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How to Read Tolstoy's War and Peace (Introductory Lecture) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-01-01 19:31:40
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2026-06
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Content

It’s time to begin our journey through Tolstoy’s masterpiece: War and Peace.

Our reading will teach us about history, aesthetics, morality, society, war, love, meaning, and the human condition. We will meet some incredible characters and, in doing so, ultimately meet ourselves.

Today we’re discussing how best to break into this sweeping saga and bring ourselves fully to one of the greatest works of literature ever written.

Topics discussed:

  • how to pace your reading
  • befriending the characters
  • utilising film adaptations
  • choosing your translation
  • Tolstoy's thoughts on art
  • Tolstoy’s thoughts on history
  • how to improve your imagination
  • journalling, marginalia & rereading

Video Timestamps:

  • 0:00 how to read Tolstoy’s War and Peace
  • 2:07 how to pace your reading of War and Peace
  • 3:00 on sublimity, the epic, and grand
  • 5:00 reading pace & habit creation
  • 7:17 War and Peace reading milestones
  • 9:13 how to make your reading rewarding
  • 10:07 an ultra-slow reading option
  • 11:02 choosing your translation of War and Peace
  • 12:21 the Anthony Briggs translation
  • 14:55 the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation
  • 15:40 the Maude & Garnett translations
  • 16:39 how to befriend the characters
  • 18:10 why Tolstoy’s characters are extraordinary
  • 21:57 how to remember character names
  • 25:12 the importance of looking things up
  • 26:01 giving yourself the gift of history
  • 27:00 learning about Napoleon
  • 29:30 Tolstoy’s meditations on warfare
  • 31:30 how to learn about history
  • 33:40 Tolstoy’s thoughts on history
  • 38:03 how to understand Tolstoy’s art
  • 39:07 the Tolstoic prose style
  • 42:10 what is War and Peace?
  • 45:45 appreciating adaptations
  • 48:34 journalling & marginalia
  • 50:27 the importance of discussion
  • 52:03 some questions for you

Reading Assignment:

Our next discussion will cover the first part of volume one, which takes us through the first 115 pages in the Penguin Briggs edition. 

So start making your way into the work, meeting those characters, and noting down any themes, ideas, or passages that personally resonate with you.

Resources Mentioned:

As we journey through War and Peace together, these posts will include recommendations for rich side avenues and extracurriculars (like music, art, documentaries, books). 

You may wish to pursue some of these in order to deepen your appreciation of this masterpiece. To get started, here are the resources mentioned in the above introductory video:

  • Film adaptation: Sergei Bondarchuk's Soviet film from 1966-7 is a cinematic masterpiece, and my personal recommendation for a great adaptation of War and Peace. You can complement your reading by watching the film here.
  • Recommended documentary: Lucy Worsley, one of my favourite historians, has a superb three-part documentary series on the history of Russia, which you can enjoy here. 
  • Book recommendation: The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes provides us with a swift and crisply written grounding in Russian History
  • Favoured line of journals: Having a dedicated journal for each great work of literature makes a fantastic keepsake for your journey, a memento of a moment in time. I like the Leuchturrm1917 range of bullet journals with dotted paper (the favoured pen is Muji).
  • Tolstoy's theory of art: You may find that Tolstoy's What Is Art? illuminates the great writer's aesthetic philosophy.  

Questions for You:

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece?

2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace?

3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? 

Happy reading, everybody!

Files

Previews only

How to Read Tolstoy's War and Peace

📚 Read Tolstoy's War and Peace with Hardcore Literature: https://www.patreon.com/hardcoreliterature ———————————— 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/70IZA24... (Subscribe to the Hardcore Literature Podcast on iTunes & Spotify) 🏫 https://hardcore-university.teachable... (Hardcore University, Exam Preparation Courses) ✍🏼 https://benjaminmcevoy.com My Personal Website ———————————— Hardcore Literature Lecture Series ———————————— 📔Contents Page: https://cutt.ly/CmNhRY3 🎖️ War and Peace: https://cutt.ly/U3nzGma 🎭 Shakespeare Project: https://cutt.ly/B3nxHH7 🐳 Moby Dick: https://cutt.ly/K3nzVKf ☄️ Blood Meridian: https://cutt.ly/P3nz6Qp 🍂 Wuthering Heights: https://cutt.ly/N3nxxYt 🇮🇪 Ulysses: https://cutt.ly/x3nxQmN 🚂 Anna Karenina: https://cutt.ly/vmNhAWv 💀 Crime and Punishment: https://cutt.ly/rmNhFt5 ⚓ Persuasion: https://cutt.ly/amNhX7b ☕ In Search of Lost Time: https://cutt.ly/5mNh8oD ⚔️ The Hero’s Journey: https://cutt.ly/UmNjrE3 🌸 Siddharta: https://cutt.ly/YmNjuzi 🎠 Don Quixote: https://cutt.ly/cmNjoK4 ❤️Shakespeare’s Sonnets: https://cutt.ly/nmNlW7V 🇫🇷 Les Misérables: https://cutt.ly/J3YixoA 🕯️ The Turn of the Screw: https://cutt.ly/nToAQQ3 🖋️ Dickens Seasonal Read: https://cutt.ly/9ToAybt 📖 Middlemarch Serial Reading: https://tinyurl.com/45rv965c ———————————— 0:00 how to read Tolstoy’s War and Peace 2:07 how to pace your reading of War and Peace 3:00 on sublimity, the epic, and grand 5:00 reading pace & habit creation 7:17 War and Peace reading milestones 9:13 how to make your reading rewarding 10:07 an ultra-slow reading option 11:02 choosing your translation of War and Peace 12:21 the Anthony Briggs translation 14:55 the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation 15:40 the Maude & Garnett translations 16:39 how to befriend the characters 18:10 why Tolstoy’s characters are extraordinary 21:57 how to remember character names 25:12 the importance of looking things up 26:01 giving yourself the gift of history 27:00 learning about Napoleon 29:30 Tolstoy’s meditations on warfare 31:30 how to learn about history 33:40 Tolstoy’s thoughts on history 38:03 how to understand Tolstoy’s art 39:07 the Tolstoic prose style 42:10 what is War and Peace? 45:45 appreciating adaptations 48:34 journalling & marginalia 50:27 the importance of discussion 52:03 some questions for you

Comments

Anna Rowe

I took Ben's advice and read The Story of Russia which I thought was very good. I learned a great deal and I enjoyed being able to fit the time- line of W&P into the greater Russian history. Thanks for the suggestion Ben.

Jetzabel Peniche

Hi Ben and Everyone, I am also reading Anna Karenina, slowly and reading War and peace. I just started reading and I’m on chapter 4. It’s very good. I am going to explore all the extra resources and watch that film . Thank you for sharing that Ben. I am hoping that by reading this book I will also learn more of that period of time and the war. I am terrible with history so I am hoping to learn new things . For this New Year, my only goal is to enjoy every second of my day and cherish it. Life is so short and is passing so quickly. My children are growing up so fast and I want to enjoy them and enjoy my moments with my husband m, drinking our tea at night and watching his favorite shows . Thanks Ben for your video! As always, they are excellent and so helpful.

John Remington

Joined the Book Club just last week, so only getting feet wet right now. I browsed some of the YouTube Hardcore Lit episodes and found them interesting. When I watched the 2023 Book Club reading list, I decided what the heck, I've been wanting to read many of those books anyway, so why wait longer?! I have owned the P&V translation for some time but it has only been put into service thus far as a sea-anchor on my bookshelf. I cracked it open last night before starting on this or the other intro talks on translations and How to Read Tolstoy, and discovered immediately the tracts of French (sadly, I am a complete French illiterate). I decided to invest in the Penguin/Briggs translation at Ben's recommendation, mainly because I don't want to be constantly back and forth to footnotes for the French translations. I'll let P&V be my re-read (maybe after I teach myself enough French to read those passages... yet another project!). I'm going to spend this week doing some background reading of European and Russian history (thanks for the suggestion of The Story of Russia, Ben) and watch a couple of Great Courses history series). Then I'll get started in earnest on W&P next weekend. I'll catch up in a couple of weeks!

hardcoreliterature
>>100230355

Welcome to the club, John! We're so happy you're here to experience this masterpiece with us. The P&V also makes a great dumbbell too :) I'm thrilled to hear that you've invested in the Briggs. I adore this translation. It's so smooth and completely immerses you in the world. I can't wait to hear your thoughts as you journey through this epic :)

Theresa Garton

My current relationship with Tolstoy is mostly beginning. I have a copy of War and Peace that I have never read. I have read Anna Karenina many years ago. I know little of Tolstoy. I enjoyed Ben's video above. I have gotten a copy of The Story of Russia from my library. Can soemone recommend a good biography of Tolstoy? I have looked at the wiki entry for him. I also have a recently acquired copy of What is Art. By reading this book, I am mostly hoping to enjoy a good story. A better understanding of Russia in general would also be a plus, especially in light of current events. I am sure I will also have a n interesting study of human nature in this book as well. My hope for my reading life in this year is to enjoy more great books.! I also hope to have a deep study in human nature, and my thoughts about that, as I journal about these books!!

Theresa Garton

OH!! And, I have a book, Empire of the Czars: A Journey Through Eternal Russia by the Marquis de Custine. It is the story of the author's travels in Russia, for 3 monthes in 1839. Tolstoy would have been a pre-teen boy at that time. I am going to supplement my reading of War and Peace with this.

Cindy

I just rejoined after a break of a year, really missed it. So good to be back, can't wait to start reading this epic saga. Just wanted to note that I appreciate the links for the extra sources we can explore. That's a lovely new addition I didn't see last year! Thank you :)

Mirjam
>>103027265

Ha Cindy, het is haast onmogelijk om mijn eerdere reactie terug te vinden dus ik reageer maar even hier. Wat leuk om een Nederlandse hier aan te treffen, we zijn inderdaad vrij dun gezaaid! Ik ben sinds november vorig jaar lid en vind het een fantastische plek. De BBC docu’s had ik inmiddels gevonden op YouTube maar dank voor de tip! Hoop je hier vaker te treffen en … happy Reading 😀

Frans van der Mark
>>103027265

Hi Mirjam, I feel I have to react to you being Dutch myself. I am a member since 2021 but recently I took a break which explains why I only now start on War and Peace... enjoy your reading!

Kate Araya

I just joined a few days ago, after taking Ben's advice on War & Peace. Now on Vol II Ch 13, when I found no one else with whom to discuss this book I realized I sincerely needed this book club in my life. I "read" Anna Karenina - defined as - I didn't take it in, I merely read it. And I look forward to one day re-reading it, but that is my relationship with Tolstoy as of yet. I actually decided to read the Maud(e?) translation because I have read a lot of classics and for me, if language is too modern it takes me out of the era. I am enjoying the book, but of course I am frustrated with the choices of many of the characters. Otherwise, it is a very easy read to be honest, other than remembering all of the Russian names, which the volume of the book itself makes it such a challenge. But I have taken notes upon meeting the characters, so I can remember who they are (especially when I have to put it down for a while (school), so I think its manageable. The rhythm of the stories, for me, is beautiful. I am enjoying it - and so much more than I did AK. I did not like AK going into it, but that's for another discussion. Either way, Ben's encouragement and the encouragement of fellow members, in reading your comments, makes it easy to continue to pick it up. I am really enjoying this book so much more than I would have on a solo journey. Thank you all and thank you Ben! ** Just rec'd my Penguin Classic paperback of W& P and so excited to take notes. I missed having a tangible book in my hands.

Kate Araya

I am actually enjoying Briggs ed. much more than the Maude version, which is what I originally started to read. I was under the impression it would be too modern in language, but I find it very much in tune with the era than I thought, and I also appreciate Briggs' use of the character names in their original Russian form. "Prince Andrew" and "Mary" were distracting in Maude's, and I do not understand why they felt it was necessary to change them, although I have a few thoughts as to possibilities. But Briggs v. is gorgeous. And I am feeling a deeper connection and excitement in reading it. For example, one of my favorite lines (Vol. II, Part III, Chapter III) pg 459 in Briggs - "It now seemed absolutely clear that all his life experience would count for nothing if he failed to make practical use of it by starting to lead an active life again." And Maude - "It now seemed clear to him that all his experience of life must be senselessly wasted unless he applied it to some kind of work and played an active part in life." Maude loses the awakening and determination, I think, in Andrey, as it loses rhythm. And Briggs version, in my opinion, really deepens the beauty of Andrey's thought and helps it to resonate instantly and personally with almost every reader, as we all want to find meaning and be of use, yes?

Anna B.

Hi, I’m reading War and Peace for the first time , I’ve read to page 275 then stopped to read Tale of Genji with the book club, but I think I’ll start over fresh. This will be my first read of it ! ( ha- besides the first 275 pages). Excited to listen to these lectures and post thoughts ( I know it’s like 1 1/2years after the videos but it will be fun to go back and listen and read and journal and post here and learn and maybe someone else will come along in the future - it’s just nice to formulate your thoughts and answer the questions, it may feel like I’m on a lone journey but that’s ok! Plus I have the videos and comments !) I picked up a History of Russia by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky that I’ll be reading bit by bit, though now I want to pick up Ben’s recommendation! This one will do just fine I think. I’ve read AK before when I was in college and around that time his confessions. I loved AK and am ready for a re- read almost 20 years later it will almost feel like a first time reading. But first War and Peace ! I have the Briggs edition in a penguin deluxe and it’s just gorgeous with a black and gold or bronze cover with an exquisite chandelier floating on the front. The pages are the most wonderfully smooth archival paper falling in a leaf pattern on the outside edge. Beautiful ! what do I want to get out of it? Experience his great writing- open to fascinating ideas and fascinating character insights. I’m also interested in Russia and it’s people- I’m so sad about the 20th century events the rise of Lenin and Stalin and wondering could Russia have become the best and most magnificent dream ever - how did it not ? and at certain times to some a nightmare. How do we keep getting it wrong as societies? I’m interested in Russian society - and the grand society as well - I have a little CD set of Tchaikovsky ballets that I bought at the gift shop at the Opera Garnier in Paris and I keep it at the top of my shelf. I’m interested in this Russian dream and in Tolstoy’s Russia and in the people who inspired him ! So War and Peace and me for a little while ….!

Josie Swallow

I’m reading W&P for the first time too. I joined the book club in Jan 24 and one of my back-catalogue reads was Anna Karenina. I had no expectations really and was blown away by it, simply fabulous. I’m excited to see if W&P has the same effect on me. I recently enjoyed the 2016 BBC TV adaptation of War and Peace, which I hope will help me sort out the principal characters, as I already have an image of them in my mind. Looking forward to the discussions!

Philip M.

I’m very excited to join the book club and make my way through War and Peace! I’m reading a cherished 1942 edition that I picked up at a second-hand store years ago. It’s the Maude translation, and there’s something stirring about reading a book that was published in March of that momentous year as young men across the country first set out for war just as Tolstoy’s characters did. I can only wonder who may have first owned this book — perhaps a soldier himself, or his parents, who waited lovingly for him to return and carry out his life as before. Happy reading, everyone.

Buddhamma

It's here! The moment I've been waiting for!! Time to devour War and Peace. Thanks for the lecture Ben!

Nifty Skates

I got the P&V translation. Hope it doesn't interfere too much with this discussion.

Heather Preston

I am so thrilled to be going through this with you all. Reading has been a solitary affair for most of my life, so this will surely be a delightful change. I just finished Les Misérables last night (I’ll never recover) and am looking forward to this. Thanks, Ben.

Nifty Skates
>>98690037

Yes this is so new and refreshing for me as I've been studying in a bubble. Been looking forward to this from the new year.

Rashmi
>>98689385

Me too! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this lecture. A great way to start 2023! Thank you, Ben!

Elizabeth Kerridge

Hello and happy new year, everyone! I'm excited to be starting the book club with everyone (first year). Q1: I haven't read any Tolstoy yet. I had attempted Dostoevsky as a teen which ended in a DNF and my writing off of the Russian novel. Now as a full fledged adult with Proust under my belt, I am not only ready for Tolstoy but am actually looking forward to it. Q2: I hope to get a different perspective of the Napoleonic Era as well as insight into Russian history/ideas. I read the Horatio Hornblower series and Vanity Fair and was intrigued by the time period but would like something other than the British point of view. Q3: 2023 feels like a weird time. The pandemic years really took a toll on my mental health and sadly my reading took a hit. I only recently felt like I was back up to my regular speed and attention. So this year I want to start taking my life back from the past few years. I want to see and make more art. I want to read more books. I want to spend more time in nature. I want to take time for me to learn about any topic that strikes my fancy. Essentially start to work on becoming more well rounded and centered.

Ellen M
>>98692546

Welcome Elizabeth! Your post reminds me of my thought process when I joined last year. It was my attempt to detox from doom scrolling, wasting time & energy on the negativity of the world events & get back to me. It was the wnst decision ever and the highlight of my year. I lose myself in the lectures, the books and gain such insight from the comments of the members. It’s a much needed warm little nook in my life- I’m sure you’ll agree in no time!

Kyle Smith

Now I’m actually worried about reading the book too quickly! (I walk a lot and have the audible.) I was planning on going in like gangbusters and polishing it off by the time we read The Bros K. Is this not the way to do it? And if not, should I plan to be reading this Tolstoy and that Doestoevsky simultaneously, at least at the time that we begin the Bros K?

Ellen M

This will be my second reading of War & Peace. I was fresh out of university the first time, and on a path of self scholarship. I had decided to work my way through the big Russian titles after a steady diet of English classics and started with Tolstoy, which of course ensured that every other novel paled in comparison. I considered it the best book I’d ever read, and perhaps still do. I don’t know why I never read it again. I remeber carrying my brick of a book on the commute to work on the NYC subway , devouring it because I couldn’t put it down, and eager to not have the weight in my bag anymore either 😂 I’m very curious to see how my perceptions will change with this read. I fell in love with Prince Andrei back then, and I’m fully prepared to renew my relationship with him! I’d love to dig into more Russian history, and also do a deep dive into Napoleon. I adore the history and real people mixed into the fiction of the story. For this year I’d love to continue to embrace slow reading and keep immersing myself in our syllabus. It was so refreshing to not be piling up the number of titles I read last year, and truly ‘live’ our great books. I find myself thinking of Hamlet and Macbeth all the time, not only the stories but the actual people. And now to be reacquainting myself with Andrei, Pierre & Natasha- like returning to old friends. I’m so looking forward to the group read. This was a great lecture to kick off this much anticipated read for me!!

Mirjam

My heart skipped a beat when I got the notification that the first lecture on W&P was posted! I had some time off during the holidays and I already started and have made it through to page 800, but I will surely go back rereading to follow the pace of the lectures. I love the book, as I loved Anna Karenina (even got my sister and mother to pick it up, though my mum had to read the Dutch translation which in my view is not so great, so she is struggeling a bit). I guess this anwers Q1. Q2 I hope to learn more on the history of Russia and Europe; I have picked up some things along the way already (I had never heard of the continental system for instance) and I recently learned that I share my birthday with Napoleon, not sure how I feel about that… I find that a little more knowledge of Russia and the military also helps to understand current events on the global stage a bit better. I will certainly pick up the Orlando Figes book. The BBC documentaries are unfortunalty not available outside the UK, but the film is! Q3 my resolution for this year is to read and write more, and I have already started since I joined this wonderful bookclub in November. It has already brought me so much, I cannot thank you enough Ben for all the time and effort you put into the lectures!

