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quotablehedgehog's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol
spirotechnics's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wow. This book. Honestly, there isn't much that I have to say that hasn't already been said. It's an incredibly well-written piece of literature that I had the joy of reading for class. But holy fuck was this book long. With the time constraints I had, I needed to read the book a lot faster than I would have originally liked to when reading for leisure, and thus, I feel I may have missed some important moments. Nevertheless, what I was able to remember was quite an enjoyable read.
Andrey was by far one of the most interesting and nuanced characters I've read as of late and seeing how he grappled with various circumstancesand his own mortality was incredibly entertaining. It literally broke me when he died, especially since it was such a long, drawn out process. I was right along with Natasha and Marya. Tolstoy ragging on Napoleon was also incredibly funny. The main reason I'm removing points is because I am a bit annoyed with the way Natasha was "manic pixie dream girl-ed" by a good chunk of the male cast. Don't get me wrong, I adored her, but there were times where hearing how all these guys were obsessed with her was a bit much. Helene also deserved so much better than what she got, in spite of her flaws. Also, while the prose was incredibly wonderful, it very much did drag at some moments, which was kinda irritating. Incredible book!
Andrey was by far one of the most interesting and nuanced characters I've read as of late and seeing how he grappled with various circumstances
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
vlntnmz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion
erryesmith's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
But for the epilogue, it would have been 3.5 stars.
The novel and Tolstoy's writing is at its best here when focussing on the cast of characters and the human drama. It was this, against the backdrop of real events, that kept me coming back. The characters were all flawed, to the point of dislikeable at times, but many developed well.
Unfortunately, Tolstoy's repetitive and dry rambling musings on the nature of history, philosophy and God and lengthy description of military manoeuvring, when not done through the lens of a well established character, were a challenge to read and, for me, detracted more than they added.
Can we also talk about Tolstoy's view and interpretation of women? The word problematic may be overused but the only other that comes to mind is "ooft". Uncomfortable depictions of nearly every woman in the text who are all written as controlling, selfish, greedy, conniving, unfaithful and a host of other attributes less than favourable. The character development of Natasha was completely undone and actively subverted in the deeply unpleasant epilogue.
Who hurt you, Leo?
The novel and Tolstoy's writing is at its best here when focussing on the cast of characters and the human drama. It was this, against the backdrop of real events, that kept me coming back. The characters were all flawed, to the point of dislikeable at times, but many developed well.
Unfortunately, Tolstoy's repetitive and dry rambling musings on the nature of history, philosophy and God and lengthy description of military manoeuvring, when not done through the lens of a well established character, were a challenge to read and, for me, detracted more than they added.
Can we also talk about Tolstoy's view and interpretation of women? The word problematic may be overused but the only other that comes to mind is "ooft". Uncomfortable depictions of nearly every woman in the text who are all written as controlling, selfish, greedy, conniving, unfaithful and a host of other attributes less than favourable. The character development of Natasha was completely undone and actively subverted in the deeply unpleasant epilogue.
Who hurt you, Leo?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Violence, Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent