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War and Peace

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks

Often called the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace is at once a historical war epic, a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian spirit.

Noted for its mastery of realistic detail and psychological analysis, War and Peace follows the metamorphosis of five aristocratic families against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. Individual stories interweave as each of Tolstoy's memorable characters seek fulfillment, fall in love, make mistakes, and become scarred by war in different ways.

Out of this complex narrative emerges a profound examination of the individual's place in the historical process.

Thomas Mann praised Tolstoy for his Homeric powers: "To be played upon by the animal keenness of this eye, the sheer power of this creative attack, the entirely clear and true greatness...of this epic, is to find one's way home...to everything within us that is fundamental and sane."

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      The melancholy Prince Andrey, the awkward and intellectual Pierre, and the spirited Natasha undergo various transformations in Russia during and after the 1812 Napoleonic invasion in this version of Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece.. The performances are uniformly dignified, accomplished, and mellifluous. And very British. However, while the events and characters are faithful to the celebrated novel, they are gracelessly adapted, greatly compressed, and bloodlessly produced. Gone is any Russian character, most of Tolstoy's intellectual content, the majority of the 500 characters, and the sweep of events. Only Emily Mortimer as Natasha makes a solid impression by virtue of her sparkle and charm. It's as if the monumental events of 1805-1820 all took place in drawing rooms and ballrooms. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      [Editor's Note: The following is a combined review of WAR AND PEACE Vols. 1 and 2.]--This reviewer derives a special pleasure listening to a good book that he's already read delivered by an excellent narrator. He can thus better appreciate values the performer extrapolates from the text. Such is the case with Neville Jason's mature rendering of Tolstoy's massive classic--25 CDs to Volume 1 alone--of the Napoleonic Wars in Russia. His efforts are abetted by an excellent, uncredited translation. Once you get used to Russians with British accents, he gives you a fresh and consistently insightful interpretation of the action, atmospheres, numberless characters, and author's apostrophes. Only his very young women ring a bit false. An accompanying booklet, intended to help the listener keep characters and events straight, is unnecessary, thanks to Jason's skill. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1200
  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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