ALEX LEMON

Great lecture, Ben! I finished volume 1 last night and tried to put it down but the events at the beginning of volume 2 just sucked me right back in. Amazing book.

Sally

I’m really looking forward to reading this with you all. I don’t have any experience with Tolstoy or Russian history, so I think I will watch the film and documentaries mentioned to give myself a better sense of time and place before I start reading.

Jeffrey Jackson

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? I have previously read War and Peace twice, both times using the Maude translation. I also read Anna Karenina about 6 or 7 years ago. This time for War and Peace I’m using the Briggs. When I last read War and Peace, I tried the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation, but I don’t read French, and I found it very frustrating to refer to all the English translations every time there was something in French. And there is quite a bit of French, especially in the beginning. 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I am hoping to gain deeper understanding of this amazing book through the insights of Benjamin and other readers in the club. 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? Life finds me at the transition of middle-age to early senior citizenship. It finds me at the stage of no longer having children at home, and not yet having grandchildren. It also finds me at the stage of wondering how long to continue working, and how do I find meaning and purpose in this very different stage of life. I think War and Peace offers some advice for these issues, if I allow myself to be open to take that advice. For 2023 I have in mind the goal of increasing simplicity in my life. I desire to declutter my house and my life in general, and to remind myself that happiness is not found in the pursuit of material possessions. Happy reading everyone! Jeff.

Caroline P

Hello Bookclub friends. I read Anna Karenina a long time ago and need to reread it, but I have never read War and Peace. I am not sure what held me back from it, not the size so much but possibly the fear of failure. And then feeling that failure so much I would get put off picking up other classics. That is definitely something I have overcome and that is due hugely to this book club. I mean getting to read Ulysses, Plato and Shakespeare particularly has made me feel I can conquer a lot of my literary Everests. So. I have my crampons and ropes ready to make my first attempt on War and Peace. I hope I am going to understand and enjoy (if you see what I mean) the War parts. I just read the Iliad and found, unexpectedly, that I really, really liked it. I am a bit worried I won’t understand the battles and geography of the time.. but Google and YouTube may be my friend. Hopefully. I have no resolutions for the new year but I hope to do a little study and more reading of Ancient Greek and Roman literature.. And I want to finish my Shakespeare textile project, which may take til March.. it just keeps growing. Anyway, I look forward to lots of war and peace discussion here. What fun this year is going to be

Mary Anne Dufault

Good afternoon, I am a new member. I recently finished Anna Karenina and Moby Dick. I am looking forward to my first reading of War and Peace as well as becoming an active member of this community. Thank you Ben, for your time and care for this group.

Claudine

Hello to all! I’m a new member to the bookclub, and am so excited to be taking this journey with all of you. And thank you, Ben, for the guidance. I’ve not read War and Peace yet, and am currently sorting out the translation question. I’m hoping to go back and forth between audiobook and print reading—maybe not ideal, but I need to take advantage of walking and driving time in order to fit a gloriously heavy reading schedule into my life. My somewhat limited history with the Russians consists of Crime and Punishment a few years ago and Anna Karenina and Doctor Zhivago in high school. I had to write a report comparing the theme of marriage in AK vs. DZ, but of course I waited until the last minute to read both. Needless to say, my experience was suboptimal, though I definitely liked both books even under such procrastination-based speed-reading conditions. I’m really looking forward to doing some serious deep reading this year, as an antidote to what feels like too much junk media consumption that disappears from my consciousness immediately. Happy new year to all!

Canton Little

Good afternoon all! This is my first time reading War and Peace. My parents are joining me in tackling this behemoth of a book. Currently, I'm reading Anna Karenina, so I am familiar with Tolstoy. I hope to obtain a better understanding of myself, Russian history, and human relationships from this work. My New Year's Resolutions are a reading list. For the next 5-7 years, I'm going to read the entire Western Canon. My inspiration for this is from Ben's website post, "Intellectually Ambitious 5-Year Reading Plan." Ultimately, I wish to become a more dedicated and avid reader. I look forward to this year! Read deeply!

Mike Botteley

While I have Briggs, my fiancé has started with a Polish translation!

Hyper

This is my first time reading Tolstoy of any sort. I want to experience the novel at its fullest. I am taking life one step at a time. I have no resolutions other than to go through this reading schedule for the year.

Amber Sauer

This will be my first time reading Tolstoy and very much appreciate the lecture so that I can get the most out of it. I do feel like I need to go do some calisthenics to get ready for it though, haha!

Jan Mariolle

I read War and Peace when I was in my later twenties and felt especially connected with Natasha and Prince Andrew at that time. I have just completed volume one of the three volume Maude translation set, and I was surprised to find myself engrossed with the struggles of Pierre. Not only have I been terribly unsuccessful in love, like young Pierre, the struggle to “do good” is sometimes coupled with unexpected incompetence. Overcoming the fault of naïveté has been a lifelong pursuit. It’s jarring to see ones self so easily mirrored by the error in another. I knew something profound was happening when I found myself anxious and restless while Pierre was being used by so many. However, I find myself both loving and forgiving him for his failings. Clearly his heart is in the right place, life will teach him the rest. Perhaps this will be true for me as well. I am so happy to be reading this brilliant book with our dedicated readers. Benjamin, as always, fantastic lecture! I can’t wait for more.

Erik Moen Wallin

I am new member to the book club and I will be reading War and Peace for the first time as many others here. I will however be reading it in Swedish, so we will see how that works out.

Helen Brady

I just joined the book club last week and I’ve begun reading War and Peace. I’m looking forward to growing personally and spiritually as I slowly read with this group.

Helen Brady

Ben I just watched the first video on W&P. I appreciate the research and work you put into this production. Reading along with the group and guided by your lectures promises to be an enriching and rewarding experience. Thank you for your work and happy new year!

Andrew Kiepek

Hey everybody! This is my first year with the book club and my first foray into the great literature classics. I am intimidated by the required dedication to deeply read and live these masterpieces while studying as a full-time nursing student, but I have faith that I can find the proper balance to fulfill my goals in both endeavors. I am thrilled by this opportunity and continually inspired by each video I watch and comment that I read on this feed. I can't wait to share this experience with all of you! Also, I'm not aware if there is a formal schedule or regular intervals between lectures. If there is, I would love to know so that I may properly plan my readings to be done in time for the lecture.

Jenny

Hello and Happy New Year everyone. I am a new member and really looking forward to getting stuck into a deep reading of the books in this years programme. I have been following Ben for a few months on YouTube and he has inspired me to delve into the classics with more focus than I would have otherwise done. I am at that time of life when I have time on my hands with my son going off to university this year and I am retired from my self employment. I am also waiting for a hip replacement. Last year I read more books than I’ve probably read in my life but the bulk of them were forgettable crime fiction. I am now on a quest to read mostly classics and have recently read Proust - In search of lost time and am nearing the end of George Eliots Middlemarch. I am a big fan of Jane Austin and my favourite book at the moment is Pride and Prejudice which I have read several times. I look forward to getting to know others in this book club and discussing the great works we are about to read.

Maria Knickerbocker

Hi Everyone. This is my first time reading War and Peace. I am a bit intimidated by it and am thinking of reading it slowly. I don’t want to take an entire year but really want to understand the book and history. I never read Russian literature. Is anyone else thinking g of taking more time with the book? I also plan on watching the documentaries and annotating my book. Thank you Ben. I learn so much from your videos. Your knowledge on literature is impressive.

Hazel Sun
>>98698366

I’m reading the Polish translation in addition to the English one.

Aditi Nyol

Hello everyone! Wish you all a very happy and purposeful new year. I'm a new member to book club from India. I'm very excited to embark on this very exciting journey with you all . It's been few days since I've ordered my copy of war & peace & I'm finding it very difficult to lay my hands on it . It's my first time reading war and pace or rather any classical literature. Through this reading i would love to find my love for great literature and develop a passion for deep readings and finer quality of art . I'm currently set on a goal to clear my civil service examination conducted here in India and I don't know why but i feel this reading journey is going to push me through my goal and help me in various ways. Thank you Ben you're a friend and guide in disguise

Marina

Hello everyone and thank you, Ben, for your amazing lectures. I joined the book club in the fall, and started reading, but was not reading along, except for Proust and a couple of “older” novels from the club reading list. Now I am very excited to start reading along with everybody and actively participate in discussions. Russian is my first language, although I have lived in Canada since 1997. I read Tolstoy in my youth and watched The movie, but for some reason preferred Dostoevsky then. It will be interesting to re-read. I ordered Briggs’, but planning to read again in Russian and listen to an audiobook in English in my commute. Where I am in my life? At a place where I want to read again, to become a serious reader, with the ability to understand and enjoy the depth of the literature. I find your lectures, Ben, are a perfect tool and inspiration for me to achieve my goals. What do I expect from reading War and Peace now? I am very curious to see how my take on the literature has changed over the years. Hopefully, I will gain insights which I didn’t get first time I read Tolstoy. Looking forward to the new chapter in my life, while deeply reading.

Jenny
>>98695857

Hello Jeffrey. I am a new member and this will be my first reading of WAP. I am looking forward to learning about the history of Russia through the eyes of Tolstoy. My best friend is Russian so it will be interesting to see how the book compares to what she was taught. I am also transitioning into full retirement and want to use my free time in learning rather than wasting hours on social media. My other aims for this year are like yours in that I want to simply my life and declutter the house. My son goes to university this year so that will be another major change.

Barbara Clary

Hello. I'm new to the book club. I'm very excited to deep dive into some great books this year. I read a lot but I was disappointed in the quality of my reading in 2022 so I decided to join and challenge myself for 2023. I'm not sure I will be able to keep up but I will do my best. The only Tolstoy I have read is The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Looking forward to deepening my understanding of Tolstoy and the history of Russia through War and Peace.

John Ward

Thanks for another inspiring intro Ben. I've already started my fourth reading of War and Peace. I was a bit disappointed on my third read a few years ago because I read it on my Kindle and rushed through it. But this was redeemed by discovering Prokoviev's great opera. This time I have purchased your recommended Briggs translation which I think is quite brilliant and has brought back the magic of this great work. I am taking a deeper reading approach trying to view the early part of the book like I did when reading The Mystery of Edwin Drood, even though I know the ending of this work, and am really enjoying the art with which Tolstoy develops each character. I shall leave another watch of the opera to celebrate finishing the book but have started to watch the film you recommended as I progress.

Cai Vail

So looking forward to working through this novel with you all! I’m reading the P&V translation as I treated myself to the collection of all of the beautiful vintage Russian classics series last year. I don’t read French but hopefully it won’t be too much of a detriment. Last year was my entre into Tolstoy through AK and many of his shorter works, and he instantly earned my highest admiration as a writer. With the books finally closed on 2022, I want to express my gratitude to your continued efforts with this book club, Ben. I know it’s a professional venture but it’s also truly meant a lot to many of us. I made it through 2022 by the skin of my teeth thanks to an relentless onslaught of medical issues, and reading through the book club was one of the few enjoyable pursuits I was able to indulge in through it all. In fact, I joined the book club after reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich in the days following a particularly scary hospital stay, and finding comfort in Tolstoy’s shared fears and musings on life and death. My sincerest thanks and best wishes for this year’s ambitious roster of readings and lectures!

Hazel Sun

My first time with Tolstoy. I have the Maude / Mandelker edition which I’m not loving but it’s good enough. No, it’s great, it just doesn’t sound authentic to me. So I also purchased a 1970 Polish edition. I’m loving that one. 2023 goals - I would love to keep up with the book club. I would like to journal more, write. I want to focus on my wellbeing. I want to spend a lot of time with TS Eliot (I’m repeating myself, I know). 🙂 I am not a good goal setter - thank you for setting some of them for me 😁

Gretchen McTavish

Greetings, I am also a new member and looking forward to the structure this book club offers. To answer the questions: I’ve read a couple books about Tolstoy and his wife, including Jay Parini’s Last Station, and I’ve read great chunks of War and Peace but have never finished it. On the other hand, I am currently reading Anna Karenina for probably the fourth or fifth time, this rereading prompted by reading Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow. I absolutely adore AK, Levin in particular and find the descriptions of country estate life completely engaging. Tolstoy’s descriptions of the natural world, the sights and sounds and smells of a brisk morning are breath-taking. I’m also so intrigued during this reading with all the emotions surrounding relationships, Levin and Kitty’s especially, as they fall in love and begin their marriage. Misunderstandings, jealousies, new learnings about each other are portrayed in such realistic and relatable ways. I have great empathy for Anna also; her marriage was rocky from the outset, she’s a deeply passionate woman, and I understand her attraction to Vronsky, who I am appreciating more during this reading. I have also read some of Tolstoy’s writings about religion, some short stories, and Resurrection, a shorter book I thoroughly enjoyed. What do I hope to get out of reading War and Peace? Firstly, I simply want to say that I’ve completed War and Peace. I have a Master’s degree in English and should have read this already. I recall a beloved professor, Dr. Chauhan, telling our class about his encounter with W&P, how he neglected exam preparation and spent one week totally engrossed in reading it. It is not that I have not figured out how to read a long book; I simply have gotten bogged down in the sections about warfare. I’m thinking some good historical background may be helpful. I’ve read enough Russian literature to not be put off by the names. Having a group of co-readers to be somewhat accountable to and engaged with should be a good reason to persevere. I purchased the recommended translation and am glad that it does not include the French, which I found a deterrent to reading previously. Where does life find me? Life finds me in the second year of retirement in Sarasota, Florida, retired from twenty-seven years of teaching high school English in a charming private school in southeastern Pennsylvania. I loved my work but am delighted to be reading to my heart’s content, as well as swimming daily and walking the beach a couple times a month. I elected to join the Hardcore Literature BC because I wanted to be engaged, to a degree, with other serious readers who also love classic literature. I recognized after a year of reading whatever appealed to me at the moment that there were some books I had not read, books I consider essential for a well-educated person to have read and considered thoughtfully. My one goal is to stick with this book club and read all that is suggested.

Helen Brady

In the US the 1965 Russian movie adaptation of W&P is streaming on HBO MAX.

Cynaria

Happy new year, everyone! This is my first read with the book club and my first of Tolstoy’s work! I missed out on the higher education experience, so I haven’t read any of the books on the syllabus for this year (not even Lord of the Rings! Though I have read The Hobbit). I’m grateful to have the opportunity to expand my reading horizons with you all 🙂. I’m hoping there will be ample opportunities for self reflection while reading and to learn a bit of history along the way. I don’t really have any sort of resolutions for this year, but I do a have a word of the year, which will guide me in making this a memorable and productive year. 2023’s word is “create”. I’m looking forward to it! Now, off to read!

kimberly mccaig

I am new to a lot of great literature and have been looking for a guide for deeper understanding. This intro has me very excited Ben!

Cai Vail
>>98702165

Also, I wanted to ask, has anyone read Natasha’s Dance by Figes? I have recently read a different political history of Russia and am wondering if this one may be more relevant to W&P?

John Chiosi

I’m so excited for this! I joined the book club last year but was just a lurker 🫣 and read from the back catalog. I just finished Anna Karenina so I guess I am in my Tolstoy phase 😆. I’m looking forward to an exciting 2023!

Mary Haase

I have not read anything by Tolstoy. I think that is a failing of mine and I hope to receive the gift that he intended to give when he wrote it. I hope to honor the great effort that went in to writing and translating the book by understanding and internalizing it’s themes. I am new to this club, or any sort of online community. I am a retired nurse, in my 60s with the youngest grandchildren in their teens. The last several years of my life have been marked with tragedy, leaving me in an almost constant state of grief. I need change and I need to do something for me. For most of my adult life I put my love of reading on hold to care for others and now I believe it is my time. The big goal is to dive into new worlds, immersing myself in the personalities and stories and loosening the chains of grief.

P J FREEMAN
>>98696283

Regarding the battles, Segei Bondarchuk’s W&P film has war scenes unlike any I have ever seen in movies. Also, I came away from that film better understanding the major battles. Prior to this I had never known what had happened to Moscow and to Russia in general in this time period.

Pia

Hello from Finland and happy new year! I just joined the book club and this is will be my first read of Tolstoy. I am especially excited about the different rabbit holes, extra readings and documentaries. I am working on my PhD right now (still early stages, and not related to literature), so this year I’m hoping to become more intentional with my reading and I’m hoping to develop some solid reading habits.

Sean

I definitely feel intimidated by this work, but I’m very excited to get started. I’m planning to watch each part of the Bondarchuk film as I work my way through it, which will complement the experience nicely. This intro lecture is fantastic! It’s clear that this work is something one carries with themselves for a lifetime, so I’m very much looking forward to the lectures and discussions. Happy New Year, everyone!

David Brown

hello all and 2023! I feel a special connection to Tolstoy and Russian history. I decided to listen to the audiobook of Anna Karenina in 2021. I had not read the book yet in my life (or War and Peace). At the end of 2021 I also listened to the audiobook of War and Peace. From my journal - "It is November 4th, 2021 about 8am and this is the day that the audiobook of War and Peace as narrated by Thandiwe Newton will be available on Audible.....I finished this 60 hour audiobook on November 27 2021 at 5:15pm. It was extraordinary. Yes it was an intense journey. I averaged 2.5 hours per day, it was that engaging." What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? As a re-read (audiobook with Thandiwe Newton) I am already experiencing the story and enjoying the characters again. I expect to gain a much deeper level of appreciation, empathy, and knowledge of this masterpiece the second time around, especially with Ben's excellent videos. ,,,,,, where life finds me right now. Do I have any goals or resolutions for 2023?  As I have mentioned, I am an expat in Mexico, and recently celebrated my five year anniversary of arriving here with a one way ticket December 30 2017. I love living in Mexico and fell in love with my wife (Mexican) in 2018 and we married in 2019. I have a new commitment to write 30 minutes minimum every morning in 2023. To try to learn more Spanish, and increase my morning walks beyond a half hour. To finish a book I am working on. The great books schedule is also a very important goal. And as my wife and I affirm, "Vivir la vida", live the life. we celebrate every day with gratitude.

Meg

Hi everyone! I can’t wait to get started on the great adventure that is War & Peace! It is my first Tolstoy novel and I am certainly feeling a little intimidated, but also very excited to embark on the journey.

Tiffany Farfan

This is my first time reading Tolstoy. I have tended to avoid literature books outside of assigned reading assignments in classes. I think the only one I've ever picked up willingly is Jane Eyre which I loved. I think the idea that I had to versus I wanted to made me steer away from Great Literature. During college, a lot of reading for pleasure was put on pause for me but in 2022, I read 150+ books and reignited my passion for reading. While I found so many great reads and uncovered new genres and voices I felt a lot of that feeling Ben spoke of. Wanting more from my books and wanting to live my books more rather than getting through them all. Instant gratification was creating burnout. I started reading War and Peace in late December because I wanted to be sure I could get into the book before committing to paying for this and Ben is right--I have to force myself to put it down and stick to my 4 chapters a day goal. As for my stage in life, I am starting over. I moved back to the east coast of the USA, work in New York City, and am moving into a new apartment soon, fresh off a long-term relationship. I'm not one much for resolutions but I do believe in picking out a theme and making choices associated with it. My theme this year is "intentional" and I want to build habits that ensure I am not just letting life pass me by but intentionally choosing what I consume, participate in, and who I communicate with. I have a feeling this book club is going to help me achieve these goals, not just in reading, but apply those lessons to life.

