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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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 🇮🇳🙏
@vincentperratore4395
9 ай бұрын
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!
@32island11
Жыл бұрын
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!
@aamnainfebruary
Жыл бұрын
Happy New Year to the best teacher I’ve ever had :)
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
That's so sweet of you to say :) Wishing you a very Happy New Year too!
@clintoncarroll9583
Жыл бұрын
So excited about the year, James. Thank you so much for nudging me to read the Great books.
@rehLAX
Жыл бұрын
I would really like to see you talking about how to study new vocabularies when you read, how to do you learn about history, philosophy, religion, etc when reading. I have always find these difficult to do while reading a book (difficult to balance). I am really curious to see how you keep learning new vocabularies and other things as you read a book.
@anne-qp8jl
Жыл бұрын
My copy of Anna Karenina is arriving in the mail this week! I'm so excited, I would eventually love to read War and Peace as well.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
That is so exciting! I hope you enjoy it :)
@marjoriedybec3450
Жыл бұрын
I love your content. Thank you. You may just save the world.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
You are too kind, Marjorie :) Thank you so much for watching and reading with me. I really appreciate you!
@mikeramsay5964
Жыл бұрын
While reading War and Peace I was reading The Torrents of Spring, Dark Laughter, Mrs. Dalloway, and Middlemarch. Finished Torrents and Laughter and started Ivan Turgenev's The Torrents of Spring and read Master Harold and the boys.
@Sman-eg1zs
Жыл бұрын
I read it 6 years ago, but did it as fast as I could because I really wanted to finish it! I want to read it again at some point. Thanks
@romanitto89
Жыл бұрын
I am a russian native speaker, but I always hated Tolstoy works and i didnt understand why... Then once I heard that Alexey Tolstoy (great soviet writter) when was asked why he didn’t reread the works of his famous relative he told that reading Lev is viollating. Lev T. have some idea which he wants to prove. And he proves, and proves it again and again... i am already agry with him but he continues to prove me this god damn idea. Here is where this vollumes from. And i also feel that as some type of psyhological violance.
@Tolstoy111
Жыл бұрын
That sounds like the later Tolstoy who moralized all the time. That's not the case with "War and Peace" and Anna Karenina
@TheJezza223
Жыл бұрын
A few years ago I saw the mini series with Lily James. I want to read the book now and I don’t want to image the show scenes and not picture the actors. Any advice?
@Boppip
Жыл бұрын
Ideas: Collect descriptions of the characters by underlining and copying out phrases. If you can draw, draw them. "Cast" actors or family or friends to okay them in your mind. Imagine yourself having a chat with each one.
@adele3002
Жыл бұрын
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. 😊
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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 :)
@adele3002
Жыл бұрын
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 😊
@larrymarshall9454
Жыл бұрын
@@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?
@sindhyas21
Жыл бұрын
@@adele3002 fb. The yhrf
@prateekvashistha6858
Жыл бұрын
@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😊
@solitarysea
Жыл бұрын
Your videos are astounding. The content, undoubtedly, but more so the passion you dedicate to each work and author. Very inspiring!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Aw, thank you so much :) That means the world to me!
@nvccru
Жыл бұрын
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.
@grayfox6207
Жыл бұрын
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.
@Boppip
Жыл бұрын
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!
@carolanne3017
Жыл бұрын
Yes. I am 77. I read the text as I listen on audiobook
@oshemer5066
7 ай бұрын
I also wanted the Briggs, but I couldn’t find an audio version.😢
@limeparticle
Жыл бұрын
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.
@stretmediq
Жыл бұрын
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" 😆
@anitas5817
Жыл бұрын
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.
@LifeLessonsFromBooks
Жыл бұрын
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.
@irenejennings3747
Жыл бұрын
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
@Fuhugawagah
Жыл бұрын
ditto, in to the second volume now. it's amazing.
@LifeLessonsFromBooks
Жыл бұрын
@@irenejennings3747 enjoy! I carried mine back and forth from Canberra to Melbourne. Heavy hand luggage. 🤣
@Wisdom1944
Жыл бұрын
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!
@janebaily3758
Жыл бұрын
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!!
@emcee8079
Жыл бұрын
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!
@Cath38639
Жыл бұрын
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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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!
