War and peace

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Language
English

Description

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American ReadOften called the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace is at once an epic of the Napoleonic Wars, a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian spirit. Tolstoy’s genius is seen clearly in the multitude of characters in this massive chronicle—all of them fully realized and equally memorable. Out of this complex narrative emerges a profound examination of the individual’s place in the historical process, one that makes it clear why Thomas Mann praised Tolstoy for his Homeric powers and placed War and Peace in the same category as the Iliad: “To read him . . . is to find one’ s way home . . . to everything within us that is fundamental and sane.”

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ISBN
9780307266934
9781620117477
9781483088457
9781400079988
9780307820396
9780143039990

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Published Reviews

Publisher's Weekly Review

British scholar Briggs unveils his lucid new translation of Tolstoy?s masterpiece?the first in almost 40 years?to a slightly anxious audience, from first-timers who, balking at the amount of time required by this massive yet startlingly intricate work, want to ensure they are reading the best translation available, to purists who worry that clunky modern prose will replace the cadences of earlier translations. But these concerns melt away after the first 100 pages of this volume. Briggs?s descriptions are crisper and the dialogue is sharper, with fewer ?shall?s,? ?shan?t?s? and ?I say!?s? than the Garnett, Maude, or Edmonds translations, leaving readers free to enjoy the rich and complex plot, vivid characters and profound insights into war and the nature of power. There are some awkward spots: Briggs claims his earthy rendering of soldierly banter is more realistic than earlier, genteel translators?, but it reads distractingly stagy: ?Give ?im a right thumpin?, we did.? It?s also a shame to have lost Tolstoy?s use of French, not only in the mouths of his characters, but also in the essays, as when he plays with Napoleon?s famous ?sublime to the ridiculous? quote. Briggs will face competition next year when Pevear and Volokhonsky release their new translation, but for now, this is the most readable translation on the market. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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Library Journal Review

Not a new work by Tolstoy, alas, but a new rendering by two award-winning translators. Big in so many ways. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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