|
War and Peace (Penguin Classics, Deluxe Edition) |  | Author: Leo Tolstoy
Creators: Anthony Briggs, Professor Orlando Figes
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
Buy New: $11.52
as of 11/27/2009 18:19 CST details
You Save: $6.48 (36%)
New (30) Used (15) from $9.49
Seller: thebookgrove
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 91342
Media: Paperback
Edition: Deluxe
Pages: 1424
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.7 x 2.4
ISBN: 0143039997
Dewey Decimal Number: 891.733
EAN: 9780143039990
ASIN: 0143039997
Publication Date: November 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Set against the sweeping panoply of Napoleons invasion of Russia, War and Peace presented here in the first new English translation in forty yearsis often considered the greatest novel ever written. At its center are Pierre Bezukhov, searching for meaning in his life; cynical Prince Andrei, ennobled by wartime suffering; and Natasha Rostov, whose impulsiveness threatens to destroy her happiness. As Tolstoy follows the changing fortunes of his characters, he crafts a view of humanity that is both epic and intimate and that continues to define fiction at its most resplendent.
* Includes an introduction, note on the translation, cast of characters, maps, notes on the major battles depicted, and chapter summaries
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
 The only 1300 pages in world history worth reading October 24, 2009
Tobin Spratte (Denver, CO)
Few authors who write so much write so well. And yet, even this fact becomes meaningless in an age of mass-produced paperbacks and bad translations. Anthony Briggs brings Leo Tolstoy to life in an accessible way not yet seen by the American public, in a way that plunges us straight into the heart of the war and the romance of the Russian author's epic masterpiece.
 avast thou! June 16, 2009
Caraculiambro (La Mancha and environs)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I inherited this from a friend who simply gave it to me. He said it wasn't what he wanted.
What he meant was that he thought this was an UNABRIDGED reading of War and Peace. It certainly isn't -- it's tremendously abridged.
But that's not even the right word, really. It's not a reading at all. It's a dramatization, originally for BBC radio, it appears. They rewrote Tolstoy's book as a long play and have actors dramatically reading out the parts, complete with music and sound effects. The general Kutuzov serves as an overall narrator.
Another reviewer wrote praising this "new translation." What? This is not a new translation at all: it's an acting-out, play. I don't think that reviewer and I are talking about the same product.
So that's what you're looking at.
As its actual quality, I liked it fine, but I'm not sure who it's aimed at. If you haven't read War and Peace I think you'll find everything confusing since to one who doesn't know the story well, it's not clear who's talking when. You'd have to pay careful attention and would probably still wind up confused.
As for all of Tolstoy's digressions on inevitability and so forth, that's all been excised.
The actors are very good, I would say, and so are the sound effects.
Just make sure you know what you're buying.
 A few minor thoughts. May 7, 2008
Frank Rizzo (Dallas, TX)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
There can be no doubt that this is one of the greatest novels of all time. It envelopes you very quickly and leaves you changed, if only for a while. I would only point out two disappointments.
I found Tolstoy's philosophy boring and rather like a wet blanket, especially in the end.
Nearly all of the characters in the story are detestable, selfish human beings. Few learn anything meaningful from this traumatic struggle. The few that do display consistent, redeeming, qualities are generally shafted. Such is life, I understand, but still it disturbed me.
The BBC audiobook on CD is superb April 28, 2008
Patrick W. Crabtree (Lucasville, OH USA)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Here, we have "War and Peace" conveyed to the listener in NINE HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES on 10 CDs, about 17-18 tracks per CD. Some folks might see this notable abridgement as their greatest critique of this rendering but I'm okay with it.
If you're unfamiliar with the actual story, here is a brief summary:
In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Austria to expand his European empire. Russia, being an ally of Austria, stood with their brethren against the infamous Emperor. Napoleon prevailed and a treaty was ultimately signed at Tilsit.
In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia, again in an effort to expand his empire. The end result of this tragic war was that Napoleon's army of about 600,000 soldiers was reduced to roughly 60,000 men as the defamed Emperor raced from a devastated Moscow (which he had taken), back across the frozen Russian tundra in his carriage (leaving his troops behind to fend for themselves) for Paris. That encapsulizes the military aspect of this work.