@FrankD90210
Жыл бұрын
Your channel is one of my favorite KZitem 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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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 :)
@JeffMTX
Жыл бұрын
The shorts are what’s awful. They’re like gumdrops when you need a steak!
@brianbaker5938
Жыл бұрын
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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Thank you, Brian! I really appreciate that :)
@southerncountryboy8
Жыл бұрын
I read about half of War and Peace and then got busy with work. It's been over a year since I read it last. Do I start over, or just go read some summaries and pick up where I left off? I need advice!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
I'd say a couple of summaries should do the trick, then dive back into the world where you left off :)
@Hammy900
Жыл бұрын
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.
@TravG-x8z
7 ай бұрын
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.
@Fitness4London
Жыл бұрын
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."
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
😂😂😂 I love that.
@payaltuli1396
Жыл бұрын
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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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!
@Wisdom1944
Жыл бұрын
OMG!! Benjamin! Listening to you read from the beginning of Ch 3..."Millions of men set out to inflict on one another evils,...trechery,....the men, at that time. . . responsible did not think of these deeds as crimes." Does this not speak to the heinous activity we are LIVING today in Ukraine!?
@farfalal13
Жыл бұрын
Putin is doing to Ukraine what Hitler and Napoleon did to Russia. Has he no insight to history, or is he just a brute? I've been listening to Frederick Davidson's audio of W & P and he suitably makes Napoleon sound mean and sinister.
@johnsikes320
Жыл бұрын
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 KZitem 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!
@stardroplet9499
Жыл бұрын
Great tips!
@mplcreative
Жыл бұрын
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)
@mangalapalliv
Жыл бұрын
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...
@shilohpeterson5307
Жыл бұрын
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!
@Tolstoy111
Жыл бұрын
The French has to remain French. The Russian aristocracy spoke French as a matter of course, but speak less of it as the novel goes on and the war with France rages on. Flattening the linguistic texture takes that away.
@peskylisa
Жыл бұрын
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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Lisa :) Your kind words have made my day. Happy New Year, and God bless to you too!
@lizh9497
Жыл бұрын
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.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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 :)
@danielfranya4138
Жыл бұрын
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
@danielfranya4138
Жыл бұрын
@@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
@rosalindchu7588
Жыл бұрын
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.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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 😊
@danila__fi
Жыл бұрын
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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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!
@inafern
Жыл бұрын
So happy to see someone mention that moment
@ba-gg6jo
Жыл бұрын
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.
@reinatommymax
Жыл бұрын
And the journey begins! Great way to start the year. Thanks Ben!
@RichardSmith-cl8qh
Жыл бұрын
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
@felix__93
Жыл бұрын
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
@thelaurels13
Жыл бұрын
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. 🙌😊
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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!
@Jen39x
Жыл бұрын
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.
@shikhasharma8831
Жыл бұрын
Just wanted to comment - don't ever stop making these videos This channel is everything ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@mangalapalliv
Жыл бұрын
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....
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Congratulations on reading War and Peace, Vishweshwer! You should be so proud of yourself. Extraordinary reading accomplishment right there :)
@EdSwain
Жыл бұрын
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!
@andreeablaj3414
Жыл бұрын
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! 🤗
@larrymarshall9454
Жыл бұрын
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.
@richardferguson9836
Жыл бұрын
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.
@jeneaneoriley1924
Жыл бұрын
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.
@walternate2914
Жыл бұрын
Which translation to people like the most? For me a good translation is accurate while being extremely readable in English. I should be able to read it and forget it was not originally written in English. I need to disappear into the book.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
My vote would be for the Anthony Briggs. Readers tell me it's the most readable one, and pulls them right into the story!
@sonitagovan
Жыл бұрын
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
@braydonsmith9878
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for making this video! I think I might finally be able to pick up my copy without getting the cold sweats! Also, is there any chance of you making your personal top 50 books?
@mangalapalliv
Жыл бұрын
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 !!
@foxxrainn
Жыл бұрын
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.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, my friend! I really appreciate you watching and listening :) ❤️
@aBninabi22
Жыл бұрын
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!
@PoppyAndForgetmenot
8 ай бұрын
This Iliad of the 19th century has just one single flaw: It‘s way too short.
@sarkisdrejian5395
Жыл бұрын
Here is another free tips to read it , always translate surnames of the characters, for example Pierre Bezukhov (Bezukhov means without ears)
@lysandergrey
Жыл бұрын
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.
