer's Sonata, Death of Ivan Illyich, Resurrection are great, but they revolve around limited characters and are more of moral explorations.... War & Peace on the other hand demands some understanding/knowledge of the mid and latter 18th century history of Central Europe.
All in all fascinating !!
Just recently discovered this podcast. I absolutely love the intellectual passion you convey. I haven't read "War and Peace yet but, like yourself, I'm crazy about "Anna Karenina" and "Middlemarch."
I am currently reading P & V translation. Enjoying it very much
I'm thrilled you're enjoying it!
I found that a brief primer on the Napoleonic period was very helpful for context when reading this book.
Thank you, Benjamin :) It truly is a fascinating era of history - so much to dig into there, and really helps our reading of W&P!
I read this novel a few years ago and loved it. I inhaled the thing within two months, that's how spellbound I was. People get scared of the length, but it's probably one of the most accessible doorstoppers I've ever come across. This video is making me want to revisit it.
Fantastic! I've wanted to hear your thoughts on this book. A great way to start the New Year! Cheers, Ben - all the best going forward.
Happy New Year, my friend! 🙏🥳
The way you talk about it, makes me want to read this book which has been sitting on my bookshelf for 12 years now.
I found a super clean, tabbed penguin classics copy at our local book resale shop for 50c today! Here I am to get your best tips - thanks for the great videos!
Thank you so much! Wow! What a fantastic discovery! :)
I first read War and Peace many years ago in my 20's, again in the 2010's--both times in the Edmonds translation, and at the beginning of the pandemic in the Maude translation ( which I liked more). After the third reading I almost started it again immediely!! This has happened to me with George Eliot also. Your advice about slowing down, marginalia, and Journaling is something I need to take to heart! I get too excited and just keep plunging ahead. The most recent reading made me very sympathetic to Tolstoy's depiction of Napoleon as a monster wreaking devastation not only on Russia, but Europe! By the way, Leonidas Pasternak--father of Boris Pasternak made beautiful illustrations, one of which is used for the cover of Edmonds' translation. The vivid characterizations and profound humanity of Tolstoy are deeply moving.
49:56 Ah that lofty sky of Austerlitz... one of the great moments in literature.
One of my all time favourite passages!
You're readings from the text and speaking on Russian history has me hooked. I want to read War and Peace so bad right now! I am extremely interested in the Lucy W. Documentary. I have to wait a little bit though, I am finishing up the Count of Monte Cristo currently, and I promised myself that my next long novel would be W&P. I'm so hyped right now it's hilarious 😂
Started reading it today, pacing myself for 30 pages a day. Thank you for this video! Reading the same copy my mother read back in the 90s :)
EDIT: Done! I loved it :) Moving on to some smaller books primarily while slowly tackling and annotating Proust's Swann's Way in the background.
30 pages per day is a beautiful pace! How wonderful you're reading the same copy as your mother :) Enjoy the journey, my friend!