Hey Emma, loved the video! Just thought you might like to know that Sophia Tolstoy, Leo's wife, contributed a ton of work to this massive book with no credit from her husband. He would read her diaries, and once read one of her short stories that would later become the beginning of the Rostov family - yet he told her he barely looked at it when he read it the first time. She also copied his manuscript by hand seven times, correcting grammar and spelling mistakes, and she also offered key suggestions in the plot (like saying he needed to focus more on the family and romantic subplots and less on war strategies). She did all of this thanklessly while raising his 13 children and managing his estate, allowing him time to write while she took care of the domestic labor. While enjoying this book, please remember Sophia Tolstoy, who has been erased from literary history for being a woman.
Oh wow, that's an interesting but heartbreaking thing to know! Really makes you wonder how many more hidden stories like this are. Thank you for sharing this
As a Russian, I can say that when we go through “War and peace” in schools, we are not being told this part of history. We are only being told that Tolstoy’s a genius and etc. When I got to know her story, I was heartbroken. I’ve read her diaries, in which she several times expressed her frustration and willingness to die.
@@joannaszulc1496 What, just because she was rich, she doesn't deserve our empathy? She was rich from /her own hard work/ mind you, since she worked for her husband in the ways I described above and it was his books that gave them income. A quote from one of her diaries: "'I have served a genius for almost forty years. Hundreds of times I have felt my intellectual energy stir within me and all sorts of desires - a longing for education, a love of music and the arts… And time and again I have crushed and smothered these longings… Everyone asks, 'But why should a worthless woman like you need an intellectual or artistic life?' To this question I can only reply: 'I don’t know, but eternally suppressing it to serve a genius is a great misfortune.'" Being rich isn't an escape from sexism and she suffered from it brutally. She DID have it bad and her journals tell us so. And I am perfectly capable of holding empathy for both Sophia Tolstoy and Russian women in poverty. Go away
The first part of War & Peace I always describe as being invited to a massive party with loads of guests. You keep getting introduced to people. You forget their names. You meet them again. Your guide is a gossip who knows all the info and wants to tell it to you.
I'm obsessed with this channel. Finally found a booktuber that doesn't read only young adult or new books. All your videos on classic and contemporary literature are soo interesting!
Totally! If they only read classics = 80% bored If they only read YA = 40% bored If they read the book they want not for the age, or the publishing year = 0% bored. I think that you must read the book that "calls your attention" careless if it's classic or not 👌
Oh, and also. I was thinking that between the classics and the new books... There isn't much difference, just the epoch, the writing way and topics it deals with.
Guys War and peace is amazing. Don't be scared of how chunky the book is. The story is very interesting. I guarantee time will fly when you're reading this masterpiece
This video, and your comment have encouraged me to finally read this book. I've had a copy of it for about a year now and for some reason I've felt intimidated of it, but now is the time =) I'm on page 4, hooray for me lol
In Russia we read this in school (grade 10, 15 yo) and i really don’t know anyone in school who loves it 😂 except that every girl was in love with Andrey ☺️ You are now in a perfect age to read it ❤️
I'm Russian and I'm in the 10th grade now, and we have finished working with this book like a month ago. I read it last summer and though I loved it, I feel like I didn't understand many things that Tolstoy talked about. Also it was so hard to get through all the war scenes! I understand why this book is a masterpiece, but I guess I'm just too young to truly appreciate it.
i’m sure someone has already mentioned it, but there is this absolutely stellar musical called Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 that is based off of a 70 page chunk taken from the middle of War & Peace. I would highly recommend listening to the cast recording once you get to that part of the book because it really helped me to fall in love with the story ❤️
That musical got me into War and Peace, and I just finished that 70 page chunk!! It was a reading experience unlike any I’ve ever had, when the songs were continually playing in my head as I read because obviously a lot of the lyrics are taken exactly from the book. The audio and the visual intertwining, a full sensory experience!