@maggielikesphrogs596
Жыл бұрын
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!
@carolworthey2067
Жыл бұрын
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
@toddboothbee1361
Жыл бұрын
These great books indeed shouldn't be read in the forced march of a university curriculum. I'll have to save up some money for War and Peace, for the library where I live seems to lack literature for anyone older than twelve. Besides, I enjoy writing in a good, thick Penguin.
@vermadheeraj29
Жыл бұрын
A suggestion from me as I have just started reading War and Peace is to accompany it with the War and Peace opera composed by the great Sergei Prokofiev. It's absolutely breathtaking.
@pamfrankel8401
Жыл бұрын
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
@kathrynnielson5689
Жыл бұрын
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.
@michaelhenault1444
7 ай бұрын
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. 😉
@tabishs8052
6 ай бұрын
I am about to complete book 2. It gives me a hard time. How to make sense of it as much as possible. Please give a reply: I have to use a dictionary alot of times.😢
@marlaschole6099
Жыл бұрын
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.
@nedcassley5169
Жыл бұрын
I did something very strange, possibly unique. I read War and Peace and Vanity Fair simultaneously.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
That's awesome, Ned. How did you find the experience?
@nedcassley5169
Жыл бұрын
@Benjamin McEvoy It worked for me, but I'm eccentric. There certainly was no problem with keeping them separate in my mind. Thackeray is more my taste.
@lalitborabooks
Жыл бұрын
I am currently reading P & V translation. Enjoying it very much
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
I'm thrilled you're enjoying it!
@dom_mld
Жыл бұрын
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.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
30 pages per day is a beautiful pace! How wonderful you're reading the same copy as your mother :) Enjoy the journey, my friend!
@abdullah8525
Жыл бұрын
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 !
@Caliban_80
Жыл бұрын
I found that a brief primer on the Napoleonic period was very helpful for context when reading this book.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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!
@juliasampaio3364
Жыл бұрын
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!!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
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!
@amycrowell3972
Жыл бұрын
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. ☺️
@παυροεπής
Жыл бұрын
Borodinó (tonic accent on the last ó). Ваш энтузиазм очень трогательный.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Спасибо))
@Roland96351
Жыл бұрын
Perfect, this was my Christmas present! It was the final book I needed to complete my Great Books of the Western World set.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
What a brilliant Christmas present! Happy reading, B. J. :)
@montanalilac
Жыл бұрын
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!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
I'm so glad you found it helpful, Andrea! She's great :)
@jocquemorrison9785
Жыл бұрын
Excellent suggestion. Thank you
@Etherchannel
Жыл бұрын
For the people in the comments looking for a good edition I recommend the penguin deluxe edition which is translated by Anthony Briggs.
@blueyomogi
Жыл бұрын
You’re an excellent guide. I started the book two days ago. Thank you.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much :) I'd love to hear how you get on with it!
@MeinungMann
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video! Too bad I finished reading this book last week 😁 Still awesome though! I enjoy listening you talk about books I've already read. It helps to revise a book and keep it in my head for longer and I get to know some new details I might have missed out on
@sanjab240
Жыл бұрын
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.
@bethhardwicknemcek3597
Жыл бұрын
I read it last year in 13 days. I literally could not put it down. MASTERPIECE!
@govenormayor87
11 ай бұрын
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?
@272attwell
8 ай бұрын
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.
@annah5867
Жыл бұрын
Hi Benjamin. Me and my housemate watch all of your videos. They give us much to think about - thanks for making them…!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Hi Anna! Thank you both for watching :) I’m so happy you’re enjoying them together!
@ElaineDarlingtonBrown
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for such a stimulating and energetic start to the journey. I began W&P several weeks ago. It is the first time I've taken on a book of this length (and breadth). While I'm most definitely enjoying it enormously, I have to admit that I'm having difficulty with the military aspects/passages. This might be due to the fact that I'm not familiar with the geography and/or though I do have some general knowledge of Russian history I have never had any interest in war/battles. I'm certainly not averse to solving this situation, since I do want to get the most out of this experience. If anyone could give me advice, I'd be grateful.
@PinkbubblegumPop
Жыл бұрын
❤ Thank yoooooou for this ❤ 🏳️🌈🇱🇺🇮🇱 your blue blue beautiful eyes sparkle like the ocean on a sunny sunny day 💙 #CorkyCarla
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. That's so incredibly kind of you 🙏❤️
@buggybaka
Жыл бұрын
I really want you to read the Mahabharata. Its the longest epic poem and is so immersive it covers almost 5generations. It tells the story of everyone from their craddle to their kids, grandkids, and on for 5generations until and after the kurukshetra war. It is about the 100deamons in human form vs 5 demi gods fighting for the succession of a kingdom whom both think is rightfully theirs Day 1 of asking you to read the Mahabharata Edit: You will find difficulty for finding english versions but there is a penguin classics book. And if you want to go more in depth there is a set of 10 books releases by penguin classics each one of it is about 500 to 800 pages
@phandao5404
Жыл бұрын
Please make English subtitle . Your video is very interesting
@patricowen-meehan4210
Жыл бұрын
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.
@WorldCitizen333
Жыл бұрын
49:56 Ah that lofty sky of Austerlitz... one of the great moments in literature.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
One of my all time favourite passages!
@kimmyk3640
Жыл бұрын
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!!
@colshell5176
4 ай бұрын
I am going to buy this book. Sounds absolutely amazing.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
4 ай бұрын
I'm so happy to hear that! I hope you love it :)
@hugobeyer3116
Жыл бұрын
just finished the audio book last week, have found my self struggling with having to find something else to read after such a long, treacherous but mostly amazing journey of listening to war and peace
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Nice one on finishing it, Hugo. I completely relate to that! You feel like you've been living in Tolstoy's world, don't you? It's so disorienting when you come to the end!
@hugobeyer3116
Жыл бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoy completely agree, its such a long read that when I finished I was so sad to no longer live with these characters. Ive gone for a light read of daisy jones and the 6 before I go back into to something heavy again
@rachelbrown9816
Жыл бұрын
Came across your videos. Love them. You are so engaging. Just getting started on my first read of War & Peace!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Rachel! I can't wait to hear what you make of War & Peace :)
@danpaglinawan3256
2 ай бұрын
Just a month from now is the start of my new school year, I'm finally getting the chance to borrow a Filipino translation of War and Peace in my school library. Because of this video I am now more prepared than before to take on this leviathan of a book.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
2 ай бұрын
Wow!! That's so amazing to hear :) I hope you enjoy your journey through this incredible saga!
@danpaglinawan3256
2 ай бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thanks!!! I'm proud that my country is trying their best to preserve our mother tongue by translating these masterpieces. Right now they've translated some works of Charles Dickens's works: Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations; 7 Stories of Anton Chekhov; Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis; Shakespeare's King Lear; Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment; and many more in the distant future!
@rachelmcnamara3206
Жыл бұрын
I started War and Peace in December after you put out your Hardcore Literature Bookclub list... I'm surprised how readable it is... I'm having trouble keeping up with the characters but honestly that isn't bothering me so much.
@charlesandjane
Жыл бұрын
Hi Ben! My name is Everly, and I've been interested in Victorian literature for about 3 years now. I'm deeply invested in reading the Great Books mostly authored by Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Oscar Wilde. I just want to say that your channel has been such an inspiration to me, and I've learned a lot of meaningful reading techniques from you. As someone who just finished "The Importance of Being Earnest" and "Sense and Sensibility" and having enjoyed them, which of the other Great Books from that period would you recommend? I've also recently started reading more essays by Thoreau and Woolf as a side note, so I was wondering what other essays similar to those would you suggest? Thank you so much!
@marioknoll469
Жыл бұрын
happy new year! such an interesting channel, so much inspiration. i already read war and peace but you help me also to get trough pynchons against the day , which is 1600 pages in german. it is hard, really, but slowly and step by step I will master this.
@Kuzglamdring
Жыл бұрын
I listened War and peace and Anna Karenina audiobooks about a year ago in Russian. They seem to me quite similar in many levels, though WaP is too much didactical. After WaP I read Gone with the Wind, and it was much more penetrating, especially thoughts of Scarlet about war. Nevertheless, Tolstoy works are more suited for me than of Dostoevsky.
@jackiesliterarycorner
Жыл бұрын
I thought about joining you guys, but I wanted to prioritize Anna Karenina first, which I'm loving. I started reading War & Peace a couple years ago and do intend to get back to it.
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