It is the inconsequential acts of the individual that comprise the sequences of history, joining together to form one great narrative that becomes inscribed in history books for the rest of time. In his own words, “the movement of humanity, arising as it does from innumerable arbitrary human wills, is continuous.”

The central theme of Tolstoy’s philosophical masterpiece is the role of the individual in the ongoing generation of history.

The novel follows the lives of several members of the Russian aristocracy during the Napoleonic era, in particular focusing on Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolonsky, Natasha Ilyinichna and Nikolai Ilyich, whose individual narratives cross over and intertwine throughout the novel. It unceasingly manages to “startle and delight” us by its discovery of beauty in the mundane, and sometimes even the violent. It’s an epic tale of regeneration and personal growth, that obsesses over the minutia of life and the role of tiny details in the establishment and maintenance of human society. It’s like carrying a brick around in your bag, for six months (or less, if you’re a faster reader than me…).īut as soon as you finish it, you’ll reopen it again at the beginning and start over. But Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace is undoubtedly worth going out on a limb for, especially if you’re thinking about studying English at university. You’ve heard it all before, and you know they’re all probably alright, but you never quite get around to reading all of them. See what past and present participants have been up to with Immerse.įree literature and study guide downloads, including our recommended reading lists for university applications.Įveryone knows you should read the “classics” the canonical authors like Dickens and Shakespeare. See what past and present participants have been up to with Immerse.

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War and peace by leo tolstoy