@@AnnaItem Can you share your other favorites too? I'm sorry if this doesn't feel like the place to talk about musicals but I have listened to some much-beloved musicals recently and Great Comet is probably my fave so far and I would love to hear some of your recommendations since you are a professional.
I really like the part where nikolai is in battle and he thinks to himself, why am i under attack? Why is the enemy trying to kill me? Me, who everybody loves? And he thinks of the love of his family and how next to it, it seems impossible that someone would want to kill him.
Also loved this part! Like other first-timers, he went into war cocky and naive, only to find himself in shock when he found himself a victim, which was obviously not an option in his mind.
Fun Fact: My teacher once said that the word «мир» can both be translated, understood as “piece” and “humanity ”, and Tolstoy put two (actually more but that is irrelevant here) meanings behind the name of his book. And, by War and People he means that the book will show different people from different classes with different life goals be affected by war (which it does)
Actually during Tolstoy's lifetime there were two words - "миръ" and "мiръ". The first one meant "peace" and the second one meant "humanity". Tolstoy used "миръ" in the title of his novel, so he meant "peace". Here are the sources (in Russian): gramota.ru/lenta/news/8_784 polka.academy/articles/507 (in the last part of the article)
@@bronteide6052 actually it's more complicated... Tolstoy used both variants in his drafts, so he just had to chose. I think it's fair that we consider both meaning of the word
@@bronteide6052 hey! I don't know any Russian so I'm a little confused by your comment or rather what version of the word means what and what he used for his title: At first you wrote: "Actually during Tolstoy's lifetime there were two words - "миръ" and "мiръ". The first one meant "peace" and the second one meant "humanity"." So "миръ" means "peace" and "мiръ" means "humanity", right? Since the first one you listet was миръ and the second one was мiръ. But then you go on: "Tolstoy used "миръ" in the title of his novel, so he meant "humanity"." So is it the other way around and "миръ" means "humanity", while "мiръ" means "peace"? What is what now? I'd love to know🙈
@@wochenente6977 right now people use "мир" which means "peace". Russian language changed through decades, so not a lot of people know about old versions. In conclusion Russians also use " war and peace". " Война и мир"
War and Peace, even if you‘re not a great reader, is just a title everyone knows. And for me at least it always felt like I was never going to read it, not only because of its length, but also because it always seemed to be only for ‚true‘ specialists, for old white men, scholars, the elite. When I was younger, I was worried I wouldn’t understand it, would waste my time and energy at something I wasn’t supposed to do in the first place. And yet here I am - here we are - a generation of young people of all different sorts of backgrounds, tackling (and enjoying!) this literary masterpiece. Discussing it among each other, learning from it, growing as people for having read it. I think I‘ve come a long way from that intimitaded girl to a young woman confident in her abilities and choices, but I also think that we all owe you and Carolyn a great deal too, because for many of us, your discussions and passions are the reason we picked this book (and others like it) up in the first place. And to inspire so many people, especially young people, to approach and enjoy great literature, to encourage them to read more and more widely, is an honourable thing to do indeed, and it deserves all the attention and gratitude we can give. Because I don‘t know if you‘ve actually realised it, but you‘re making a huge difference here. So, thank you for that. 💛
wow i thought almost the same. didnt think thou it was for the elite (cuz we in russia read it at school, so it was initially for everyone, and i thought maybe i was too stupid to read it, as i could go through only the first volume back then and everybody else seemed to read it all, many enjoyed! haha) but that i would definetely never read it, never enjoy it, never fathom this deep sense everybody says it contains 🤷♀️ but, times change it turns out haha
I‘m also currently reading war and peace and i would highly recommend watching the bbc mini series before you start, because it will introduce you to the important characters. The series focuses mainly on the „drama“ parts because it is just 6 episode so you‘ll still get a lot out of reading the book
I prefer reading them first not knowing (by watching the show). I like the journey better that way, as I feel like it's how Tolstoy wants you to receive this masterpiece of EXPRESSION. I'm currently on page 1008, started on the 1st of April. And it's absolutely brilliant! The first war they got on I feel like Tolstoy's way of testing the reader then after that, when you get through it, you're IN!!! Love it!!