But the more intricate story involves both the activities and the peccadillos of, primarily, three Russian families of nobility: The Rostovs, the Bolkonskys, and the Bezukovs, as well as their associates. The continual thorn of "The Antichrist," Napoleon, really just provides the wallpaper for this story of romance, riches, desolation, love, jealousy, hatred, retribution, joy, naiivety, stupidity, and so much more.
Tolstoy has woven an incredibly intricate web that interconnects these noble families, the wars, and the common Russian people to a degree that would seem nearly incomprehensible to achieve -- but Tolstoy perseveres with superb clarity and with great insight to the human psyche. His characters are timeless and the reader of the complete novel who has any social experience whatever will pretty much immediately connect with them all.
"War and Peace" (the book) is a fictional, lengthy novel, based upon historical fact, here, abridged, dramatized, and performed by talented actors as an audiobook. There is a total of two hours of original new background music spread out over the 10 CDs which greatly enhances this particular media version.
The story is told through numerous professional British actors and actresses, utilizing "General Kutuzov" as a narrator to set up many of the scenes, a shrewd device. The dramatizers did a great job of squeezing in the primary stories, pretty much in their entirety, and thus maintaining the overall ambiance of both the saga and its principals in their entirety. Yes, some necessary artistic license was invoked here and there, such as the "verbal assault on Princess Marya by the rebellious serfs" episode. In the book, this transpires at Bogucharovo after she has fled her home in Bald Hills -- on the audiobook, it takes place at Bald Hills, of course, in the interest of saving time.
Character development is surprisingly good and fairly true to the book descriptions although I thought that the dramatizers were a little hard on Boris Drubetskoy. I also believe that they could have done a bit more with the unique character of Platon Karateyev.
I cannot not, in good conscience, recommend the audiobook version to folks who have yet to read the novel -- it's simply too complex of a story and bulging with numerous characters (the book itself sports over 500 in all!) for most folks to grasp from the audiobook version. The fact that so many people here are addressed by the same titles, (e.g., "prince," "princess," etc.), adds additional confusion to newcomers to the story.
There are a few devisive aspects of this version of "War and Peace". As it's all performed by British actors one should not expect to hear Russian accents. And, even though all concerned did a great job, it's additionally almost impossible to convey a battle scene absent a visual aspect, the book version having the distinct multiple advantages of Tolstoy's superbly colorful written descriptions of these critical episodes; so, you end up hearing a lot of "characters talking to themselves" with cannon fire, rifle fire, and the screams of the dying in the background.
I also found that individual actors, clearly accustomed to the benefit of the visual aspects of their art, were often taking too long to say what needed to be said. It's not so much distracting as it is boring in spots.
But overall, for those people who have previously read "War and Peace," and who still have a good grasp of the essential story, this BBC audiobook version is a very nice way to absorb the story for a second round.
I do have one final thought -- I'M NOT TELLING YOU TO MAKE A "BACK-UP COPY", BUT... the CDs are VERY subject to damage by scratching. Making such copies would likely technically violate copyright laws -- and that's all I'm going to say about THAT!
See my "Listmania Lists" for more Russian stuff and great fiction.
A literary work of unparalleled expertise March 14, 2008
Killerwokz (east coast usa)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
War and peace is a literary challenge that all avid readers should conquer. The Mt Everest of novels, epic in scale, infinite in its implications.
The sweeping saga of five families and their lives over the course of a decade. A time when Russia was at war with Napoleon. The main characters number to perhaps ten to twelve but the secondary characters number into the hundreds following their escapades and adventures requires the utmost devotion to the literary work; indeed I often found my self rereading pages and sometimes sections in an effort not to miss any of the intricacies.
The novel explores many human conflicts of the frailty of the spirit to the physical brutality of war among nations.
Does absence makes the heart grow stronger, young in love Natasha, knows all to well it does not, as is revealed. Characters like Pierre frustrate with their inability to just live their life and be happy. Misunderstood Nicolai Rostov wants to find his courage through events not understanding it must come from within. Prince Andrei needs no one not even God, with his hardened heart after a tragedy.
The events may be set over two centuries ago but they are still relevant today. This novel is a masterpiece.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
|
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
| |