Bill Markland

This is my second time reading W&P. I had avoided reading Russian authors my whole reading life due to my inability to get to grips with the Russian names - so many ski's! Reading with Audible supplementation was a break through for me. Unfortunately, the Audible version available is not the Briggs translation but it is very close and still worth while. I also printed out W&P character interaction diagrams - search on google images, and kept it as a place holder;, in particular the character list from the BBC 2016 version of W&P, with pictures of the main characters. The Lucy Worsley documentary is first class. Also supplement with Napolean in Russia by Epic History TV on YouTube. I might suggest reading Part I twice to get a real grip of the characters. I started my second reading over Xmas and it just flowed for me compared to my first reading.

Matt Mauren
>>98706150

That’s a great idea! I’m totally going to borrow your approach and find that Google image. Thanks for the hot tip!

Matt Mauren
>>98703353

Welcome to the club, Mary! You’re going to be hard-pressed to find a more nurturing and engaging crew than those you’ll find here. And I’m glad you’re among our ranks! 😁

Kari Y

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? I read *Anna Karenina* about 15 years ago without knowing the ending beforehand, which seems shocking to me now; it feels like references to the book and that infamous scene are everywhere. I've never read *War and Peace* (or seen any of the film adaptations), and I'm anticipating that I'll have a similar experience, especially with everything going on in the world right now. 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of _War and Peace_? I'm a lifelong reader, and I've worked in the book industry in one way or another for over two decades; however, I'm burned out, and I've rather lost my passion for reading. I'm looking for a deep experience to help reconnect with literature--for personal meaning and for a better understanding of the world. 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023?  I am a bit of a planner, and I set up projects for goals for home, work, and recreation in early December, but I had to adjust everything after stumbling across Hardcore Literature on YouTube. My goal is to read *War & Peace*, possibly*Prometheus Unbound* as well as others on the 2023 syllabus--I'm just going to see how it goes as I step back into a reading life.

Helena Chen

Hello Everyone and happy New Year! I’m bilingual (English and Russian) and I read “War and Peace” in the original language some time ago. What has drawn me back to this book (and this time I’m going to read it in Briggs translation) is the current Russia-Ukraine situation and my hope to find some answers about why history takes such cruel turns at times. I’m Russian/Polish/Ukrainian, living in the US, married to a Canadian born Taiwanese US citizen. United Nations of people per se. I guess placing myself in the shoes of a person who lived through times as brutal historically as post February 24th 2022, might help me to digest in a way the current context. Tolstoy, unlike Dostoevsky, is an optimist, so I’m looking forward to an influx of positivity I can recall when I read “War and Peace”.

Adam Behnen

I have always struggled with remembering names. Fantastic idea to put a box around the character's name and underlining a descriptor. When I began reading yesterday, I found myself going back several pages to find the character. This technique will definitely help. I am shooting for about 25 pages per day.

Laura Malley

Hi from North Vancouver, Canada. This is my first time reading W&P and I am already getting sucked into the story. I am boxing the names and that is helping a lot to keep things organized. I think this a great book to read during the winter and I find it cozy to pour a cup of coffee and delve into the the world of W&P. I am having a hard time pacing myself so I am pausing to think about three chapters at a time. Making sure that I am capturing the scenes and the characters. Hope everyone has a great year and looking forward to all the reads on the list.

David Holmes

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? I read “War and Peace” for the first time in the Spring of last year. I listened to the Audible version of the Maud translation. There were several Audible books to choose from. I chose the one that was read by Thandiwe Newton. I put a great deal of emphasis on the narrator when I have a choice. With multiple versions I listen to all the samples. I’ve always assumed “War and Peace” as a “man’s novel“. I was intrigued that the publisher had chosen an actress to perform this classic. I had chosen a woman translation so why not a woman reader? It was a fortuitous choice. So much of the novel is about women and women’s perspective on “their” men who go to war and they’re grieving for the loss or uncertainty of not knowing the status of their kinsman or friends “at the front”. I found it was, quite credibly, a “woman’s novel”. When I finished and realized this, I made a connection to Tolstoy’s religious masterpiece “The Kingdom of God is Within Us” which I read while in college and which is very much antiwar. The only other novel by Tolstoy that I’ve read is “The Death of Illich”. I will be bold and say that I tried to read “Anna Karenina” year before last and gave up after about 200 pages. It simply wasn’t my cup of tea. Not only the number characters are problematic, but also all the nicknames. I decided there were plenty of excellent novels with same plot that were shorter. 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I won’t be reading “War and Peace” with th Book Club because I need time before I reread. But all the points or tips that Ben mentioned are quite interesting and I enjoyed the video very much. As with other books that the Book Club reads that I don’t, I will watch all the videos, read all the comments, and throw in my two cents once in a while. I found Tolstoy’s comments and mini-essays on war within the novel to be very on-point and profound - not surprising having read his religious masterpiece.

June.

Hi Laura,I am just across the Salish Sea on Vancouver Island. I read. ANNA KARENINA recently with a local book club, Crime and Punishment a long time ago ,saw a number of Tchekov plays when young, but never War and Peace. Ooh and of course, The Gulag Peninsula,the modern horror story and the ones about Cossacks. Not very cohesive.Clearly I do like Russian literature but have avoided the big one. So looking forward to it now. The Briggs edition is in the post so I have been reading the Maude after blowing off the dust! Just as an introduction-I am a ninety year old Anglo-Welsh Canadian learning Welsh on duolinga, drawing and painting, walking not driving and planning to live to be 91 with much deeper reading than of late.. eye sight good so far. A Pisces like Ben.Thank you Ben for arriving in my life just now.

Debbie Simon

Thank you for the helpful video and breaking down how best to read War and Peace. I have attempted to read it twice. I am incredibly grateful for the organization and community this time around. I feel more confident than ever that I will finish it. I read Anna Karinina years ago but I am certainly not that person anymore. I look forward most to the spiritual and historical aspects of W&P and of course getting incredible insight from this group.

Ann Nicholls

I am new to the bookclub, having fallen in love with Ben's enthusiasm and extensive knowledge on YouTube. I've never read Tolstoy; not only am I looking forward to reading W&P but also going off into art, music and history tangents. I really do feel the need for a classical education. Thank you Ben for this opportunity.

Susan Graham

Hello all! Great lecture, Ben. I read Anna Karenina about five years ago. Loved it. Blew me away. This one has been on my TBR list for ever. I tried it a few years ago, but it wasn’t the right time. Looking forward to sinking into it this time. I always feel like I missed the Russians as a student. I read Crime and Punishment on my own a few years ago and struggled with it. I’m looking forward to reading this In community with others. I miss that in my adult life. My favorite parts of grad school were the discussions with other people just as passionate and nerdy as myself. I’m hoping that 2023 will be a great year. My main goals (intentions, to be more precise) for this year are to read more lovingly, write more joyfully, climb more mountains, and love my family more authentically.

Susan Graham
>>98709331

I look forward to reading some of your insights. I loved Crime and Punishment but it was definitely dark and grimy. Starting the new year with some optimism sounds good to me.

Glenda Smith

I am quite sure that I read War & Peace many many years ago, but I have little memory of it, so I feel like a first-timer. I love the approach of using the novel as a launchpad to learn a little bit of Russian history. My goal for this year is to keep up with the ambitious book club reading!

Jodie

Hello book friends! I’m new to book club and thrilled to be spending the year enjoying the classics. I’m an avid reader in my 50s but have sadly not read much classic literature up to this point. I have not read Tolstoy other than his short story How Much Land Does A Man Need? I’m very excited to learn more about the history of this time period and the Russian culture. I have many goals for the New Year but finishing this years booklist is one of the biggest!

Irene

Hi, everyone! I’m new here and excited to have an amazing year together. Already started on W&P and am liking it a lot so far. I’m also enjoying scribbling in the margins of my book, which absolute does make it feel like a conversation, as our enthusiastic lecturer has said. I’m loving it. 1. Relationship with Tolstoy is next to none. I studied eastern religions in undergrad, and so occasionally some of his writings came up in conversations and lectures, but I never really checked him out on my own. I’m more of a Shakespeare fan at this point, but I can’t wait to find more to love. 2. I am hoping to go on one of those journeys where you might start with some obvious expectations, but you find amazing things you could never have predicted along the way. This feels like it has that kind of potential. 3. I’m a playwright, so lots of my 2023 goals have to do with writing. And writing also means reading, as the creative inspiration has to be filled up regularly! I also am a journaling addict (though I personally prefer Hobonichi to the brand Ben recommended), so my ideal year will have many happy days with cramped hands and inky fingers. :) My mom is buddy reading W&P and The Lymond Chronicles with me this year, too, so I am expecting to have lots of fun! Question: About when should we expect the next lecture? If I’m trying to keep apace with those - maybe I missed that in the video! My apologies.

Linda Williamson

Hello everyone. Happy New Year! I am new to the book club and looking forward to being part of this group. I discovered the Hardcore Literature book club when I was exploring YouTube for commentaries and videos on the book of Romans. A stretch I know, but I have always been enamored with classical literature and have been a 99% solitary reader all my life. I first read War and Peace as a young mother scrapping together late night reads and naptime sessions with Tolstoy. I was pulled into a world of romance, history, and violence that resonated with my love of reading and exploring the world through other people's eyes (and words) and my own personal musings. I still remember the feelings I experienced reading this book and highly anticipate reading it in my middle-ages. 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? So many things! I hope to experience reading the books on the schedule and digging deep into the extras along the way. I love projects that I can immerse myself in. This will be one of three year-long projects that I will be participating in. I am excited to start with War and Peace because it transported me back to a meager but joyful time in my life and promises to be even more rewarding due to the extra curricular suggestions that will not only complement the story itself, but also allow me to dive into suggested readings, art, movies, and lectures that will expand my knowledge and understanding of this world we live in and the people, events, and living that took place then, now, and into the future. 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? Life finds me 1.5 years into a new career, 36 years of marriage, three grown children, and seven grandchildren that constantly push me to gain a deeper and more expansive understanding of who I am and what I really want to gain from my life. I have always been a reader and have swallowed book after book. This last year I read seven non-fiction books that evolved my perception and engagement of, and with, myself. I have eschewed social media and shunned any involvement of it in any form or medium. However, last year I joined, silently, a year long project that made me want to take the leap. It involved self-reflection, writing, journaling, and exploring one word for the entire year. I wanted to jump into the online discussions and post my art, writings, and work but never did. Leave it to books to reel me and give me the push off the diving board! I am always looking for ways to expand my knowledge and understanding who I am and how I can be a functional contributing element in the lives of people I care about and interact with as well as gazing at the beauty and passion (good or bad) that all of us experience. Reading, for me does this and I will enjoy every aspect of this project to its fullest! Thank you in advance for being a congenial group and to Ben for drawing me in.

Jane

My relationship with Tolstoy. Oh dear yes, is there any other writer capable of such perfection? Such magic in his details ? Reading Tolstoy is like being transported to the sublime. I shall be dipping back into this masterpiece attaching myself to my favorite characters for the ride. Thank you Ben !

Cindy Hayes

Here we go. So excited about reading this work for the first time. War and Peace went on my reading list for 2023 back in October, so I was more than thrilled when I saw it in the book clubs list.

Justin LaCasse

I have just joined, and to be honest it feels a bit overwhelming, like a child learning to swim by being thrown off the cruise ship. Although I love to read, I have always been a shallow reader (not taking time to truly allow the material to change me). I have a deep love of history, and as such most of my reading has been in that genre. I have joined to challenge myself to do something outside of my comfort zone, and to experience the joy of learning and growing through a community. I found this club upon deciding to learn a bit about Tolstoy's life. Looking forward to being challenged and learning and growing by reading War and Peace. What a wonderful video to set out on this journey with. Thank You!

Lindsey Byron

I’ve never read any of this year’s book list and I am very excited to dive in, if not a bit intimidated. I hope to learn and grow from these stories and look forward to discussing all of these books together. I’ve craved a challenge as of late and I think this fits the bill wonderfully. I feel very under prepared to tackle this challenge, but I doubt I ever will, so I have decided to dive in head first and just go for it!

Suz R

Happy New Year to everyone. As I was thinking about the first question what s my current relationship to Tolstoy I had to start giggling. My first exposure to War and Peace was in the Peanuts comic had Charlie Brown lugging it around as he had to,do a book report and when wanted to give up Linus lecturing him on how Tolstoys wife had to rewrite the manuscripts at night by candle light after taking care of the children etc etc etc and Charlie Brown being guilted into reading. As a kid that carton did scare me away from that book. But @ 52 I figured it was time to face my fears and tackle the big one. I am hoping to get a wonderful story that I can continue to ponder over and talk about long after the last page is read. Honestly dealing with a chronic illness there are days I have to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other. I am excited because I was was able,to,get the Briggs translation on audio as well as the updated Maude translation so for those times I am unable to read I will still be listening. I am excited not only by the reading the book but also for the lectures, the responses of my fellow book dragons and just the simple joy of sharing a book with other people. Thank you for giving me that opportunity Benjamin u are he greatest..

Graham Smith

Another newbie to the club and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful new year ahead. I live and work in Baku, Azerbaijan where I teach English and Literature. I joined the book club to help in my teaching and already have found some interesting information to help students not only learn English but also to appreciate literature. So I have a little gift for fellow members of the book club it is a mind map created volume by volume, part by part and chapter by chapter with a single-line summary of each chapter drawn from the Anthony Briggs translation. You might find this useful as you read the book, particularly when you are making your own comments or journal about the book. You can download this map for free with the following link in PDF format. https://bit.ly/3GbscKw

Sharon

I am among the many who are reading War and Peace for the first time. I have no idea why I purchased the Briggs, P&V and Maude (Oxford/Mandelker) translations. I had settled on Briggs but went with Maude because there was an accompanying audiobook narrated by Thandiwe Newton. I adored Newton's Jane Eyre narration but, man, I couldn't hang on for more than an hour, let alone the thought of 60+, of her "exuberant" narrative style. While Newton wasn't a good match for me, her audiobook will be perfect for French-speaking readers, particularly because she narrates a fair amount in French. I also found Maude's translation to be very formal...so Briggs it is! What am I hoping to get out of deep reading this book? Although I am only twelve short chapters into the book, Tolstoy is already sweeping me up and into the story. Also, since my retirement as a kitchen designer, I realized that I was wasting a lot of time because I had the time to waste it. Realization meant change. Botanical art requires focus, attention to detail and a helluva lot of research which I thoroughly enjoy. Carrying that practice forward by researching both Russian and French history has already increased my enjoyment of this great book and has also brought structure and order, which I was obviously in need of, back into my life.

Barry Ashton

Happy New Year everybody and thank you Ben for this Introductory lecture. In answer to Ben’s three questions: 1. I read War and Peace in my mid 20s, I am now 71. This will be my first reread. Picking up the names, including patronymics and family pet names, is not as difficult as may first appear; at least for the principal characters. Back in my 20s, I loved the book and the flawed characters. Natasha stole my heart. I was less convinced about Tolstoys ‘history’. Ben mentioned Bondarchuk’s film adaptation. This film is a thing of beauty in its own right. Did I really fall in love with Tolstoy’s Natasha or Ludmila Savelyeva’s stunning performance? Probably both. 2. In this read I must try for more depth, particularly in relation to Tolstoy’s war history. I remain unconvinced by his views, but I will endeavour to analyse them more thoroughly. Also, I have written a brief note on each of the principal characters as I remember them. It will be interesting to see how my memory stacks up. Of course my perspective will have changed (become more jaundiced) with the passing years. Will Natasha now be just a silly girl? We shall see. 3. I have degrees in mathematics and law. I practiced law for most of my working life - but am long since retired. My resolve to get through the course is firm. Alas, my capacity for hard work is not what it was and I may not cover everything on the syllabus. I started my reread yesterday at 10am...and I must now pick up where I left it.

Yoel Dror

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone read Adam Zamoyski’s 1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow? Would it be a good nonfiction companion to War & Peace? Thanks 🙏

Jane

I have started watching the Russian film version from the 60s it is very good well masterpiece.

Ben Lewis

Happy new year everyone! I'm entirely new to Tolstoy and quite frankly I was planning to skip it, but I was bought the P&V translation for Christmas and so I've decided to go all in. This year I'm going to what Ben tells us and Live the Books - to engage in what I'm going to call 'applied literature'. I tend to read in quite a cerebral, academic way. This year I want to apply the reading to the world by immersing myself in the history and drawing links to current affairs; discussing the books with others instead of shutting myself away, and journaling alongside to see what I can learn from the characters that will make me a better person. I will start W&P tonight and I'm very excited to be reading with you all.

Marina McGovern

Thank you once again, Ben, for an extremely useful and interesting lecture. What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? Many years ago when my children were babies, I tried to read 'Anna Karenina' but gave up. I returned to it last year and was surprised at how easy I found it and the fact that I loved it, to the point where I rationed my reading as I didn’t want it to end. Last month, I listened to 'The Death of Ivan Ilych' and also enjoyed this immensely so I will acquire the paperback at some stage for a revisit with pen in hand. I feel very comfortable with Tolstoy and enjoy the psychological complexity of his characters; I can see aspects of myself in them, which causes me to reflect and develop. (If you had told me this time last year that I would be writing this paragraph, I would not have believed you!) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I’m hoping it will help me to learn and grow by challenging my thinking. I anticipate discovering ideas that I can consider in greater depth, whether they be general statements or characters’ thoughts and actions. I’m not daunted by the number of characters nor the novel’s length (I have ways of dealing with both these challenges), but I am fearful of the history aspect, resulting from bad school experiences and shamefully avoiding the subject as far as possible since. Embracing this fear, as Ben points out, is the way forward so I’m going to watch the Worsley documentary and treat this as an opportunity to learn about history. I can make this more interesting for me by relating it generally to recent history and current events, thus using the past to gain insight into the present. As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? I’ve struggled with events since early 2020 and this is the first year that I feel able to set intentions (I don’t like resolutions or goals as for me it’s about focusing on a fulfilling journey and not aiming for a destination – think enjoy the view from the train window, savour the opportunity to sit back, relax, read, sleep, or engage with other passengers, rather than being frustratingly anxious to pull into the final stop). I have some general intentions, which I hope literature will guide me with, but I’ve also made some reading-related intentions: read fewer books; mindfully curate quarterly and then monthly reading lists, deep dive and journal, explore poetry, read the books on my shelf, and review these intentions regularly. Thank you to Ben and to everybody here for deepening the reading experience - exciting times!

Abigail Sawyer

Hello everyone! Happy 2023. I went for the P&V as I have read the novel many years ago in a different translation. I struggled with it and I think I ended up leaving it on a bus! Ben's video on choosing a translation really helped and the P&V lines that start "Drops dripped." really sang out to me in a way that the same lines in different translations didn't. I do think this is an extraordinary time to be reading W&P - as once again so many wrestle with what it means to be Russian.

hardcoreliterature
>>98694536

I love walking and listening to audiobooks too, Kyle. One of my favourite things to do in the world. I’d say embrace the pace that comes most naturally to you! Getting through W&P in time for BK sounds like a great plan to me from the sounds of your reading rhythm 💪🏻 Also - I’d love to know what audio version you have! The last one I enjoyed was narrated by Neville Jason :)

Kevin Kind
>>98726961

May I ask where you got the Briggs audiobook? I couldn't find it on audible!

Marina McGovern
>>98730365

My search for Proust today led me to a blog that also mentioned 'Life and Fate' by Vasily Grossman, suggested as being a homage to 'War and Peace', and covering the Second World War. In my ignorance, I hadn't heard of it and wondered if anybody has read it. Apparently, some of the characters quote from 'War and Peace'. In view of my intention of using the past to gain insight into more recent history, I'm curious as to whether I should possibly read it. Does anyone with more knowledge have any thoughts?

Tone Løwe

Tone Løwe akkurat nå This will be my first book to read in the bookclub and I am very much looking forward to that. As I have mentioned earlier I decided I'm my younger days that Tolstoy was a bit boring - especially War and Peace which I speed read and remember next to nothing. I enjoyed Anna Karenina, and It is also written what I call Tolstoy's transition period when he became more fanatic in his religious views. I loved the short story "Death of Ivan Ilitsj. Benjamin's positivity when speaking of Tolstoy and W&P has made me want to learn to know Tolstoy and W&P again - this time slow reading and journaling along the way. I have a master degree in Russian language and literature and have the bilingual translation by Maude & Garnett. What I hope to bet out of this reading is to fall in love with Tolstoy and W&P and all their flawed characters. I am more interested in what goes on inside and between people than the historical plot lines , but again am I inspired by Benjamin´s enthuiasm and hope I will find the war-passages interesting too. One my goals for 2023 are to build good habits and to read more literature again. I younger days I devoured literature - now I will train myself to become a page-hugger instead of a page-turner kind of reader. I am thrilled to meet so many other literature-lovers who are eager to talk about and deepen ourselves in great books this year.

Allen Long

Hello All, This will be my third time through W&P. The first time was many years ago. In 2018, I did the one chapter a day the Ben mentioned. (It's the only new year's resolution I've ever kept.) Lately, I've been churning through books faster than I'd like. I realized how many books I had unread on my shelves + how many I wished to reread and started rushing through. Now I'm struggling to slow down. So I guess that's my new year's resolution and what I hope to get out of a deep read of W&P.

Debra

I've never read W&P and frankly, if I hadn't have read AK in November, I wouldn't want to attempt it. I REALLY loved AK and hope to enjoy W&P as much.

Matt Pruitt

Happy New Year, everyone. I’ve read a few Tolstoy short stories but this will be my first time with W&P. For Christmas I got a 1942 edition of the Maude translation that I’ll be using sporadically (very nice edition with maps), along with the Kindle version. Looking forward to visiting the comments and making new literary friends as we make our way through this masterpiece.

Valerie Brackenridge

I am looking forward to jumping in on this story. I have no experience with Tolstoy and am one of those people who found the prospect of Russian literature a bit daunting. I hope to learn more about the complex history and characters in this saga and with everyone's guidance, I will learn more about deep reading as it is not something I have really done. My goal for 2023 is to really read the classics and understand them in a different way. 😊

Brittany Call

Happy New Year! This is my first time reading War and Peace, but I have read other works by Tolstoy in a Russian Literature class. I read Childhood, Boyhood, and youth and also a confession. But War and Peace has been on my list to read for years. The fact that it was first for the book club was really what got me to sign up! I have such fond memories of reading Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. I have started reading already and am just about finished with volume 1. I am really interested in Tolstoy's portrayal of war. I have been wondering about the representation of war and I have already been struck by some really interesting passages and some of the character's experiences at war. I have also started watching the Empire of the Tsars. Beyond reading this year, my biggest goal is developing greater frugality and contentment. I have great hope it will be a good year for me and my family.

Alyssa
>>98727185

Thank you for sharing! I look forward to checking it out!

Debra

I had been scared off of Tolstoy because of Dostoyevsky. I first read Crime and Punishment in high school and thought it was ok. Then I reread it a few years ago and hated the melodramatic characters. I'm going to read more around Tolstoy before attempting to reread CAP. Or maybe I'll skip CAP and start with Brothers Karamozov with the club. While reading AK, I was inspired by Ben to read some books about/by Tolstoy. I first read "What is Art?" I kept asking myself how the compassionate author of AK could have turned into such a sourpuss. So I started reading Rosamund Bartlett's biography (which I love). I've read about 40 pages but will put it on hold so I don't confuse T's family history with those in WAP. I expect "A Confession" in the mail in a couple of days and will read that along with WAP. I've had to force myself to slow down and experience the benefits of deep reading. So far, so good. I'm not at all put off by the length of WAP; I love long books. My biggest challenge at the moment is to do the marginalia. I've been reading in bed for 60 years and reading while soaking in the tub for about 10 years. It's hard to write while prone. Thanks, Ben, for your brilliance, knowledge, and enthusiasm. I'm ecstatic I found your club.

Julie Donatelli

I haven't read War and Peace, but I have read Anna Karenina twice - once long ago and again just recently (I had started it again right before joining this group). I love Tolstoy's work and definitely have a deeper appreciation as I've gotten older. My initial reaction to your second question (and hopefully not to sound flippant), is that I will feel like it's a tremendous accomplishment just to get through it. War and Peace is one book that's been sitting on my shelf for years that has been too intimidating to even pick up. After listening to your video, I'm excited to get started. I appreciate your other suggested resources and plan to dig into those as well. I must admit that my I don't feel like I have a good understanding of Russian history, but that's a gap that I'd like to fill. One more thought on the intimidation factor - as I was listening to your video yesterday, I really thought about how remarkable it is that someone was able to write this book, and about how much work it is to translate a work of this magnitude. From that perspective, merely reading it feels like the least I can do! Besides staying current with this group, I have two other big goals for 2023. First, I'm in the final stages of a Master Knitter program and I hope to complete that this year (by designing and knitting a Fair Isle or Aran sweater and hat). Also, I've recently begun competing in agility with my dog. We're doing well as a team, and I hope to win some titles with him (although I doubt that we'll reach the ring at Westminster ;-))!

Donna

I read War and Peace last year over the course of 4 months but my pacing was inconsistent. I would go for weeks without picking it up, then read hundreds of pages in a couple of days. So with this reading I would like to have a more intentional pace. This is the one book from last year that I have referenced it in conversation many times since finishing it, so I think with this reading I would like to deepen my understanding about why this work has had such staying power for me. A lot of my goals this year relate to reading and those that don’t are mostly about dealing with life stuff so that it no longer distracts me from reading :-)

Karen Bird

Last year I read Stalingrad by Vasily Grossman. One of the characters (unfortunately, I forget the name) kept War and Peace with him throughout the blockade, saying it was the only book he could read. During the last couple of days, I have been reading Svetlana Alexievich's Voices From Chernobyl. One of the teachers from the region in her interview said how difficult it was to teach Russian literature to the students, during the aftermath of Chernobyl's meltdown. She lamented that Pushkin had no relevance for them. I wonder during such stressful times, if it is possible to read much that would go deep.

Melissa Lundquist

My first introduction to Tolstoy was Anna Karenina and it is one of my favorite books that I have ever read. As a result, I have always wanted to read War and Peace. I am also fascinated with Russian history and want to learn more. Last year, I didn’t read a single classic so I am really excited to deep dive into to W&P and other works. I love annotating my books because I am a slow reader and it helps with my comprehension but I want to find a balance of reading to get the basic idea first so I may speed read it and then annotate later? Anyway, I am excited to explore this process more and I am taking on the challenge to really look at the characters as real people. I am more than excited that I found a book club like this because in another life I would have liked to have studied literature in school.

Joe Beaulieu
>>98742355

Whoops. Meant this out of context bit as a reply. This is my second time and just finished part I. As someone whose great grandfather was named after Napoleon (his grandfather fought in the Moscow campaign) I have this strange counter-rooting interest my only consolation is that some of the characters have their own mixed allegiances.

Clare Shepherd

I have read "War and Peace" 5 times previously, but am so happy to be rereading it. Ben is right, it is like remeeting old friends. I am so excited and am starting this afternoon.

Debra
>>98736422

I love the phrase: a page-hugger instead of a page-turner kind of reader.

Susan James

Curious as to the schedule for the lectures and will they be live? I want to get them in my calender.

MaryEllen McLaughlin

This will be a re-read for me - though so much time has elapsed, I am very interested in seeing what strikes me differently. I was a Russian/poli sci major in college, but my read of W&P was in English back in the mid-80's as a sophomore. We had a seminar on Tolstoy, which concentrated on his short stories, my senior year, in Russian. As a newer member of the club, I am also working slowly through some of the back catalogue (Moby Dick at the moment), but my primary focus will be on the current reading.

Juliet MacGregor

Hello everyone - I am new to the bookclub and excited to join you in this reading journey for 2023. I have never read War & Peace or any of Tolstoy's work. Being a visual learner, movie adaptations help me greatly in absorbing information, so when I found the BCC 2016 mini series on YouTube, I binged it in one day. I highly recommend it. In reading War & Peace I am hoping to change my relationship to books. I tend to read quickly and have focused on quantity of books per year. This year my goal is to go back and tackle books that have intimidated me in the past.

Martin Wallington

Happy New Year everyone! I'm looking forward to starting War and Peace, I'm going to deep read a classic and have an easy read on the side as I go through the year (currently reading A Streetcar Named Desire) and halfway through Anna Karenina. Too many good books, not enough time - I wish I'd started the classics earlier in life...

Lucas Spaeder

How are the lectures spaced out? I'd like to get a sense of how to pace my reading

Amber Sauer
>>98724974

It can be overwhelming but members all read at different paces. In my experience, if you pick your own pace, select the works you’re interested in and have thoughtful interaction in the forum, you’ll have a very rich experience.

Sid Collins

Happy New Year, all! Really excited about this one! I cannot imagine how long it would have been before I made it around to War and Peace without the aid of this book club. That is really due to the fact that I have no relationship with Tolstoy at all, and have never read any of his books. Thus, I am looking forward to getting to know such a renowned author. To answer the second question, I hope to gain a fantastic, character-driven story from War and Peace, something where I can really get to know nuanced people on the page. From this video, I expect that is precisely what I will get. My primary new year's resolution is to read more and to read great books. That's why I'm here! I am looking forward to 2023 as a year of great growth, as I come into the second half of my 20s, and crafting myself the best that I may.

Katie Gesser

This will be my first time reading W&P, and my second work by Tolstoy. I've got my journal ready. Looking forward to this journey!

Sid Collins
>>98744247

Sounds amazing! I can't imagine how much new material and nuance you are able to pick up with each consecutive reading.

Justin Ordoñez

This lecture provided a pleasant upside to my ten hour flight delay yesterday! I feel somehow, someway, the great novel about the pitfalls and wherewithals of the pilot’s windshield cracking during take-off is missing from our literary lexicon. Or maybe I’m trying to provide any meaning to an insufferable day spent cashing in Delta meal vouchers at the same restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Either way, I’m finally (almost) home and will be getting my copy of W&P from my mailbox. Hoping to start it today!

Sharon xx

Happy New Year all and welcome to any new members. Ben, I just loved your Introductory Lecture - thank you. I have to be honest, I started W&P and the end of October, 2022 and am about 100 pages in. When I realised you were going to offer this as our first read of 2023 I paused in anticipation of reading it with you guys. I will still end up behind though lol - but hey, it's a marathon, not a sprint. So suffice to say that yes, this is my first read of W&P but not my first rodeo where Tolstoy is concerned. I read Anna Karenina with the HLBC back at the start of 2021. I enjoyed AK but it didn't rock my world in the way it did for other club members. [Crime & Punishment was my favourite of our two 2021 Russian reads :D ] However, it was the perfect introduction to Russian literature and that is even more obvious now we're heading into W&P - I feel prepared. I'm using the Anthony Briggs translation [listening to Maude on Audible though at the same time] and at chapter 23 I can tell that this is probably going to beat AK hands down for personal and spiritual impact for me. It's beautiful, compelling, addictive, rich, detailed, instrospective and broad in equal measure. All the superlatives. AK - written around 1875-77 when Tolstoy was 49 ish - definitely feels like a novel. W&P - written in 1867 when Tolstoy was 39 ish - doesn't really feel the same at all. W&P feels more like a moment in history, an account of events, a slice of what life was truly like during the first half of the 1800's. AK feels a lot more like a story. During this read I'm hoping to get to know Tolstoy more intimately, to get closer to him. To get a real flavour of what life in Russia was like during the early 1800's. The history fascinates me and has led me to use supportive texts such as:- Tolstoy - A Russian Life by Rosamund Bartlett The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes [thank you, Ben] The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore Also, slightly off piste - Tolstoy Together with/by Yiyun Li who ran on online W&P international readalong during the first Covid lockdown and published the comments and discussion from that in this book. Really quite insightful although clearly not history related, but useful nonetheless. I've also watched the 2016 BBC six part adaptation a ridiculous amount of times and although it departs from the text in some areas, it's been a godsend for getting my head around the timeline and characters. I was watching that long before reading the book was even a spark of an idea. Netflix also has a great docuseries called, The Last Czars in six episodes which is excellent. I've started watching Lucy Worsley's Empire of the Tsars today so thank you again, Ben :) For me this will be the year of Russian literature and history. It's just kind of happened but isn't that the way the best things begin; by accident through the love of a subject and a desire to know more? Glad to be doing this with all of you - wishing you all a journey of discovery and joy. Hugs Sharon xx

Donna Martin

Hello and Happy New Year. I just joined and am excited to go on this journey with you all. I ordered the Briggs translation of W&P and will catch up as soon as it arrives.

Julie Grimes

I first read War and Peace the summer I turned 16. I think it was the older Penguin version Ben held up in the “Which Translation” video. Since it was 1400 pages, I set my goal to read it in 2 weeks. Don’t worry—I was severely punished when the boy I was crushing on derided the goal for it’s nerdiness. I’ve read it several times since and certain passages and scenes well into the double digits. My son and I are reading this together and began before the announcement of this being added to book club, so we’re a little ahead of schedule. I think my only reading goal is to get back to reading classics that aren’t just for classes. Over the last 3 years, reading for pleasure has almost exclusively been fluff (though I’ve read MANY classics also during that time). I’ve also vowed not to waste my time on bad books. I usually give every book a second chance. But, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve decided that if I’m 100 pages in and I hate every character and I’m bored, maybe it’s time to move on. I have several hundred books on my shelf and a finite life span. Life is just too short to waste on bad books. However, in my great book purge, I managed to let go only 12 books, so ….

Eric Wesley

I completed reading Part I of W&P this morning. It is so good and hard to stop reading. This is my first attempt at reading this phenomenal classic and I am reading the P&V translation and loving it. (The blocks of French text are not as difficult as I thought they might be. ) I am also reading Napoleon:A Life by Andrew Roberts for some context and to supplement my reading of W&P. Starting off 2023 right!

Mirjam
>>98704982

I can really recommend it to watch the film going through the book. I have watched about 2,5 of the 4 parts and the film is really very close to the book, although of course big chunks are left out. But it helps me to appreciate and really ‘get’ the book. And most of the characters are really well cast!

hardcoreliterature
>>98701865

Welcome to the club, Barbara! I’m so thrilled you’re reading with us. I love that you decided to challenge yourself for 2023. I know you’re going to have a fantastic reading year! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on W&P :)

hardcoreliterature
>>98699659

We are so happy you’re reading with us, Erik! I think it’s awesome that you’re experiencing Tolstoy in Swedish!

hardcoreliterature
>>98699764

Welcome to the club, Helen! That’s such a great thing to look forward to :) Deep reading great literature has been the thing that has personally helped my own personal and spiritual growth the most!

hardcoreliterature
>>98699927

Thank you so much, Helen. That really means a lot to me :) Thank you for reading with us, and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

hardcoreliterature
>>98701499

Welcome to the club, Aditi! We are so happy that you’re reading with us over in India! I’ve been longing to visit your beautiful country for so long. Your goals for the year are fantastic, and I think you are right that your reading of great literature will help you through your examination. These great books and writers have certainly helped me on many a difficult journey in my own life! Thank you for reading with us :)

Rebecca Myers

Greetings and Happy New Year! Just as I was deciding it was time to go at War and Peace once more, you released the reading list for 2023! I had just come across one of your YouTube lectures, Benjamin, and knew I had found a proper guide for tackling works I have yet to brave on my own, and beloved works I want to re-explore in more depth. I have read Anna Karenina, but so many years ago that it barely counts: I am seventy-four and read it in my early twenty’s. Also read numerous short stories. My history with War and Peace is full of fits and starts through several translations, none of which had successful outcomes. I realize after listening to your talk about translations, that the P and V, as good as the prose is, was frustrating due to that constant looking up of the footnotes. My French is decidedly school-girl French, and as you can imagine, a week link at this point.

Rebecca Myers

So now, I am reading both the Pand V and the Maude translations; and although it’s slow going, it’s much more satisfying. Looking forward to our conversations about this great work which has hovered over me for so long!

Giulia Franzoso

What a fantastic intro lecture, Ben! Thank you so much! It made my day to see a notification of a new upload on the very first day of the new year! I honestly can’t think of a better way to start off 2023. This will be my 3rd re-read of War and Peace and it feels like my first day back to school after the summer break when you meet all of your old friends again: some of them are exactly the same, while others are so grown and changed! During my prior re-read I focused my analysis (and my journaling) on the characters and their psychology. For this re-read I have decided to focus most of my analysis (and journaling) on the historical context and I was so grateful when I got to your recommendation of “Story of Russia” by Figes. I trust your advice blindly! I will go to my favorite bookstore here in New York City to get a copy ASAP! I have such great expectations and hopes for this 2023 and I can’t deny that this book club is one of the reasons why I am so excited. THANK YOU Ben for all of the passion and hard work you put into this book club and THANK YOU to all of the fellow readers for the never-ending stimulating conversations. I cannot wait for our next discussions and little (friendly) debates :) My very best to all! I hope you’re well and safe wherever you are! Giulia

Matthew Annable

Hello everyone - another newbie here, although I have managed to warm up with Edwin Drood and The Tempest over the Christmas period. I can (with the help of a little googling) date my introduction to Tolstoy and W&P very precisely. It was Thursday 28th September 1972 - at 8.20pm to be precise - which was when the first episode of the BBC serial aired. For the next twenty weeks Thursday and/or Saturday (when that week’s episode was repeated) evenings in our family were structured around being around the telly at the appointed hour. There were no video recorders and no catch-up in those days, so if you missed an episode, or were late tuning in, that was it. There was no way of catching up on what you’d missed. I remember the frantic scramble to turn over (no remote controls, either) from The Two Ronnies which finished on BBC1 at the very second that the 1812 Overture theme tune started belting out on BBC2. I became hooked as a teenager on all thing Napoleonic as a result and read the book the following year. I revisited it seven or eight years ago, but didn’t make it the end - partly because real life intruded and family issues got in the way, and partly because I hit a bit of a ‘wall’ about half way through when there were a whole sequence of chapters which didn’t engage me. Then I thought I’d give it another go a month or so ago and had already started reading it when I saw that it was going to be the first book on the schedule for this group, so I signed up thinking that reading in a group will help me to get through, and even appreciate, the bits I’ve found less interesting in the past. I’ve been going a month or so, and have actually conquered the wolf hunt and its aftermath that lost my attention previously. But I’ll now slow down and go back and remind myself of earlier parts to try and get in sync with the group. One thing I know is that the BBC serial still impacts my reading. I will always visualise Pierre as a young Anthony Hopkins and Natasha will forever be the stuff of a thirteen year old boy’s fantasies!

Aditi Nyol

You're always welcome in India Ben . In India we have a culture of "Atithi Devo Bhava". Hopefully you'll plan your trip sometime soon 😊

Alan

What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? My relationship goes back decades starting with a BA in Russian Language and Literature (1970). I had the privilege of taking an intense Russian language course that compressed two years of content in one year. The remaining three years were lectures in Russian only and required reading Russian text and writing essay exams in Russian. I lived in the Former Soviet Union 1990-92 re-energizing my Russian language proficiency and studied Russian at a university in Kazakhstan. This will be my third reading of W&P. My first read was in college. The Garnett translation didn’t enamor me to the book. Or perhaps it was just my youth and academic time constraints that prevented me from digging deep enough to appreciate all the society gossip (felt like a soap opera back then), military history and philosophical ramblings. In the winter of 1969, I saw the Soviet film at a campus theater. It was presented over two evenings of about 3 hours each. In 2017 I read the Pevear & Volokhonsky translation and my reaction was completely positive. I supplemented my deep reading of the text with watching every film adaptation I could find; including re-watching the Soviet film of 1968 which won the Best Foreign Film Oscar [currently available with my subscriptions to The Criterion Collection and HBO Max]. My favorite adaptation is the BBC miniseries in 2016. It is hard to beat the 21st century digital photography and larger budgets for scenery and costumes.

Caroline

I am new to bookclub and am so excited to begin this year's syllabus! I read War and Peace a couple years ago, and am very much looking forward to this re-read. I believe this book club will help me achieve a greater appreciation and insight for this book. Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to 2023!

Alan

What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? An even deeper dive into this book that I now consider a masterpiece. I am hoping to take as much time as I want rather than be constrained by schedules and deadlines. I appreciate Benjamin’s blessing to take at my own pace. I will probably keep up with the lectures and online dialog in the book club since I know the details of the story very well. After three days, reading a chapter a day is suiting me very well. I have developed a preliminary set of letter codes for marking up the P&V hardback. At the same time I read along with the Briggs translation. I read up until a logical scene change, stop and and read the other translation and then skim over the Russian text. My challenge is to resist the urge to get out the Russian-English dictionary to help understand the Russian vocabulary better. It is working so far as I can guess most of the words with the two English translations. I may eventually drop the read-along-with-the Russian approach to prevent burnout and reading too slowly. I don’t want to get bogged down rebuilding my creaky foundation in the Russian language and thus dilute my focus on the story of W&P. I am journaling as I go along so I don’t lose my thoughts. For example, I am mesmerized by the metaphor comparing the salon hostess with the “foreman of a spinning-mill settles the workers down and then strolls about the place on the lookout for a breakdown and then strolls about the place on the lookout for a breakdown or any funny noise from a spindle, the slightest squeak or knock that would bring him rushing over to ease the machinery or make an adjustment, so Anna Pavlovna patrolled her drawing room, walking over to any group where the talk was too little or too loud, and easing the machinery of conversation back into its proper, steady hum with a single word here or a tiny maneuver there.. [pg 12 Briggs]. This morning I woke up wondering if there were spinning mills in 1805 St Petersburg. I was skeptical as I didn’t think that Russian industrialization really took off until Stalin’s era. Well, a quick google query proved me (mostly) wrong. “Cotton manufacturing was one of the largest industries in Petersburg for about a century, beginning in the 1820s. In fact, Petersburg was the northernmost city in the United States that both received cotton from nearby fields and processed cotton into manufactured goods. The first large cotton factory in town, the Petersburg Manufacturing Company, opened in 1826. However, cotton had been grown south of Petersburg for many years before then. Cotton never did surpass tobacco as the primary commodity processed in Petersburg, but manufacturing of cotton products increased dramatically in the second quarter of the 19th century. Ultimately, Petersburg led Virginia in the manufacture of cotton products.” [http://www.historicpetersburg.org/petersburgs-cotton-industry/] I feel that I am in a W&P bubble. What a great way to start a new year!

Alan

As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? I retired to Houston, Texas ten years ago after a career in Financial Accounting (MBA, CPA). My goal is to continue my lifelong learning and joining the HCLBC is an exciting endeavor for this new year.

Carrie

This will be my first reading of War and Peace. I fell in love with Pevear and Volokhonsky's translations through their version of Anna Karenina, which saw me through a lonely week in Cuzco many years ago. I got a copy of their translation of War and Peace when it first came out and it has been sitting on my bookshelf ever since (and has been moved to at least four different houses!). The 2023 syllabus is my nudge to finally read this book. I don't even know the story, I have never seen a film version. What am I hoping to get out of it? Primarily, as this is my first reading, I want to complete it. To understand a bit of why it is one of those hefty columns that hold up our ideas of Great Literature. To enjoy Tolstoy's characterizations and language again (that is, the English versions of it to which I have access. I once read a bit of Russian, but no more). Mostly, I look to this experience to help reignite my love of reading books with some substance. I don't mean length; I mean scope, poignancy, good writing, depth, the ineffable that makes one grow when one encounters a piece of art. I have always read a lot (not the same thing as reading well) and lately I have become more interested in the quality of what I read, and in reading as a single tasking activity, not background entertainment to other things. I shied away from formal literature studies during my education because I never understood much of the discourse, even though I read voraciously. I hope I'm starting to be ready to encounter great books again. This year's list gives me a framework for this effort, and for that I am endlessly grateful.

Graham Arthur

As i begin this journey, i am intending to get my reading into a daily habit, which has not been the case for a few years. I first got into Russian literature some 50 years ago with Dostoyevsky's The Idiot, and i was smitten for life. I haven't had the discipline to read War and Peace all the way through - so i think that this Patreon channel will get me going - as i was taken by the enthusiasm of Benjamin. I hope to get under the skin of Tolstoy, his Philosophy and his Character. To understand this i am currently following the suggested background material, but i will have to ensure that i don't get so involved with the Russian history - that i don't have time for the text!

Catherine Craddock-Carrillo

I've read Anna Karenina two times; it's one of my favorite novels. I really appreciate the way Tolstoy captures the emotion and motivation of his characters to such a realistic degree that you see yourself in them, no matter how radically different the character is from you. I do (shame-facedly) admit to skimming a bit over Tolstoy's moralizing about farm life through the rather self-righteous Levin to get back to the juicy Vronsky/Anna (and Levin's love for Kitty) bits. My hope is that in deep reading War & Peace I will learn to enjoy Tolstoy's moralizing and lecturing as much as his brilliant character development, or at least appreciate it more— and, as Benjamin suggests, go down rabbit holes of discovery about history, philosophy, and aesthetics. I have a goal to read more and more deeply in 2023, and to learn and absorb as much as I can from classic literature. I am looking forward to doing that with this wonderful group. Very excited!

Jamie Newman

I'm excited to join y'all in this project! I have had (fortunately/embarrassingly) "War and Peace" sitting on my shelf for years and am thrilled to get a chance to tackle it with assistance from this group. I am hoping to learn more about the world, myself, life in general. And as far as goals go, I'm up to my usual yearly shenanigans-trying to run 1000 miles total, remove sugar from my diet, and meditate daily. It's a handful of little habits that I am hoping will have a big impact. For some reason, writing them feels embarrassing-I suppose these are things everyone shoots for every year. They were things I was doing consistently for years, but after moving to another state, I've struggled to stay consistent. So, back to the basics. I'm trying to keep things simpler and smaller-not just this year, but permanently. I think if I could choose a motto or a phrase it would be "less but better."

Susan Knox
>>98763143

I loved that extended metaphor as well. While I read it, my mind’s eye skipped back an forth from the salon to images I had built up of the mills in Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South. Your info on the cotton and tobacco industries in St Petersburg grabbed my attention, as I grew up in Virginia. I will have to compare the latitude of the two locations- spatial awareness has never been a strength of mine so I’m always being surprised by geography.

Susan Knox
>>98761994

Alan, your degree sounds amazing! What university did you attend? Also, must have been fascinating to be in Kazakhstan in the early 90s.

Kathy Meyer

This is a first reading for me as well. I have been daunted. Now I am intrigued. Let’s see if I can maintain consistency in my reading! I am looking forward to reading the comments and listening to the lectures as we read along .

Vicky

Well, I’m six chapters in now so I guess I’m committed 🤣 already furiously googling Russian history as I go 😀 I am hoping there will be a character or two that I really get to like, for such a long read. In Clarissa it was John Belford, oddly? Am must drawn to Pierre initially so far! I am listening to Thandiwe Newton read the Maude translation while reading it on Kindle and she’s very good with the pompous voices etc

Fernando Aquino

My current relationship with Tolstoy extends to me knowing he exist and is one of the greatest Russian writers. So this will be my first time reading any of his works! I’m hoping to harness the skills required to delve into great works of literature, War and Peace itself and others. Usually when I read, I have an idea of whether or not I’m more likely to enjoy the book in question, but with this book, I am open to what it has to teach me. Life finds me in a precarious place in regards to my reading habits. A lot will happen in my personal and work life this year so I hope to keep up with the reading and be able to enjoy and take in the extracurricular that are accompanied with them. Also, excited to take part of a literary community when it comes to my reading and writing. Question: Are we reading at the pace of one part per week? That is what I understood from the video, but I’m unsure.

Susan Knox
>>98699015

And do some wrist and finger strengthening exercises as well 🏋🏽‍♂️

Susan Knox
>>98700411

Hi Jenny! I’m a new empty nester too. I joined in the fall and it’s one of my best decisions of 2022.

Janet Donovan

This will be my first reading of Tolstoy. "War and Peace" seems to be on bucket lists of a lot of readers I know, but I would like something deeper than that - I want an actual experience and a rethinking of my ideas. I am in the blessed position that I am an amateur historian of Russian history as I have read long and deep on that subject but I fully expect to learn new things and see through new lenses. As the New Year begins my work life is crazy and I have some personal concerns (don't we all?? :-) ), but there is never a bad time for deepening our humanity and strengthening our empathy muscles.

Sarah Steinke

I have read Tolstoy's Anna Karenina 2 times, but have yet to read War and Peace. Its been on my to be read list for many years. I am currently reading the Briggs translation and am getting along quite well with it, but its missing the old Russian literature charm that I've felt in the past? I don't know if its more modern than I'm accustomed to? I never paid attention to the translations I've read in the past, so I looked up the editions of AK I read along with the other classic Russian literature works I've read in addition. I read AK first in Garnett, then V&P. I liked it better on my first read, so maybe that is why? I read Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment by Coulson. (Lolita was written in English from the sources I found). I read some excerpts from Maude and Garnett and have ordered a Maude translation to work through alongside. So far, 2 days in, I'm thoroughly immersed and almost done with Part 1. I'm just along for the ride with War and Peace. I feel like it is right up my alley and in my comfort zone. I want to make new friends in this book and read more of Tolstoy, who I am convinced by AK alone, is one of the greats. I find him easier than Dickens (another favorite, I think I like their character work and moral lessons). Curious if anyone else agrees regarding Dickens and Tolstoy? My 2023 goals are to complete the reading list for The Hardcore Literature Club and continue my author study/full read of all of C. S. Lewis' works. I also want to continue my Bible studies and finish The Divine Comedy. Happy New Year everyone, and thank you Ben for this book club and all your lectures and the wisdom you share in each post!

Kc Thyne
>>98779814

Starting to read it is actually helping my crazy life right now

Kc Thyne

I've attempted to read W&P in the past, but I have a big block with the war part. I am a trauma therapist and I really try to avoid traumatic stuff on my free time. I'm hoping I can figure out a way to get through with the help of this course.

Kc Thyne

Also, the translation recommended is on back order so I'll try to move quickly through the French translation footnotes.

Larry D. Marshall
>>98781473

I find the "war part' to be unlike most war writing. Most authors who write about war like it. They like the details of tactics, the details of the weaponry and how they are wielded. Tolstoy, by contrast, wrote from the view of a pacifist and so most of the 'war part' centers on personalities and dialog. Things blow up, of course but the readers eye is directed elsewhere.

Larry D. Marshall

My relationship with Tolstoy? Moby Dick has long been my favorite novel but War and Peace is a very close second. And then there's Karenina. To me, Tolstoy is the master at character and shifting character arcs. The richness of his work, well beyond basic plot development is akin to Moby Dick in my view, which causes one to read and re-read his work. I'm with Hemingway that I could read Dostoyevsky a second time (grin).

Adrienne

Hello group. I just found and joined this group today so I have not started reading yet. This will be my first time reading this book so my goal now is to enjoy a book that I have been too intimidated to read before. I am hoping the discussions and lectures will help me on this journey.

christina bordieri

I read Anna Karenina at 17 yrs of age, looking forward to a deep dive into it at a later date. All I recall is being fascinated by the characters and also frustrated with their circumstances and choices they made. W&P has been really enjoyable, reading the Briggs translation, starting vol 1 part 2 today. I also found the BBC documentaries on you tube if anyone has tried the link but lives outside the UK. Such a great suggestion, really helped with the time line of events of Russian history and which tsars were apart of what era. Also have the Russian history book on hold at my library-even if I only read the 2 chapters in relation to W&P. Reading the classics is such a beautiful way to reinforce history and it’s shaping of the world’s current climate and culture. Now that I am in my mid 30’s it’s much more meaningful to understand history and the human condition. I have not read any other Russian literature and Excited to find out why they are considered the/some greatest writers and how their culture and history creates an environment set a position for these writers to create these great works. Considering reading man’s search for meaning this quarter as well (started it on a plane a year ago, realized it was to powerful and emotional to read publicly and now it’s sitting on shelf…just waiting).

christina bordieri
>>98774417

I believe so, a little over 100 pages a week should get us all to finish by the end of the first quarter. I’ve decided to do my best to stay on track, but if life gets cumbersome to just keep going even if I’m behind the book club and give up and start the next book.

Robert Carroll

Robert So excited to start this journey with everyone.

Tiff-Michelle

Just joined the group today after viewing several videos on YouTube the past couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to diving deep into the books on this year's list as many of them have been on my TBR for quite some time. I first read Anna Karenina many years ago and it became one of my favorite books so I'm excited to start War & Peace and hopefully emerge from the other side with a deep understanding and appreciation for this novel.

christina bordieri
>>98773383

😂😂the pompous voices! Pierre is great! I find him to be undeniable, he’s young, immature, an outsider but appears to be honest thus far! Looking forward to his growth as he matures.

KLake

Hello fellow readers! I am a new member of this vibrant group. Last year I challenged myself to read Middlemarch, and what an encompassing experience! I wished I had a friend reading with me to share the insights and language and experience. My husband patiently listened at times, but not quite satisfying. This year I chose War and Peace and was so thrilled to find Ben! Go you tube. I look forward to sharing with you

Ed Swain

Hello everyone. I just joined to start the new year and I'm very excited! I stumbled upon the YouTube channel and was completely hooked at how well Benjamin presents the various topics and how wonderful his passion captivates the viewer. He 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 Benjamin, I would not have read this masterpiece. So grateful to be in the club and looking forward to meeting people, learning, and sharing. All the best and Happy New Year!

JP

Hi everyone, I'm Jonathan from New York. I'm very excited to be a part of this reading experience. I've been an avid reader for years but am looking for a way to read books deeper instead of just consuming them one after the other. This is my first time reading Tolstoy. Only twelve pages in and so far I find his writing straight forward and elegant.

Tim Trippel
>>98780156

If you haven't read some of Tolstoy's short stories, I think you would really like several of them. Especially, his later works with strongly Christian themes (Given your reference to C.S. Lewis etc.). Two of my favorites are "Where Love Is God Is." & "How Much Land Does a Man Need." Both of these can be found in the Everyman's Library Edition Vol. 2 of his short stories.

Karen Mathews

Hello Folks. I am Karen, originally from Maine, but now living in SarasotaFlorida. I am almost through part one of War and Peace. This is my second read of the first 750 pages. I gave up in November. This book club is what I need. I live in an assisted living facility and there is no one who wants to read and discuss with me. In fact they think I am crazy to want to spend my retirement academically. I was a high school history teacher for 33 years.I am doing what I love: reading ,studying, learning. Thank you for all you are doing.

David Brown
>>98710795

Hi David I always enjoy your comments and references to the many books that you are engaged with. I also am enjoying the Thandiwe Newton audiobook and finished it a year ago so it's a second visit for me now. Your comments on White Noise were welcomed as I am now inspired to listen to it in 2023 and hopefully also enjoy some therapeutic laughter! I copied and pasted your content of book titles and added it to my ideas files for TBR. Acastos also caught my eye as I enjoyed The Sea the sea by Iris Murdoch.

Rob (del’ly frèé) McClusky

I’d looked at War and Peace before. 500 characters? 1,000 pages? The math was simple: No Way. Until… Today begins a whole new book life. Glad to be joining the journey with all of you.

Fay Black

Hi all! New member here and very excited to get started on this. 1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? - I've never even attempted to read Tolstoy so I'm very excited about getting started on this one! 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I'm hoping to just learn something and get a great understanding of one of the greatest works of our time. Since being out of school and working, I've done very little learning that wasn't directly tied to my job. I'm excited to just learn something for the sake of learning again. 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? Really, I'd just like to get back into reading and learning about literature, something I love.

Pat Mac

Hi! I’m Pat from Canada. I’m a new HCLBC member, but an older reader. This will be my second read of War and Peace. I was probably in my early thirties when I read it first, over much/most? of a summer at the lake. Now in my early sixties, I figure it’s well past time again. Or maybe I’m just looking for a new example of what Robertson Davies used to say and which I’ve so far found to be true: (with apologies ot RD for my poor paraphrasing) a great novel is new again at every stage of life. Even without that recommendation, however, I know by now that I’ve always tended to be a plot-gobbling reader: so desperately driven to find out “what happens” that for worthy novels, a second read has always been both obligatory and revelatory. Of all novels, War and Peace is bound to be particularly full of aspects I previously gave short shrift to! But that’s maybe something less than half of why I’m here. The other half+ is for the community and the structure. Though a lover of great literature through most of my life, the last ten years have seen me fall away from most of those highs, and into what used to be only an occasional escape in the busiest of times: murder mysteries, for example, or anything which is generally able to keep my mind engaged without my having to invest myself or my energies in going much below the surface. But I expect I went too far or too long feeding on low-hanging fruit. Though recently retired and nearly empty-nested, I now find myself struggling to shuck the addiction to those easier dopamine hits, even though I know the rewards of wrestling (and dancing!) with other reading can be far deeper and longer-lasting. Hence a commitment to a community, and an investment in some external structure, to help me trade out some bad habits for better. Therefore thank you in advance, and hello! I’m looking forward to sharing War and Peace with all of you in the Book Club.

Sarah

I’ve read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina a couple of times. It’s tragically beautiful. I’ve never read War and Peace although I saw a film adaptation many years ago. Aside from this being my first time reading War and Peace, it will be my first time creating a book journal. I thought this was a great suggestion. I love great literature, the way it touches your soul, imprints and enmeshes into who you are. The way you remember where you were and the moment you read something that absolutely captivated you. My personal goals are to continue to fight for justice for my murdered son, Brandon Embry, of three years ago. I’m looking forward to other’s insights and reflections. Happy New Year!

David Campbell

Hello all from the west coast of Canada (Vancouver Island). I had always been drawn to the works of Dostoevsky in the past due to his complex psychological and moral themes, and have somewhat overlooked Tolstoy. I’ve recently started reading Tolstoy and am about two-thirds of the way through Anna Karenina (following along with the book club lecture series). I have grown to love Tolstoy and am appreciating the depth of his characters and his ability to bring readers inside of their thoughts and minds. I don’t know why I had overlooked Tolstoy in the past! This will be my first read of War and Peace. I am looking forward to immersing myself into another Tolstoy world with War and Peace. I’m excited to learn more about the historical context the book is set in, and I hope to learn more about the human condition and human relations to be able to understand more of the world we live in. I’ma 45 year old male - a scientist by education and profession, dealing with natural hazards. I have always had an interest in reading, and through the pandemic and seeking a path to be a more well rounded individual, I have re-engaged with classic literature and philosophy, and this has been bringing a lot of joy to life. Over the past year I’ve read many books and authors for the first time: Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Plato, Homer (Odyssey), Shakespeare, Dostoevsky (Brothers Karamazov), Virginia Woolf, Steinbeck (East of Eden) and Hemingway, among others. Most of my goals for 2023 revolve around reading great literature, with a mix of books with the book club and a few others that I am keen to immerse into. In addition to reading I’m looking forward to a few other goals and challenges for 2023 - running an ultramarathon, learning Spanish and travelling around Bolivia and improving my jazz musicianship. I’m looking forward to reading along with everyone this year!

Jennifer S

I’m a writer in Santa Barbara California. Instead of resolutions each year I choose to learn something new to me. Past choices have included baseball, opera, smoking salmon (to eat, silly!).For 2023 it is deep reading English literature classics. The list fit my desires, War and Peace especially. I’ve tried three times and gave up, lost in a sea of character names.

Dave

I’m looking forward to diving into my first piece of great literature! This year I’m looking forward to taking the time to sit and enjoy these books alongside the rest of you.

Sonja Hampel

I'm Sonja from Germany. I started "War and Peace" last year, but never finished it. I had to read a lot of classics at school but never this book (I mean, it's huge...). I am here because this year my word of the year is "hero" and I want to learn more about heroes in literatur, about human nature, how autheros from the past percieved humans/heroes. I want to become a heroine myself in my small life and learn from the best :-)

Jane

What do you think of the 3 volume Everyman's library translation?

Stephanie Thompson

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? I am currently halfway through Anna Karenina, this is my second attempt at the novel. I had read about 3/4 of it several years ago and never finished! I am finding this second reading a quick breeze compared to the first somehow. I am going to finish this one before starting War and Peace, which will be my first time. 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I am looking forward to deepening my knowledge of 19th-century history and culture, and I am also looking forward to seeing what reflections of myself I will be faced with, as I have seen in Anna Karenina so far. 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? I want to continue my current exercise regimen and get stronger. I want to read several of the book club books for the year and go back and read a few from past years. I am really looking forward to reading a lot in 2023 as I feel I want to get back into it after many years of not reading deeply.

Gärtner Kathrin
>>98802147

What a nice idea to dedicate a year to a certain topic. You are probably reading Campbell's Hero's Journey as well?

Caroline P

Hello book club friends, although I learnt some history about this period when we read Les Misérable, I am trying to learn more.. it is such a huge subject! I have been watching Lucy Worsley and have ordered the other recommended book from the library but if anyone has come across other resources on YouTube that cover the period in an easy to digest way, please share.. it is all fascinating but sooo complicated. And there are so many perspectives..I guess that is the nature of history.

Steven McVicar
>>98809230

Hi Stephanie, hope you’re well. To answer your questions… 1) I’ve never read Tolstoy before. Not a single page. 2) I’m hoping to a) cultivate a way of deep reading that works for me b) enjoy War and Peace to a degree that proves deep reading is a rewarding way to enjoy the great books. 3) My resolutions are pretty much the same every year. Eat less, drink less, exercise more, spend more time with friends and family. For 2023, this deep reading syllabus is my main priority. I’ve always enjoyed reading but I believe I can get more from books so, I’m slowing down, reading and re-reading, taking notes, and making more of an effort to get to know the characters. So far, I’m loving it.

Jonathon Glover

I am also new to HCLBC. I am a 36 year old teacher from Sydney, Australia. In 2022, I took most of the year off as a stay at home Dad, taking care of our 2nd daughter. Traditionally, I am a lover of film, but since having children I have found myself falling asleep during the opening montage, and have found that reading (and audiobooks) and video games have become the mediums I am enjoying the most currently. I found myself tearing through literature the last 18 months, both high (Flaubert, Tolstoy, Austen, McCarthy etc.) and low (Christie, Hobb). Whenever I finished a novel, I had a look at Ben’s podcast/YouTube and enjoyed his analysis, and philosophy on reading, very much. In regards to Tolstoy, I read both ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘The Death of Ivan Illyich’ last year - both of which were excellent. I like Ben’s idea about the development of literature from Shakespeare to Austen to Tolstoy, and how they each add to the way that character can be developed. I walked away from Anna Karenina feeling a connection to those characters that was unique, in that they felt real, rather than developed. People, rather than archetypes. I’m sceptical as to whether W&P will get the same response from me, but will be more than happy to be proven wrong. After casting the net wide last year, I am now keen for a deeper, slower engagement with these great texts, and hopefully, a lively community to share it with.

Caroline P
>>98805428

Hello Jane, I was debating the Everyman too. I think it is translated by Maude.. Ben did a a video on the 8th or 9th of December, here in the group, where he spoke of the main translations including that one I think. I liked the idea of a more manageable three separate volume but preferred the Briggs Penguin translation in the end. Also I find it easier to keep track in the videos if I use the edition Ben uses. I don’t know anything about such things but I think it is true that there are no hard and fast rules .. ( I bought a lovely set of War and Peace not so long ago.. then realised that that set had four books… and in the set I bought there were only three .. the last one was missing.😝… anyway it meant I had to buy the Briggs penguin so it was a win in the end).

Aaron Kyereh-Mireku

I love Orlando Figes. I read his book on the Russian Revolution last year and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. I've not read The Story of Russia, though it sounds interesting. I watched the 2016 BBC War and Peace when it came out and I thought it was spectacular. I even tried to read the book on Kindle but I unfortunately did not get past the first few pages (which I nevertheless enjoyed). I look forward to finally reading it with the book club. I chose the Oxford World Classics edition with the revised Maude translation. I'm pumped!

Maureen E Moriarty

Questions for You: 1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023?

AranBoston

Against the historical backdrop of all the settling blood and ash of the Napoleonic Wars, I've found that it often helps to be reminded of the resilient human spirit of the age by keeping Beethoven's 9th Symphony close to hand.

Maureen E Moriarty

Hello....my first subscription to Patreon and it is for the Hardcore Literature series. So very excited about taking on this challenge. I accidently copied the questions and did not include my answers before posting the above post. This is not my first "dance" with Russian Literature. Back in my 20's, I read everything I could get my hands on, Tolstoy, Nabokov, Dostoevsky. Loved the complexities, the thrill of understanding the human condition, the Russian personalities and culture. What I needed though was a tour guide and that is basically what I am hoping to do with this. A slower, methodical approach to understanding all that War and Peace has to teach. My resolutions for 2023 are simply to stay on track with the literature that Ben has selected for this year. Thanks for everyone's postings!! Maureen (from Vermont, USA)

hardcoreliterature
>>98694814

I love your personal history and connection with the book, Ellen. Your memory of carrying the brick of a book around with you during your commute on the NYC subway has sparked a lot of strikingly similarly memories in my own mind! So many of these books were my companions whilst commuting into London. Every now and then, a fellow passenger would strike up conversation with me about the book I had in my hands. It was a relatively rare occurrence, but I always loved when that happened! I can't wait to hear what you get your of your second reading of War and Peace, especially after such a rewarding first reading!

hardcoreliterature
>>98695157

Wow! 800 pages into the work already! That's amazing, Mirjam. It sounds like you've been really pulled into this magnificent story. How interesting that you and Napoleon share your birthdays :) I can't think of who I share my own with.. Though having it on St. Patrick's Day has always made it quite a fun day to celebrate. I love your resolution for the year - upping our reading and writing is always going to be a very rewarding thing to do. I think it has a very strong, positive knock-on effect for everything else in our lives. Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate them so much :)

hardcoreliterature
>>98695419

Thank you so much, Alex :) It's definitely a hard one to put down. I always feel like I'm right there whenever I read this great book! Such a masterpiece.

hardcoreliterature
>>98695803

I'm really looking forward to reading this with you, Sally :) I'm so happy to hear that this will be your first time coming to Tolstoy. I'm so keen to hear what you make of the experience!

hardcoreliterature
>>98696404

Congratulations on finishing Anna Karenina and Moby Dick, Mary. Wow! Your reading is going so well :) Thank you so much for embarking upon this journey into War and Peace with us!

hardcoreliterature
>>98697733

Welcome to the club, Claudine :) It's so wonderful to have you here! I'm thrilled that this is your first time coming to Tolstoy's War and Peace. Going back and forth between audiobook and print reading is something I personally love doing. I remember when Amazon brought their 'Whispersync' feature out - just what I needed! I used to use my commutes to devour great books. My audiobook addiction became rather fiendish, and I actually started to look forward to my journeys just so I could find out what happened next in the story!

hardcoreliterature
>>98698104

It makes me incredibly happy to hear that you and your parents are tackling War and Peace together, Canton :) I'd be very keen to hear what you think of this one compared with Anna Karenina! Also, very nice goal with reading the Western Canon over the next 5-7 years. That's a powerful practice right there!

hardcoreliterature
>>98698588

That is a beautiful approach to life. One step at a time! I need to tell myself this very thing every day. I can't wait to hear what you make of Tolstoy :)

hardcoreliterature
>>98699514

Ah, Pierre. There are so many moments in the book where I just wanted to reach out and put an arm around him. And, in a sense, put an arm around myself.. Thank you for such a beautiful appreciation of a wonderful character, Jan. I can't wait to reread this one with you.

hardcoreliterature
>>98700341

Hello Andrew! We're so thrilled that you're kicking off your first year and reading these great books with us. That's incredibly impressive that you're reading these classic works whilst studying as a full-time nursing student. My younger sister has just begun studying nursing herself. How are you finding the challenges of your course? For W&P, shooting for ten pages read per day should have you in line with the lectures as they come out, but I fully encourage embracing your own self-pace as we'll keep the discussions alive!

hardcoreliterature
>>98700540

Taking more time with the work is definitely an approach I encourage, Maria :) There really is so much to get stuck into. But no need to feel intimidated. I bet, once you've started reading, you'll soon want to devour it! And thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate you :)

Michael Dobos

Hello. My name is Michael and I have just joined the club! In answer to the three questions, I have never read Tolstoy before. I did study English and Creative Writing, but somehow I was never assigned any of the Russian novels so I am very excited to become acquainted with this leviathan of literature, this War and Peace. As for what I hope to get out of this book, I actually have what might be a very stupid question. Is peace possible without war? Is peace that natural state of man but is always bungled by the villains among us? Will I get an answer, or opinion, from this novel? As for where I am in life as this new year begins, I'm on the couch or on the chair, reading, watching TV, or playing video games. Literally, these are the things I do when I'm awake about 96% of the time. I don't have a job (I'm on disability) and I suffer from agoraphobia, so I live a very sedentary life of solitude. Don't cry for me though, I'm not complaining. My life at the moment sets me up with the ability to really squeeze all the juice from The Hardcore Literature Bookclub. Thanks for reading.

hardcoreliterature
>>98701719

Hello Marina! I am so keen to hear your insights about Tolstoy as you are a native speaker. It's interesting that you mention preferring Dostoyevsky. I've heard this preference from quite a lot of Russian speakers. It's made me very interested in learning Russian myself. I would love to know what they feel and sound like in the original :)

AranBoston

Happy 2023 fellow hardcorers! War & Peace is my first journey into Tolstoy's art and work. I'm very excited to reconnect with the joy and "newness" which always accompanies the unfolding story/ies -- especially upon a first read. I've made the HLBC my only resolution for 2023. It's my first sub to any type of book club and I can't wait to hear what all the readers have to say. It feels a lot like an embarassment of riches awaits me.

hardcoreliterature
>>98702101

Thank you, John! How amazing to hear that this is your fourth reading. It will be fascinating to know what you make of it this time around. These great books seem to change from each rereading - or reflect the changes we have undergone! I'm glad you're enjoying the Briggs. I simply find his translation to be so smooth. It makes the read such an enjoyable experience! Do let us know what you make of the Sergei Bondarchuck film version :)

Michael Dobos
>>98824283

May I ask how long ago you read these books? You mention it was during your twenties, but I'm curious how long you've been away from these books. Also, I used to live in Vermont and miss it very much. I lived in Brattleboro, Bennington, Burlington areas, always about twenty minutes away from town; but as you know, twenty minutes away can mean the middle of nowhere when it comes to VT.

hardcoreliterature
>>98702557

Brilliant goals for 2023, Hazel :) Writing and focusing on well-being are two brilliant goals. That's exactly what I'm doing too!

hardcoreliterature
>>98703118

I'm so excited you're here too, John :) Nice one on finishing AK! I'd love to hear what you make of W&P having just come out of that great book!

hardcoreliterature
>>98703662

Welcome to the club, Pia :) Your goals for the year sound wonderful to me. I'd love to hear how you're getting on in the early stages of your PhD!

hardcoreliterature
>>98709929

Thank you, Adam :) It's a technique that I've employed for years, and it works very well for me! As you say, it makes flipping back and finding those characters very easy to do!

hardcoreliterature
>>98710353

Hi Laura :) I'm thrilled to hear that you're getting sucked into the story already! W&P is definitely a great winter read. I do miss the Canadian winters... I used to live in Quebec & Toronto, and loved the cold half of the year. Surprisingly hot summers too! Regrettably, I never made it out to Vancouver, but it remains top on my list for places to visit. I've heard such wonderful things!

hardcoreliterature
>>98715326

Hi Ann :) Welcome to the club! I'm so happy to hear that this is a first read for you. I can't wait to hear what you make of it. Thank you so much for reading with us!

hardcoreliterature
>>98783598

Welcome to the club, Adrienne :) You'll love this book in no time, I'm positive of it! I can't wait to hear your thoughts :)

John Ward

I'm finding the Briggs translation an inspired choice after 200 pages. The battle scenes are so realistic you actually feel part of them. I have read War and Peace 3 times before with different versions and this is certainly my favourite. I have given up making new year resolutions this year in favour of making regular micro adjustments throughout the year as these are far easier to keep and can then build into meaningful change. This approach has been remarkably successful for me with regard to time restricted eating. With regard to reading I am currently trying to read books like I read the Mystery of Edwin Drood by noting and marking carefully each new character as they appear and tracking/imagining how they will progress as the book continues. This is already paying dividends as far from being a big baggy monster as Henry James suggested, I am finding that every chapter of War and Peace so far is relevant to the book as a whole. I am now considering which next micro adjustment to add derived from the copious list of ideas Ben has mentioned in his earlier lectures. Probably some way to improve my journalling.

Steven McVicar
>>98826731

Hi Michael, hope you’re well. In answer to your double question: is peace possible without war and, will that be answered by reading War and Peace? I can’t answer the second question as I’m reading War and Peace for the first time. However, the first question is answered emphatically by the character Judge Holden in the novel Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. The Judge makes a compelling, intricately constructed, logically consistent argument stating unequivocally what he believes the true nature of man to be. It’s one of the most chilling passages I’ve read in any novel. I’ll guess we’ll see if Tolstoy brings any of his wisdom to bear on the question. Happy 2023!

hardcoreliterature
>>98785561

Welcome to the club, Tiffany :) Anna Karenina is one of my favourite books too. Such a special work. I'm very keen to know what you make of W&P! Lots of similarities between the works, but also a great amount of differences too, so they're fascinating to compare!

hardcoreliterature
>>98786176

Welcome to the club :) I'm so happy you enjoyed Middlemarch! George Eliot's masterpiece is easily one of my all-time favourite works. I see a lot of similarities when it comes to Eliot and Tolstoy, so I think you're going to love War and Peace :)

hardcoreliterature
>>98786299

Welcome to the club, Ed! I'm so happy that you stumbled across the channel, and I really appreciate your kind words :) Nice one on getting 200 pages into W&P already! We'll definitely get through this masterpiece together, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts on it. Thank you so much for reading with us, and wishing you a very Happy New Year, my friend!

Kyle Smith

One slight issue I’ve already stumbled upon: Even between the audible and text editions of Maude, there’s variations in how they’ll number chapter. Chapter 10 on the audible might be Chapter 8 on the kindle text. And I’m sure the same issue surfaces between the many translations. This can present a challenge when referencing a particular section or quote from the book, or if we’re looking up chapter recaps in Sparks Notes, etc. It can’t be helped, only worked around. So glad to be here with you all.

Emma S.

Time has been short here and I've been struggling a bit, but I managed to listen while cooking dinner and you've really helped cheer me up Ben! I'm very excited to start and will hopefully be able to this weekend. I loved Anna Karenina and so have high hopes! I also wanted to share a quote that came to me while listening to your wonderful lecture. “Think of this - that the writer wrote alone, and the reader read alone, and they were alone with each other.” A.S. Byatt. Happy reading everyone xx

hardcoreliterature
>>98786885

Hi Jonathan! We're excited to have you reading with us too. I'm thrilled that this is your first time reading Tolstoy. I can't wait to hear your impressions of the work. I'm completely with you on his style being very straight forward and elegant!

hardcoreliterature
>>98792244

Welcome to the club, Fay :) I love your goals, and I really cannot wait to hear your thoughts on Tolstoy's War and Peace!

hardcoreliterature
>>98792722

Welcome to the club, Pat :) Thank you for such a wonderful introduction. I love that idea from Robertson Davies! That is so true. I think of Jaques' 'all the world's a stage' speech from As You Like It. 'One man in his time plays many parts.' For every age, and every part we play, the books we love take on new meaning. I'm very excited to hear what War and Peace means to you this time around. You'll be bringing such a wealth of lived experience and wisdom to this great work. Thank you so much for reading with us!

hardcoreliterature
>>98794013

Tragically beautiful is such a perfect way of describing Anna Karenina. I completely agree with you, Sarah. And I simply adore what you've written about great literature, how it 'imprints and enmeshes into who you are.' Thank you so much for reading with us, and wishing you a very Happy New Year!

hardcoreliterature
>>98821441

I'm going to have to order myself a copy of that, Aaron. Thank you so much for the great recommendation. I really enjoyed the BBC 2016 production. I actually gifted my mother the DVD of that for Christmas. My little sister got the book itself :)

Holden Foster

Great videa! War and Peace is the first Tolstoy book I've read in fact this is the first Russian book I've read. I bought a copy of War and Peace about a decade ago, planing to read it at some point. Over 100 pages in I wonder why it took so long to actually read it but I'll enjoy reading it for the first time with this group. I have little knowledge about Russian history or Napolean's wars, but I'm going down rabbit holes learning about the history, so I'm hoping to have alot more knowledge about this topic which I'm finding interesting. I also found a DVD copy of the Russian film version which I'm probably going to wait till I finish the book, since I hear this movie is a masterpiece and I have something to look forward to when I'm done since I'm enjoying the book now. To answer the question about the goals for 23, I'm hoping to be a better reader. I always read but I wasn't a deep reader before this but I've been doing some deep reading with several Dickens novels since 2020. I used to be one of those people who had TBRs but this book club has changed my reading habits. I learned that rereading a select number of books is better. So this year I hope to find new books to add to my personal literary canon. I look forward to discussing this work and reading other people thought. Happy reading!

hardcoreliterature
>>98828544

I'm so happy you think so, John! I enjoy the different translations of W&P, but the Briggs truly has my heart for the very reason you've mentioned. You simply feel like you are right there. I think your approach of making micro adjustments throughout the year is a great one. I swapped out resolutions for skills many years ago, and found it much more beneficial. I would adjust throughout the year as needed depending on how my skill was progressing. It's brilliant that you're marking every character as they appear. This is such a powerful approach to the book and makes keeping track of them much more manageable. I totally agree about every part being relevant!

Juliana Aldous

I read War and Peace on my own last year and looking forward to reading it again. I am definitely guilty of having read it too quickly the first time so will be doing a chapter a day this time. I'm also planning on reading a book about Napolean this year since he pops up so much in War and Peace, Les Miserables, etc. The one I've marked for that is a biography by Ida Tarbell.

Olivia Knight

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? This is my first read with this book club, as well as my first reading of War and Peace, but I read Anna Karenina a few years back and adored it. My current relationship with Tolstoy is very positive, and I cannot wait to dive deeper into this work. I expect to be frustrated by the characters and their poor decision making, as I was in Anna Karenina, but that is what gives them such life! As these characters make their mistakes in the book, I’ll certainly be making my own in the ‘real’ world, 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I have a love and great interest for Russian history and culture, and I hope to better understand this particular period of time. I also joined this book club to learn how to slow down. I am definitely prone to reading great books way too quickly, and it’s time to fully appreciate the artistry. My current strategy is notetaking and journaling. Any suggestions from former speedreaders? 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? Life finds me in great spirits! I have a lot of different yet fulfilling projects this year. I am training for a triathlon, attempting to learn calligraphy, working through some Chopin piano etudes, and tackling the Ancients portion of the Brittanica Great Books. Will I accomplish all of that? Most likely not, but I know for certain I will have a great time whatever the outcome!

Tatiana

It will be huge for me to mark up a book. Feels like vandalism. Usually I write on stickies.

Anna M.

Hello everyone! My name is Anna and I'm new to the book club. I'm very excited about the Tolstoy's War and Peace, haven't read it before, but I love Russian literature and I read a lot of Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Chekhov, Bulgakov and also Boris Akunin- a modern Russian writer who created a fantastic series about a 19th century Russian detective - which I strongly recommend to anyone who loves to read Russian literature:) I read Anna Karenina a few years ago; however, as my tendency is to gobble up books at a light speed I don't think I extracted all there was to extract from that book, unfortunately. This year I’m planning to work on slow and deep reading to be able to appreciate books more. Also, I want to work on my journaling skills- which are terrible at the moment (terrible meaning non-existent). I look forward to meeting you all!

Anna M.
>>98845899

I know the feeling... Cannot for the life of me make myself to use a pen... But pencil is OK

Yesenia

Hi everyone! My name is Yesenia. I'm new to this book club and this is my first patreon subscription. I'm excited to get started. I've been reading a lot of Russian literature recently, especially Dostoyevsky. A lot of these works have left a deep impression on me. I thought this would be a great time to finally read War and Peace. I tried it in high school thinking it would be easy but it humbled me quick haha Since then I have read and loved Anna Karenina. That's my only Tolstoy's novel however. Last year I made the goal of reading more classic literature and stepping out of my comfort zone. For the most part I succeeded and want to continue with that goal this year. I've always enjoyed reading and my love for literature has grown with each passing year. I'm hoping to not only read War and Peace, but come out of my reading with a strong understanding of it. I enjoy stories rich in history and detail so I very much look forward to this experience and meeting all of you!

Nifty Skates

Quick Question: When is the next discussion? Just want to know when the first ~100 pages are due for it, thanks.

Gloria Selleck
>>98856636

Exactly what I came here to ask also! This is my first full month with this group, so I’m just trying to figure out my pace. Thanks!

Susan James

Hi, just looking to learn the structure of the Patreon lectures and to find out if there's any live interaction for my tier. Is there a link that gives the structure for the year?

Mike HCLit

Yes! I'm so confused with the structure here. It is not at all clear how to navigat this site. Depending on where I'm coming from I get different posts. Or maybe I'm just confused. ;-)

Sharon
>>98862554

First of all, welcome, Mike! Ben has set up this channel so that his Contents Page is at the top (think of it as a Table of Contents for previously-discussed books). Below that will always be Ben's most current post and it goes in reverse date order below that. Save this link as your main page https://www.patreon.com/hardcoreliterature/posts Save this link to review the 2023 Reading Schedule https://www.patreon.com/posts/hardcore-book-75171674 Watch this FAQ video to help clarify whatever I didn't explain clearly. https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-book-60594613 I hope this helps. We are a friendly bunch; I hope you will enjoy this channel as much as we do!

John

Hi, I have just joined but I must admit I found the joining process extremely confusing (for example, it said Dickens or Proust I think on the subscription page), even though it is my second Patreon membership, and I am still unsure, as seem to be a few others, where and when the War and Peace discussions take place, is it here or YouTube etc and is it as we go or only after 115 pages for example. I will start posting about War and Peace here until told otherwise.

John

Tolstoy is my favourite novelist and Anna Karenina my favourite novel. War and Peace is probably my second favourite novel although Tolstoy said it isn’t a novel and for me it is in a class of it’s own. I love these books and everything else Tolstoy has written especially Resurrection and since I started reading Tolstoy last year he has had an an incredible influence on me. I have just discovered you are reading War and Peace now and just joined the group and I am currently reading Jane Eyre, and absolutely loving it, so I may not keep up with the reading schedule but as it is my second full read of War and Peace I should be able to catch-up. My first read was Briggs and I havd 4 other translation and still have to decide which one this time. Edit, I now see you recommend Briggs so it will mainly be Briggs but I may refer to the others.

Brian Wood-Koiwa

I remember downloading War and Peace when I first received my kindle all those years ago when they first came out. I think it was the very first book I downloaded. As with probably many others, I quickly became confused with all the characters and their names coming at me all at once, and eventually gave up. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try again with the guidance from Ben and the book club in general. I’ve taken Ben’s advice and highlighting when a character is first mentioned and their description, I have also downloaded a couple PDFs of the various families and their relations to each other, which have been extremely helpful as I journey through part I. I am pleasantly surprised at the Austen-esque settings at the beginning with the fabulous gossipy soirées and reception room conversations at the various households. I mean, the Countess Rostov - love her! I just never would have associated such scenes with Tolstoy for some reason. Glad he loved a good ole goss as much as I do.

Ines Picard

Hi! First time following with the book club in real time, but I've used it before including Wuthering Heights. W&P is my first introduction to Tolstoy, and I have only read one novel in the world of Russian literature, which was Crime and Punishment. I've been wanting to dive in ever since. I joined this club because I am often disappointed at how little I take away from the books that I read compared to the ones I read in my literature classes in high school. Being a student in the sciences, I no longer take these classes and I am sadly removed from any formal Humanities circles. I am also looking forward to learning a bit more of Russian history and its perspective on French history (which is where I am from, so it has been nice to see so much French in this book, which was totally unexpected and lovely to read some Tolstoy without the veil of translation!). As for resolutions, I usually try to fix any habits I dislike immediately. I actually would like to finish any sort of writing project. I write a lot, but never seem to finish one idea and give it the respect of revision. Lastly, it seems that there are a lot of new subscribers to the book club, so congratulations, Benjamin!

Sara Richards

First book I am reading with this group. I read Anna Karenina many times as a younger reader but never War and Peace. I am well into the novel and the temptation to read on is enormous so I may do what I do with many books I read, which is to go through at pace and then reread carefully. I find that once I’ve got over the “what happens next” phase of reading I can settle into the how and the why. I will probably do that with each volume rather than the whole book! Looking forward to the discussions to follow.

Jennifer S

My reading of W&P has been deliberately slow. I looked up 'redingcote' and my old dictionary included a drawing beside the definition, so nice. A topcoat with a capelet. I am still in Part I reading a few chapters a day. Pierre fascinates me; and I am, at this point, convinced he is Tolstoy as a celebrated new author privy to invitations to royal parties. He is forthright and clumsy and liked. An everyman. To an American, sort of a Bernie Sanders, although that's stretching it a bit.

Sharon
>>98872759

Welcome, John! As I mentioned above, please look for my reply to Mike's post (a few comments above yours) to find helpful links that you should save. The FAQ in my comments is also very helpful. Ben will post discussion videos which will appear at the top of the main post page. Please change your settings to receive email notifications when he publishes them. The video discussions are all posted on Patreon because they're for members only, although Ben occasionally publishes one on YouTube. Whatever he posts on YouTube will always be posted on Patreon. You can read up to the 115 page mark and stop until you watch his discussion post (less than a week now? no set date) so you can read another novel alongside this one or you can read ahead. Alternatively, you can slow down your pace and read at your comfort level if that is more comfortable to you. I hope this is helpful!

Sharon
>>98894143

Yes, the Bernie Sanders connection is stretching it a bit 😂 although I can see your connection.

Stephanie Mack

Hi everyone! I am a new reader of classic literature, and this is my first read with the book club. I'm a bit scared to kick this off, but the penguin translation is not as intimidating as I thought in terms of reading difficulty. I'm looking forward to taking my time and getting to know myself through this process and the discussions with all of you!

Brandi K

Having just finished Middlemarch, I'm hoping War and Peace will fill the void of having to part with the Middlemarch characters I grew so close to over the past year. I'm excited to embark on my first Tolstoy journey :)

Debra

I just watched the 3 part series on Russian history by Lucy Worsley recommended by Ben. I found it very enlightening. If you don't have 3 hours to dedicate, just watch the 2nd part.

Jodie

Question for those who have read more than one translation: I am having an unexpected issue. I was hoping to read War and Peace each day and follow that with listening to the same part in audio the next day during my walk. However, the Briggs translation is not at all available in the US on audiobook?! I tried purchasing it on a UK site, but apparently it is quite region locked and I'm not able to purchase it. Does anyone have advice about which other translation would be the closest to the Briggs? My biggest concern is the names. There are already so many characters and many of them have nicknames! Thank you for any insight you can share!

Curtis B.
>>98915790

The Briggs translation appears to be available here: https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/war-and-peace-penguin-classics/408408 And it's also available on Amazon's Canadian site, though I don't know if it's available for purchase in the States: https://www.amazon.ca/War-and-Peace-Penguin-Classics/dp/B083KMWQ1P/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1WW9UXY84UY3Y&keywords=war+and+peace+anthony+briggs&qid=1672869080&s=audible&sprefix=war+and+peace+anthony+briggs%2Caudible%2C87&sr=1-1

Jodie
>>98901391

I was intimidated as well, but the Briggs translation seems very good so far!

RachelEvelyn L

Just finished Lucy Worsley's series last night, very illuminating and great background! Hoping to start the Russian movie as suggested by Ben and watch up to where I am in the book so far. Wanted to offer one additional resource- there is a 6-part recent(ish) BBC miniseries starring James Norton, Lily James, and Paul Dano, in case anyone is interested! Luckily available for free on YT: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1AA_AedTJX9dVrn9eeYMU_gcZ28XMqj3

Samuel Wilson

War and Peace will be my first experience with Tolstoy in a novel form; but George Saunders was actually the one that introduced me to Tolstoy's work in his non-fiction work "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain". I became a believer in the power of short stories after reading that. Tolstoy's stories "Alyosha the Pot", and "Master and Man" were the two stories that Saunders studied and dissected. Absolutely delightful book. As this my first foray into the "classics" since high school, I want to gain an appreciation for them I was never shown how to have. I'm hoping that the appreciation I've gained for the great books through listening to Benjamin translates into my own personal love and respect for them. I also hope that I'm able to absorb and understand more of the underlying themes and topics of this book than I'm expecting to; typically my reading consisted of relatively surface-level sci-fi and thriller type books, which I believe is part of why I grew bored in my reading. Currently my biggest goal for 2023 is staying as consistent and dedicated to the book club as I can; with learning to read deeply and communicate my experience to others in the club being a tied closely to that, of course. In June, my wife and I are expecting our second child, so I'm very excited for that and curious how it will change my day to day life. I'm sure reading and any kind of hobbies will take a backseat for a bit come that time, but hopefully I'll manage to squeeze reading in here and there during nap times!

Joshua Aponte-Alonzo

This will be my first time reading Tolstoy! I am incredibly excited to dive into this book, and I look forward to meeting the many characters. This is the first book that I read alongside the book club as the lecture series is released. Through this reading experience, I hope to increase my love and appreciation for the classics, learn more about the world and myself, and hopefully grow as an individual while reading lovely books. In 2023, I hope to create a daily habit of reading the books that we will be reading within the book club, but I also pray that I take steps to become a more generous person, and to become a bit more detached from things that ultimately do not serve a greater purpose in my life, such as expensive clothing, current trends, social media, etc. Wish me luck as I embark on this journey with you all. Happy reading :)

Leslie R

I have a long-standing relationship with Russian culture and language, having studied through high school and at university. All the Russian authors were part of this study, where we read in the original Russian and translated as we went. This was before the days of any computer-based translation options, so admittedly the process of reading the novels was more a puzzle to solve than really grasping the stories themselves. This activity really did help reading comprehension and unlocking sentence structure in Russian though! My read through of W&P this time is something I've been meaning to do for years and I am enjoying losing myself in the story and the history. What do I want to get out of it? A better understanding of the story, the history and also, to reflect on how my feelings about Russian culture and history have changed since my initial read, which was just after the dissolution of the CCCP. It's been a roller-coaster with the US and Russia relations since that time, so it is interesting reading through the lens of the last ~30 years of history and current events as well. Life finds me in an interesting place, entering 2023. 2022 was a very difficult year, as my mother struggles with dementia and as an only child, I have been endeavoring to get the best care for her. I am entering 2023 hopeful that her new assisted living situation will help her achieve some happiness and comfort. I am so grateful for the distraction of the book club, the discussion and the syllabus of reading laid out for me (thank you, Ben!). My goals are to escape from reality here and to keep better care of my own health. It's certainly nothing to take for granted and sometimes caring for others means letting yourself down. Looking forward to the discussion of the first reading assignment! I'm trying not to read too far ahead, but it is difficult. :)

Karen Sumpter

I joined the club in December and am looking forward to starting with Tolstoy. I had several of his books in my library, but not this one. Bought a beautiful cloth hardcover of the Penguin Briggs.

Karen Sumpter

My relationship with the book began when I went with my high school English class to see the Bondarchuk film in 1967. The film was shown in 2 parts, each over 3 hours long. It was beautiful, but at that age I found it stultifyingly boring. I remember one scene where a man sat on a bench waiting for a woman to join him and a leak caused endless beads of water to slowly form and splash on the ground. Went on for what felt like 10 minutes at least.

Karen Sumpter

I've never read the book, and am hoping to lose my fear of its length and learn why it is so loved.

Kc Thyne
>>98915281

I just part one yesterday. It was good to see how the western European influence on Russia got started

John

As I understand it we are only going to start discussing War and Peace after 115 pages but I can’t find a date for the start of the discussions and I am concerned I might miss it if I don’t know in advance when it is, or will we be notified nearer the time ?

Christopher Robert

1) What is your current relationship with Tolstoy? Is this your first reading or a rereading of this masterpiece? This will be my first time reading Tolstoy and I honestly have no idea what War and Peace is about. 2) What are you hoping to get out of your deep reading of War and Peace? I think that this will be a new and positive experience over all. I’ve never read a book where I did a deep dive into the characters, history or other elements of a story. Sadly my education is very limited but in the last few days I’ve learned a lot about Russian history. 3) As we are beginning the New Year with this classic, let us know where life finds you right now. Do you have any goals or resolutions for 2023? In 2023 I’m going to take better care of myself and get back to doing the things I enjoy. My love of reading got away from me because of my work and study hours.

John de Vignolles

This is my first experience of Tolstoy (I've never even seen any films based on his works). I don't know why I've never read him, given that in my 20s, I was obsessed with Russian Literature and Radio Moscow. Lucy Worsley is fantastic, she could do a documentary on watching paint dry, and I'd be hooked! Goals for 2023? I've had 3 tough years for various reasons (not Covid per-se, other stuff), so I just want to get myself sorted out with routines again, perhaps begin a BSc in Chemistry or MSc is Philosophy of Science and Religion. I'm retired so I have time to do whatever I can fit into 24 hours!

John de Vignolles
>>98949557

Never let the length of a book put you off. If a book is well-written and engaging, you won't want it to end. The Count of Monte Cristo and Lord of the Rings are similar length, and I was sad when they finished.

John de Vignolles
>>98966804

Yes, I'm just trying to find my way around the site too. I'm trying to find some sort of timetable. Can anybody else point us in the right direction, please? :O

Mohamed Zayed

I am Mohamed and I live in Zurich. I am French Egyptian and this is my first reading of Tolstoi and so far I have been pretty much enjoying it. I am hoping to get a good grasp of history and introduce myself to the Russian culture and literature in general. I was always told that Tolstoi and Dostoevsky are great and life changing reads but never had the courage to pick them up. Now I have bought both War and peace and the Brothers Karamazov and I am all ready. I am hoping to find fellow readers in Zurich so that we can meet up and get to know each other. My goals for 2023 is to get deep into literature and luckily this club is giving me a pattern, encouragement and most importantly the keys to read the literature which I was clearly lacking in the past. So now I have a realistic schedule and also a community to exchange with and to be encouraged by. I am hoping to get myself familiar as I can with Literature. And I am quite lucky that we are starting with Russian literature since I have always wanted to discover that. Thank you Benjamin Mcvoy for this club and to all the community.