@@robertobastardo haha yes that war sequence (can you even call it that if it’s the same amount of pages as some other books??) is truly something. Usually I’m 100% team read the book first but in this case the show just made me way more excited to read the book. Especially the visuals for Saint Petersburg and Moscow were truly magical and captivating. I’ve heard that the book gets way more philosophical in the second half and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to pick up on that a lot better since I already know the major plot points 😊
@@robertobastardousually yes but for a book with that many characters, I think it would be useful to get a glimpse of the series to be introduced to the main characters, so you don’t get lost. It’s quite overwhelming at the beginning to understand who is who and how they are related
Умница! Не многие русские читают это произведение, а уж иностранцам и подавно тяжелее) Но я рада, что ты решила одолеть эту книгу! ❤ (п.с. в России "Войну и мир" проходят в школе на уроках литературы)
@@saska.kukuruzka но среди молодежи есть исключения) хотя я с Вами согласна, без личного опыта прожитых лет и похожих жизненных ситуаций проникнуться к произведению будет труднее.. Да и в зрелом возрасте начинаешь читать "между строк")
@@saska.kukuruzka ну там же не на немецком написано))) Читающая молодёжь-которая знакома с классикой- прекрасно осваивает это произведение (хотя нравится/не нравится и у них возникает)
@@saska.kukuruzka нынешняя молодежь все прекрасно понимает. Не все, но многие, не волнуйтесь за них. У Толстого не самый сложный язык, он многое повторяет и читать его легко
Блин, я начинала читать для уроков литературы и мне очень понравилось, но тогда у меня не было сил читать. Это очень даже прекрасная история, цены бы ей не было, если бы не заставляли читать
I am from Russia. And in our schools we must read this book in 10th grade. So many of pupils hate War and Peace, because it's time-consuming and "boring". But then you actually read this you start to understand how much Leo Tolstoy had to tell us, how real and powerful the historic events and story is. This is not only accurate story of Russia this is life-changing book. For me it is at least. Fun fact: The first name of the book was rather simple and a little stupid but true _" Аll is well that ends well". All meaningful characters were real people. For example Denis Davidov appears as Dennisov Vasiliy (sorry for the name spelling). He was a great soldier who worked with a partisans and a writer.
I also loved that many of the characters and even documents (such as Napoleon's letter) were derived historically from real life. When I think of the amount of TIME that it must have taken to put this work together...I'm simply in awe.
I think 10th grade sometimes is too young to understand the importance of such books. Especially when you are forced to read it. Please just fly over it and don’t understand the meaning of it. But definitely people should read the same book later in life to understand the deeper meaning of everything.
I know this is an older video but I'd like to say thank you so much. Your videos are very calming. I was having a panic attack because I'm overwhelmed and overworked and I put this video on to help me fall asleep. I appreciate you and the work you put into your channel. I started reading The Great Gatsby for the first time today! I'm also working my way through Phantom of the Opera
It is definitely a slow burn book but it will be worth it and I wouldn't stress much about remembering everyone. Tolstoy is good to remind you of the people that is important that you look closely and that you will follow until the end and from others that are just for historical purposes or just to set a moment... if that makes any sense :D
this book haunted me in the 9th grade *oh. my. god.* but as a native Russian, it melts my heart seeing your excitement about it x hope you'll enjoy it!
I’m only about 60 pages in and it’s been slow going so far, but I’ve also been taking a ton of notes and really focusing on getting to know the characters. I’m sure it’ll speed up soon, but at the same time I really want to savour it.
I am fascinated by ur passion and ur lifestyle. Just by living and thinking as u think, u have shown me a lifestyle far superior to my own. I hope to read and appreciate language and writing only half as much as u do. Your endeavor to explore the depth of the literate world has shaped your speech and your persona which deserve at least my recognition. Keep up the good work!
