Yes! Just started reading Tolstoy recently and he’s skyrocketing up my favorite author list. The death of Ivan Ilych is something I’m making a video on soon. Most impactful story I’ve ever read. Reading Anna Karenina right now
The king is back! Read a bunch of Tolstoy last year and was shocked how honestly *easy* and modern he is to read for such a prominent classical writer.
Yay! Happy to finally get this, I was so excited to hear your thoughts on Tolstoy a year or two ago, he’s absolutely my favorite author. I do think War and Peace is a little inconsistent in quality, unlike Anna Karenina, especially in the middle sections where Tolstoy spends a bit too much time in that epic summary style of the wars and big events happening and we’re not getting very much on the depth of character that he so wildly excels at, but there’s also just massively powerful moments in every part of the book for me, so it’s hard to even give it a 4/5 stars. Especially considering how much you’ve said you liked the Grace of Kings (which I didn’t like as much almost entirely because of that epic style), I think you’ll really enjoy the rest of War and Peace.
Leo Tolstoy is such a mammoth for the literary world, certified GOAT indeed. I have English as my 2nd language and it was a little challenging for me to keep track of the the book (war and peace) in the beginning, but you pick it up really quick! and just get IMMERSED in the world. I can't wait for a review on the books when you get done with it :) Very nice video andy! Keep it up. (Also, do you ever plan on doing a Malazan read along on your channel! I would love it )
Awesome! Tolstoy is one of my favorite authors as well. I don't see myself reading anything that could mean more to me personally or more deeply effect me emotionally than War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Happy reading!
Welcome back comrade! Absolutely love Tolstoy, and I think my favourite thing about his works are how such strongly built characters can change so meaningfully. Levin and AK are two brilliant examples, and Pierre and Andrei two others. Have you read any Dostoevsky?
@@AndySmithMN Great to hear! I also recently read “Salammbo” by Gustave Flaubert, and I think it would be highly enjoyable for fans of Malazan: A multicultural mercenary company starts a rebellion against their former employers, the City of Carthage, when they are not payed their due, after Rome forces Carthage to pay a huge war indemnity after the First Punic War. And what role will Salammbo, the mysterious daughter of the great Carthaginian general and war hero Hamilcar, play? It is only 200+ pages, but did Flaubert know how to pack his prose chunk full of details, borderline sensory overload! I knew Flaubert had traveled to the actual ruins of Carthage in Tunisia for inspiration, but man, he writes so visually and lively as if he had used an actual Time Machine and just wrote what he saw!
Let's rename your video to be more accurate: "How to read works of a literal fascist". Tolstoy is still a pillar of russian fascist regime and that's no coincedence. Because his totally bizrre and contradictive worldview is still prevelant in russian culture
Yes! Just started reading Tolstoy recently and he’s skyrocketing up my favorite author list. The death of Ivan Ilych is something I’m making a video on soon. Most impactful story I’ve ever read. Reading Anna Karenina right now
So excited for you, Jimmy! Let me know if you need a co-host for Tolstoy Talk!
The king is back! Read a bunch of Tolstoy last year and was shocked how honestly *easy* and modern he is to read for such a prominent classical writer.
100% agree: such a breeze (and joy) to read!
Yay! Happy to finally get this, I was so excited to hear your thoughts on Tolstoy a year or two ago, he’s absolutely my favorite author.
I do think War and Peace is a little inconsistent in quality, unlike Anna Karenina, especially in the middle sections where Tolstoy spends a bit too much time in that epic summary style of the wars and big events happening and we’re not getting very much on the depth of character that he so wildly excels at, but there’s also just massively powerful moments in every part of the book for me, so it’s hard to even give it a 4/5 stars. Especially considering how much you’ve said you liked the Grace of Kings (which I didn’t like as much almost entirely because of that epic style), I think you’ll really enjoy the rest of War and Peace.
Leo Tolstoy is such a mammoth for the literary world, certified GOAT indeed. I have English as my 2nd language and it was a little challenging for me to keep track of the the book (war and peace) in the beginning, but you pick it up really quick! and just get IMMERSED in the world. I can't wait for a review on the books when you get done with it :)
Very nice video andy! Keep it up.
(Also, do you ever plan on doing a Malazan read along on your channel! I would love it )
Awesome! Tolstoy is one of my favorite authors as well. I don't see myself reading anything that could mean more to me personally or more deeply effect me emotionally than War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Happy reading!
Totally agree: they are amazing!
Welcome back comrade! Absolutely love Tolstoy, and I think my favourite thing about his works are how such strongly built characters can change so meaningfully. Levin and AK are two brilliant examples, and Pierre and Andrei two others. Have you read any Dostoevsky?
I’ve read Dostoevsky’s major 4: Brothers K, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, and Notes from Underground. Crime and Punishment is a masterpiece!
One of the greatest storytellers in history.
I also read WaP years after finishing Malazan and was certain you’d draw parallels when i saw the title of this vid.😂
Absolutely there are parallels, but I was trying to be broadly appealing in this video, rather than Malazan specific :)
Can highly recommend the BBC Adaptation with Paul Dano and Lily James!
Excellent! It's on my watch list
@@AndySmithMN Great to hear! I also recently read “Salammbo” by Gustave Flaubert, and I think it would be highly enjoyable for fans of Malazan: A multicultural mercenary company starts a rebellion against their former employers, the City of Carthage, when they are not payed their due, after Rome forces Carthage to pay a huge war indemnity after the First Punic War. And what role will Salammbo, the mysterious daughter of the great Carthaginian general and war hero Hamilcar, play? It is only 200+ pages, but did Flaubert know how to pack his prose chunk full of details, borderline sensory overload! I knew Flaubert had traveled to the actual ruins of Carthage in Tunisia for inspiration, but man, he writes so visually and lively as if he had used an actual Time Machine and just wrote what he saw!
What do you think of Dostojewski?
Like, but not to the same extent as Tolstoy. Crime and Punishment is my fav Dostoevsky
:D
Let's rename your video to be more accurate: "How to read works of a literal fascist". Tolstoy is still a pillar of russian fascist regime and that's no coincedence. Because his totally bizrre and contradictive worldview is still prevelant in russian culture