Jeffrey Jackson

Hello readers. I'm at the beginning of my third read of War and Peace currently with the Briggs translation, Penguin edition. I have a question about something that happens in the first 25 pages. This isn't really a spoiler. I've always found the interaction between prince Hippolyte and the little princess Liza to be a little bit strange. It seems as though they have a close relationship where they stay together during Anna Scherer's soirée, and remain close even after the arrival of her husband, prince Andre. I wonder what the rest of you make of this? I feel as though I might be missing something. Even though Andre is not happy in his marriage, it seems a little odd for Liza and Hippolyte to have this sort of interaction in society. I love how Tolstoy introduces many of his characters for this novel by bringing them together at a soirée. I hope everyone is enjoying their reading. Jeff

John
>>98987889

It never occurred to me that it was strange even after re-reading it now. I can actually picture the scene in the Bondarchuk movie and it looks completely innocent to me and Hippolyte looks slightly ridiculous with his pose and lorgnette. Just two party guests who happen to be sitting together and I always think of the little princess as being pure as the driven snow, also she is pregant and has to sit somewhere. Maybe I am missing something 😀

Alena Malik

Hello from England fellow HCLBC members! Thank you Ben for the wonderfully insightful introduction to War & Peace - this is a book that for many years has intrigued and intimidated me in equal measure but until now I could not summon the courage to pick it up. I am excited to be tackling this with your guidance and alongside my fellow HCLBC members! :) This year I am hoping to embrace the art of deep reading. I am the type of person who struggles to slow down and I often experience anxiety about all the books I want to finish (and the finite nature of time!). I hope through reading War & Peace with your guidance I can really learn how to savour great literature and spend more time contemplating the themes and lessons we draw from these works. Right now I am anxiously awaiting the outcome of job applications I have spent the last year working on which would mean moving country alone and embracing a new life. The HCLBC has been one of the few constants in my life, and although I haven't been as consistent as I'd like to be, it has always been a great comfort. Looking forward to the new year and diving into this great work with you all :)

Morgan Gray

This will be my first Tolstoy! It’s been on my list (along with Anna Karenina) for many, many years, and I’m excited to finally crack it open. My goal in joining the HLBC is simple: to reconnect with my hobby of reading classics. I put reading for fun aside for a few years while I’m college and grad school and starting my career and started reconnecting with it last year. I read some more modern fiction and popular books that people talk about on YouTube, but I wasn’t as satisfied with them as I know I will be by going back to the books that have stood the test of time. Im very excited for more reading in 2023 and to be a part of this book club!

Rachel O

Hello everyone! I'm an English teacher in the U.S. teaching 7th grade (ages 11-12). I've been teaching for five years, and as much as I love teaching tweens, I find myself craving the more complex literature that I studied in university. After recently finishing my master's degree, I've found myself with some extra time on my hands, and I've also found myself missing the academic discussions that come with studying in university. This book club seems like a wonderful opportunity to dig into some classics, and I'm so excited to be able to discuss them with fellow bookworms from around the world! My goal for this year is not just to read more classics, but to share the reading experience with others, and I think this book club is a great place to start. I read Anna Karenina last year and loved it, so I am looking forward to reading War and Peace with you all!

Rachel O
>>98999569

Congrats on finishing grad school and starting your career! I also recently finished grad school and am looking forward to channeling the extra free time into some classics. :)

Jacob Mills

This will be my first read in the Hardcore Literature Book club, as well as my first book in any sort of book club ever! I look forward to reading this classic piece with the rest of you.

Susan Page

I have digested this lecture and read the first chapter of War and Peace. I have the Briggs translation for Kindle. While I would love to be able to mark up a hard copy, most of my reading will need to be in electronic form, due to my eyesight and lack of bookshelf space in my current living quarters. I will do the best I can with highlighting and a written journal. I am a slow reader, so it will likely take awhile to complete. I have the Figes book on Kindle, Lucy Worsley’s Empire of the Tsars cued up on Netflix, and Bondarchuk’s War and Peace bookmarked on YouTube, so I feel fairly well prepared to immerse myself in Russian literature and history for the winter. I am feeling anticipation about this journey. I know nothing of Russian history and have read no Russian literature except for some Chekhov as a college freshman a half-century ago. Besides looking forward to learning more about the history, culture, and worldview of the Russian people, I want to find out for myself why War and Peace is so often called the greatest novel ever written, and why Tolstoy is considered such a great author. I also feel a little trepidation about taking on such a time-consuming project and trying to keep up with all those characters! By the way, there was an interesting review of the Figes book in The New York Times recently. I don’t know if anyone else mentioned this, because I didn’t read many comments.

Mayi Poley

@Ben i jumped into War and Peace and loving it so far. Did I miss the schedule for the lectures? I want to keep on schedule and want to be ready and finished part 1 in time for the lecture :) thank youuuu

Rebecca Ravenscroft

I am a few chapters into War and Peace and am loving it already. This is my second time reading Tolstoy, though with hindsight I think I rushed through Anna Karenina. I have the Orlando Figes book and have watched the first two parts of the Lucy Worsley documentary. Already I'm greatly enjoying immersing myself in the history as well as just reading the book straight through. I'm journalling after each chapter (even if just a summary) and am finding this is helping with keeping up with the character names etc. Thanks Ben!

Jennifer Abbott

I am excited to get started on this journey! Hopefully, this book will allow me a greater understanding & appreciation of Russian literature. I am starting with the Oxford World Classics edition while I am waiting for my Penguin black spine to arrive. I am hoping that there will not be too much of a difference in translations. Thanks, Ben!

Jim Harrison

Greetings all, 1) My relationship with Tolstoy is just beginning with this reading of War and Peace. In fact, I have very little experience with Russian literature in general, so I am excited for the opportunity to read Tolstoy and Dostoevsky to start the new year. 2) My hope for this reading of War and Peace is primarily to learn more about Russian history while meeting many interesting characters along the way (perhaps discovering more about myself and others in the process). 3) The major item on the near-future agenda is returning to school to pursue a new career path. Beyond that major life change, my goals for 2023 are to stay on pace with the lectures of this book club, write consistently, run a half-marathon in April, and continue my practice of learning Spanish. Cheers!

Christine Stokes

1st time Book Club member here! Mom of 4 from Tulsa, Oklahoma in the USA. Thank you for the wonderful introduction. I am listening/ reading on Audible and Kindle. It has been easier than I expected to get into the characters and plot. I have tried journaling for the first time after each section. Excited for more discussion and to dive in with you all!

hardcoreliterature
>>98990760

Hello Alena! :) Thank you so much! I’m so happy you’re excited to tackle this one with us. You’ll absolutely love it! And I love your goal of embracing the art of deep reading. I’m sending you positive well wishes for the outcome of your job applications! 🙏 I ended up moving from England to the other side of the world years ago all by myself and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Please do keep me updated on how it goes for you!

hardcoreliterature
>>98983883

Lucy Worsley’s Three Part BBC Documentary Series on Paint Drying - sign me up too, John! :) I’m so sorry to hear that last three years have been so tough for you. It sounds like your vision for the future is a really strong and exciting one though! A BSc in Chemistry or MSc in Philosophy of Science and Religion. Wow. They both will be so rewarding!

Rashmi

Thank you for this wonderful introductory lecture, Ben! Loved your tips and am following along using your advice. I bought War and Peace several years back (the P and V paperback and an audiobook on audible which is translated either by Garnett or Maude) after reading Pat Conroy (My Reading Life) and how much he loved Tolstoy amongst other authors. However, I got distracted and never really got into it. (It was busy time with little kids and a busy job.) This time I got the Briggs edition and I 'm also listening to the audiobook. I used to start things (not only books!) and often not complete them so I'm looking forward to finishing it. I'm past Part 1, also watching the movie by Mosfilm you recommended but trying to restrain myself so as to not experience too many spoilers before I read the entire book. (It's really great especially for a 1960's film). (The BBC series does not play in the US.) Additionally I got the audiobook for The Story of Russia (which tbh is narrated in a dreary fashion); I'm still trying to plough through it. W and P is such a fascinating novel, that I feel regretful for not getting through it before. I read Anna Karenina years back but need to reread it. I recently read Master and Man, Tolstoy's short story and George Saunders' critique of it in A Swim in the Pond in the Rain. I got so much about of this book- I never really appreciated short stories by the Russian masters. Many of them seemed bleak and depressive. Now after reading Saunders' expert analysis, I feel better equipped to understand them. I loved his breakdown of Tolstoy's writing style, etc. My goals for 2023 are to simplify my life and focus on things that are rewarding/meaningful or give me joy. The book club is definitely high on my list of joyful activities!

Rashmi

P.S. How do people write paragraphs on this site? Each time I press the return bar, my post gets published!

Matthew Annable
>>99086731

I had exactly the same problem. It may depend upon what device you’re using but the solution for me was to press Shift and Return simultaneously. Not at all obvious but seemed to work. Try that and see what happens.

Leen Verbraken

For people from Holland or Flanders: on spotify you can find a podcast about Napoleon. It’s called “Geschiedenis voor herbeginners”.

Linda Wilkins

I’m not one that enjoys footnotes - it pulls me out of the story. But I do love reading the historical notes. So my trick is to read all of the footnotes for a chapter before I start that chapter. This way I’m informed and don’t need to bounce back and forth. So far, so good. Even if I don’t retain all of the exact info from the footnote it’s still giving me a sense of what’s being mentioned/discussed. Does anyone else do this?

Emma S.

I have to say I am struggling a little and have began chapter one three times now! I'm wondering if I should switch translations. I do have the version with french/footnotes (it's sat unread on my shelf for a few years), and that's definitely not helping! It feels a bit excessive to buy another copy, but I do have a book token from Christmas I may use, as I'm starting to feel a bit desperate!

Cath schofield

The strategy I’m adopting is just read up to ch25, I’m on 19 now. I’m getting hopelessly lost with who’s who but I can follow the story. When I’ve got to ch25. I’m going to start again, read slower and make notes about the characters, not sure if this is a good strategy or not but I’m happy to try it

Nancy C

I'm also a first time book club member and generally a non fiction reader. But the passion that this host has for reading really drew me in to start reading. I'm very political and the opening paragraph, with words by Anna ( I think it was,) really resonates with me. Especially in light of current events and me being more of an outlier from the generally accepted opinions on the matter (current events.). Seems nothing changes. So, I think I'm going to enjoy this book.

Nancy C

How much does it matter that we pick the penguin edition? I think I downloaded something else.. p.s. nevermind. You addressed this in the video!

Jennifer S
>>99117295

Hello Cath, what helped me is actually overcoming my horror of writing in a book, underlining and writing margin notes. I used a pencil, a small concession. Benjamin is right about how to make notes on the page in the deep reading of a book, it helps to remember who's who and bring the character to reality in your mind, fixing then in memory. Also, he says concentrate on the main characters. Right now Pierre is my favorite but the buck toothed princess is fascinating. Anna Pavlovna reminds me of a certain Washington DC society hostess. A friend stayed with me recently and for entertainment we watched White Lotus on HBO. The privileged wealthy in $9,000 a night+ Hawaiian hotel. To compare White Lotus and W&P is interesting. It is not a strong comparison, but it does have parallels that show thematic ribbons. For example, Part I of War & Peace (Chapters 1-7 at least), the majority of "nobles", some with 40,000 serfs to make money for them, have too much time on their hands, are only fearful of boredom, are gossip hounds and lack empathy, conscience, compassion.

John

I am reposting this with a few changes as I did not get a reply. As I understand it we are only supposed to start discussing War and Peace after 115 pages but I can’t find a date for when theses discussions will start and I am concerned I might miss it if I don’t know in advance when it is, especially as people read at different speeds, or will we be notified nearer the time ? Also, I am now wondering if the discussions are here or on YouTube or some other platfrom ? Sorry of this specific information is stated somewhere on this site but I can’t find it.

Denise Powers

Thanks, Ben, for another fabulous lecture to kick off a book that I have had on my wish list for, well, forever. This will be my first time with War and Peace and the only other work by Tolstoy that I have read is Anna Karenina (which I loved! I have read it now 3 times). I am delighted to have such a meaty book to begin 2023 with (even though I feel like I furiously trying to catch up on the 2022 books) because it is going to be a year of big changes for me - I will be moving countries in the spring, heading home after 25 years abroad. It is a stressful time, and I am hoping that hiding myself in a sweeping epic like this one will be just the salve I need to keep my mental life balanced and entertained.

Denise Powers
>>99146801

Hi John - I have subscribed to the push notifications to my phone as well as emails to let me know when a new lecture is posted. It is a little bit "belt and braces" but I always know when something new comes up. You will always find the videos here on the Patreon channel. I hope this helps!

Chrissy

I’m jumping in, fashionably late! My copy still hasn’t arrived (I ordered the Vintage P&V translation), so I decided put aside my prejudice against electronic books, and made a start this morning, on the Maude translation via Project Gutenberg. Even the sterile glare of my (badly cracked) iPad could not cheapen the elegance of Tolstoy’s art, or the beauty of his voice. There’s something about the way he writes his characters. All of a sudden, you’re there. You’re in the room with them, you can see them - almost touch them. I read AK with the club last year, and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. W&P already feels like it has that same immersive quality. I just wish my book was here! I have an urgent need to draw squares and scribble! Edited to add - wow! How we have grown! I’m so happy to see so many new members. So many new friends to meet!

Chrissy
>>99113236

Hi Emma, most classic fiction is available for free, online, from sites like Project Gutenberg (amongst others) May I suggest you have a look at these, to see if there’s a translation that appeals, before you bust out your book token? I’ve ordered a physical copy, which seems to be lost somewhere in cyberspace, so I’m using the Project Gutenberg version until it turns up.

Joanna Paterson

Thanks for this introduction and various thoughts on ways to read and approach the text / experience. I’m managing just now with maybe what isn’t the purest of reading - reading on a kindle which is helping with keeping track and searching back on names if I get lost, and keeping some basic notes and quotes on a spreadsheet. I don’t actually find any of the characters particularly engaging but I do find the whole sweep of events, life, chaos, humour and history engaging and vivid. Perhaps this is part of the book being an 'epic' rather than a ‘novel' as such?

Rosemary

I just joined today and decided to do the W&P from Benjamin's YT video. I've been following the YT channel for a while. I ended up ordering the Briggs translation hardcover from Amazon but don't love it--the cloth cover is rough and the margins are tiny. I am waiting for the paperback ($15USD) but had a question...the description says it has the deckled edges which I always associated with the cheaper paperbacks. There is another paperback on Amazon from another seller for $26USD (does not specify the deckled edge) but it has a long delivery time. I may have to hop onto my Kindle just to get started as I realize I should have order my book before Christmas. Does anyone here have a recent Briggs paperback and does it have the deckled edge? Barnes & Noble has a lovey leather bound book but it is a new translation and I was worried about just buying it without any knowledge about how good the translation is.

John
>>99183133

I have the Briggs paperback version, 2 copies in fact, and as far as I can see it has regular non-deckled edges. Don’t worry too much about the translation, War and Peace is great in any translation.

Xime Goka

Hi Everyone! So excited to tackle this classics this year. This is my first ever read of Tolstoy so Im a bit intimidated by it, but also ready and excited. Im a big fan of world history and find fiction books that intertwine with history fascinating. I will read this in spanish since its my first language, let's see how it goes. For this year instead of quantity I will focus on this great book milestones. I will read Jane Eyre, Orlando, LOTR and the Count of Montecristo. Along with these I have a couple of Fantasy and Sci-Fi that are already on my bookshelf and also contemporary literature written by female and non-binary authors which is also one of my goals for this 2023.

Tatiana
>>99336192

So interesting that you are reading it in Spanish, someone else is reading it in French.

Vivian Zoma

Regarding Lucy Worsley- I found that due to rights agreements BBC iplayer will not work outside the UK.

Jennifer S
>>99391399

No problem! Download the BBC Sounds app. You'll get all that interesting on BBC Radio, many stations. Radio 4 likely has some Worsley stuff. When you find what you like on BBC Sounds, subscribe or make it a favorite or something like that. I'm in Santa Barbara and I've listened to The Archers and In Our Time and The Shipping News for decades. The app is new and it's great (Prev. I went to the bbc radio website, found what I wanted and subscribed). Plus Charles Paris Mysteries (with Bill Nighy)!

Meera Sampath

Hi Ben! Joining from India. Big fan of your videos. Adore your passion for classics! Have trouble accessing BBC iplayer. Any tips?

Deirdre Gordon

Good Morning. I joined the book club yesterday. I feel like I am arriving late to the party. When I came across Ben’s YouTube video for the 2023 reading schedule in mid December, I was intrigued and a current of excitement took hold. I am an avid reader and enjoy all genres. I took an English course in university and read Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Spencer, Blake. I have some of the reading list books on my shelf but sadly donated a few of the others as I did not intend on revisiting them. I have decided that joining a book community is worth re-engaging and re-investing in these books. Ben’s passion for literature is contagious and I hope to learn from him and the other members of the book club community.

Lord Vandercat

My challenge (and surely I'm not the only one to experience this) is in constraining myself to only ONE big book at a time. I've already read War & Peace at least 4X in my life, but I'm irresistibly drawn back to it (and this will be my first time through this particular translation). But that's not the half of it, because I'm also in the middle of reading the complete works of William Styron (in sync with his biography and his collected letters) AND re-reading Anna Karenina AND dipping into Our Mutual Friend and Les Miserables (two lifelong favorites) as comfort reads each evening. (And that gorgeous set of Jane Austen novels I've collected is staring at me from the mantle in my reading room . . .) That's a lot of big books to be juggling all at the same time. I'm not sure if Ben can reign in my reading habits so I can go deeper into ONE (okay, maybe two) at a time, or if this is just how I'm built. I've always had way too many books going at once than is reasonable or quite sane.

Ms P
>>99725349

If you have a Kindle (or even a phone or tablet) you can get pretty much any classic on the Gutenberg Project :)

Ms P
>>99657688

I'm pretty sure it's geo-restricted to the U.K. only

Lisa Griffith

Good morning! I just joined the book club on recommendation from a friend and colleague at work. I'm so excited to be here and about the 2023 reading list. I read War and Peace about 25 years ago and don't remember much about the story. At the time I was quick reading many of the classics of Russian literature. I'm looking forward to deep reading War and Peace with others and experiencing the discussions. I'm particularly interested in the concept of self-development while reading literature which is what prompted me to join the book club. Still working on New Year's resolutions!

hardcoreliterature
>>99875374

Good morning, Lisa :) Welcome to the book club! Thank you so much to your friend for recommending it. Please do let them know how much I appreciate them! I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on Tolstoy's masterpiece 25 years on from your first reading :)

hardcoreliterature
>>99808751

I know the exact feeling you're describing, Shawn! I've personally tried to be a 'monogamous' reader many times over the course of my life. And... It has never really worked out for me. I've found the best I can do is have a 'main' deep read that is taken over the course of several months, with smaller or complementary side-reads that aren't as focused (poetry, essays, non-fiction), and that seems to work for me. My heart is with one main book at a time, but I hope that book turns a blind eye at some of my discretions :)