Я в 10 классе прочитала первую книгу, потом летом дошла где-то до трети или половины второй книги и забросила, было очень интересно на самом деле, но чтение занимало оочень много времени, а лето было достаточно активным и коротким... Мне было 16 лет) Но я обязательно когда-нибудь прочитаю все полностью! :)
Кстати! В 11 классе я сдавала историю, и знания из этого романа помогли мне лучше понять Отечественную войну 1812 года, а именно сражения и тактику русской армии.
i feel you though i've never read this one. i'm from argentina and they make us read don quixote at a similar age 😅 i only really enjoyed it as i read it when i was older!
Hi! I'm from Russia. Many russians write here that we must read "War and peace" in 10th grade and it was horrible. But when I was in 10th grade and have read it in the summer before the begin of a school year I genuinely loved this book and these characters (especially Andrei and his sister Mary). It's hard to understand many aspects of the book if you don't know history. But if you try to search for some information during reading to understand some difficult parts you will feel the atmosphere of that period and feel the emotions of people of that time. I mean, this book is great!
I'm from Russia and of course we all read it in school and I wasn't really interested in this book, just read it for my exams. After watching of your video I think about to read it again, more slowly and with pleasure. Thank you very much for video and appreciation of our literature ❤️
You have no idea how much this is helping me! I thought there was something wrong with me when the war description scenes started getting a bit boring, but turns out i'm not alone.
I first read War and Peace in the 7th grade. It opened up a huge world to me of Tolstoy and his writings which I've read most . I suggest watching a video called The Last Station... About Tolstoy's end of life ....very good movie a lot of information about him. I hope you enjoy your journey!
I read W&P last year... The "peace" parts are definitely better than the "war" parts. At least Tolstoy switches between them in relatively equal intervals
I got to that point with 100 years of solitude where I stopped caring who everyone was and recognized them by their personalities and storylines rather than names
I've read this book several times over the years, and even have a copy in Russian. I love it through and through, but particularly those sections on family life. There is a lot of commentary on Napoleon and how historians have described him over the years. I have a degree in history and studied Tolstoy's theory of history as part of my work on history writing and what it all means. This book really is a sustained critique of history as it is normally written. He bases this on his own experiences as an officer at war--and on his own analysis on how complex events like this occur. See the end of the book to get an idea of his views on history and history writing. This book is so entertaining and so thought-provoking. If you're like me, when you finish it, you'll be sad that it had to end at all--it's like you've been party to life as it is unfolding and you want to keep unfolding with it. Enjoy reading this book.
Writing in the 19th cent., Tolstoy felt no pressure to create an alter-ego or inhabit a central character. He is a storyteller, and sometimes he pulls a Scheherazade. He unwinds the narrative now and then and often, perhaps too often, he goes off on Historical and Sociological tangents. Take him at face value, for better or for worse.
My favourite part of the novel is when Prince Andrei Bolkonsky realises the futility of war and simply admires nature's bounties on the battlefield of Austerlitz when he sees the vast expanse of sky above him
to understand War and Peace is to understand history. On a reread, I would highly recommend knowing the dynamics of the Napoleonic wars, especially at Austerlitz and Borodino. His chapters on Kutuzov, Alexander I, and Napoleon are insane when you understand who they were in history. This goes for Andrey and Pierre's experiences of the battles, as it's the battles that impact who they are as characters.
as a russian speaker, i am really happy but also sad i moved to the uk right before the year we had to study this book at school. from one hand, all russian literature did not seem as exciting as it can be now, when i’m older and can really appreciate it. plus, i knew that it’s longer than anything we’ve ever read. however, the analysis would’ve been so interesting, i am sure of it. seeing other people taking this book, i really miss russian lit and wish i could have it in original so i could remember what it’s like to read books in my language. also, war and peace doesn’t seem that scary anymore, and i’m even curious to read it. looking forward to going home and buying it as soon as i can :) and thank you for an amazing video!
I just started War and Peace too! I just finished part 2 as well. I love everything about it. My favorite book is Anna Karenina which I read about a year ago. I started reading books when covid happened, before that I never read, but now I own a library!
AAAH! im so excited to see this series! i love war and peace, i started it last year and it took me ages to finish, but the story is so incredibly beautiful and real, it incorporates history, literary fiction and russian culture in such a beautiful way! so it was worth all the time it took, and the story really consumed me.
First, I can't express enough how happy i am to having finally found a booktuber who talks about other books than new releases and YA, thank you for being in youtube
Your video about War and Peace has inspired me to reread this epic after 12 years! Still so much to feel and so much to enjoy. This book is like a mirror which reflects my younger and naive self but I am not afraid to look straight into it. This is a work to be respected. Please accept my gratitude, emmie!
Emmie you've convinced me to read classics and now I'm gonna be reading Tolstoy, you're really amazing💞Love love love your videos, they make my week a whole lot calm and happy💕Thank you!
I deep analyzed this book at school (I’m russian) for exams, so if you ever need a presentation on the mental journey and development of Pierre throughout the novel then I’m here for you😂 Edit: btw Maria is amazing, waaaay better than Natasha. I mean this book is quite difficult to read, because there’re a lot of things you don’t have to focus on. And it’s difficult to know what is actually important without extra research. It’s important to know Tolstoy’s opinion on war and things like this to really get the book.
I was working while listening to you talk - with earphones. When your dog came around, I was freaked out by its sound and suddenly looked around!!! I changed window to your video and rewind for several seconds and felt relieved that the sound came from your vid lol :') Anyway I'm dedicating my spare time for this War & Peace read along.. I totally feel you - Book 1 Part 2 felt like it's going over and over with the details of the war and I didn't quite understand it. But after some 'research' I decided to went back to several of the chapters and found that.. It was actually a genius chapter. I think it shaped Andrei's point of view on life!
just finished watching this for almost the 5th time. New comfort video. I am reading war and peace after being so inspired by you and carolyn talking about it. As I am going through the book I am watching your updates on the parts I read. Something about hearing you talk about war and peace with your amazingly sweet voice fills me with so much happiness. Even before I started reading it and knew nothing about what it was about it got me wanting to pick up a 1300 page book lol. Thank you so much for making this so that it will fill others with the joy that comes through books and reading :)
What's helped me with getting to know the numerous characters is thinking of them not as individuals, but by family groups. I find it easier to keep them straight in groups if that makes any sense. Then as the book goes on, you kind of get to know each person more by identifying them with their family group. What a book!
I just ordered War and Peace because at uni we recently did a reading from Jon Krakauer about a man named Christopher McCandless. McCandless was an explorer that tragically past away in Alaska. He actually loved Tolstoy's work and was really into the idea of adventure. Anyways, I really admire McCandless and the person he was and I read that he read War and Peace and suggested others read it. So now I'm going to read it and I am so excited, so I'm rewatching your series to prepare myself! Absolutely love your videos!
Hey Megan, same here! I read Into the Wild and got inspired to read War and Peace at last! It's so incredibly fascinating to see how McCandless still inspires people.
Thank you for saying large parts of this book are boring! I was feeling I must be an imbecile for feeling that way. My other criticism is that when writing we are always instructed to 'show not tell' but Tolstoy does a whole lot of telling what people are thinking instead of letting us work it out from their conversation or actions. This book feels more like good journalism than great writing to me (in the way it is written - obviously, I understand it is fiction and not factual).
Your videos are the only 40 minute long ones that i watch happily and even end up wanting more. Love your videos, Emmie! I study literature as well, but I study Hispanic literature, so I find these really fascinating, send you so much love!
I´ve had War and Peace on my shelf for years now.. my edition has 2 chunky books so it is pretty intimidating, but maybe it is time to push it up my TBR...
omg😍 I work at Jasnaya Polyana (Tolstoy's estate). And right now I can literally see the Tolstoy house through my window. And this video just pops up in my recommendations! Soooo cute c: Come to visit our museum! It's worth it BTW, it's cool that you make notes in the book. Tolstoy always made notes in the books he read)))
War & Peace was the one and only Tolstoy novel I’ve ever read and at the time it was very intimidating but I look forward to revisiting such a classic ☕️📖 Thank you again, Emmie, for your lovely content. My Sunday became even more relaxing 😌 Happy Reading Adventures 💫
My literature teacher gave us an analysis of every named character with story from the first two books as homework... For two days. But it didn't spoil the book for me, I still love it
Thank you for your video War and peace was my teacher offer in year 11 when I had too much homework for school to do and also was the first serious experiment to reading novels.In the first time I started reading not in order and it was taken about 1 and half year to finish, but the story of novel was attract me very much and I finish the last page , and at the moment opened the first page to start reading again.Now I continue reading and now I'm in page 400.I wish one day I can read it in Russian language. ❤
I loved your vlog. Recently I started reading book series very similar to tolstoy’s war and peace but in my native language (polish) I am glad I found your channel. Your videos motivate to to read and maybe after finishing sienkiewicz’s trilogy go and explore war and peace myself ❤️
![SAFEPLANET - ดาวเคราะห์ [ THE PLANET ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4X1XL3I_k3c/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Emma, loved the video! Just thought you might like to know that Sophia Tolstoy, Leo's wife, contributed a ton of work to this massive book with no credit from her husband. He would read her diaries, and once read one of her short stories that would later become the beginning of the Rostov family - yet he told her he barely looked at it when he read it the first time. She also copied his manuscript by hand seven times, correcting grammar and spelling mistakes, and she also offered key suggestions in the plot (like saying he needed to focus more on the family and romantic subplots and less on war strategies). She did all of this thanklessly while raising his 13 children and managing his estate, allowing him time to write while she took care of the domestic labor. While enjoying this book, please remember Sophia Tolstoy, who has been erased from literary history for being a woman.
Oh wow, that's an interesting but heartbreaking thing to know! Really makes you wonder how many more hidden stories like this are. Thank you for sharing this
Facts!!!
Oh never knew that, thanks a lot❤️❤️❤️
As a Russian, I can say that when we go through “War and peace” in schools, we are not being told this part of history. We are only being told that Tolstoy’s a genius and etc. When I got to know her story, I was heartbroken. I’ve read her diaries, in which she several times expressed her frustration and willingness to die.
@@joannaszulc1496 What, just because she was rich, she doesn't deserve our empathy? She was rich from /her own hard work/ mind you, since she worked for her husband in the ways I described above and it was his books that gave them income. A quote from one of her diaries: "'I have served a genius for almost forty years. Hundreds of times I have felt my intellectual energy stir within me and all sorts of desires - a longing for education, a love of music and the arts… And time and again I have crushed and smothered these longings… Everyone asks, 'But why should a worthless woman like you need an intellectual or artistic life?' To this question I can only reply: 'I don’t know, but eternally suppressing it to serve a genius is a great misfortune.'" Being rich isn't an escape from sexism and she suffered from it brutally. She DID have it bad and her journals tell us so. And I am perfectly capable of holding empathy for both Sophia Tolstoy and Russian women in poverty. Go away
The first part of War & Peace I always describe as being invited to a massive party with loads of guests. You keep getting introduced to people. You forget their names. You meet them again. Your guide is a gossip who knows all the info and wants to tell it to you.
Is a wonderful description, thank you for this.
That’s the perfect description of the first few few chapters.
Having a list of characters ahead of time would come in handy at parties ;-
)
“I just finished the first page, I think I deserve a coffee”... why is that me every time I want to read
me especially when i’m reading a classic
And I put my book on the side of the armchair saying "I'll get back to it soon" and never do 😂
Coffee with a book is good , but a cigarette with a book it is even better
@@maksymporokhnavets3608 was about to say "you're my kind of person" but i don't smoke 😭🤣
I'm obsessed with this channel. Finally found a booktuber that doesn't read only young adult or new books. All your videos on classic and contemporary literature are soo interesting!
Claire Fenby's channel is really good too!
@@rowenaroberta5244 she went to my uni! Have a video call with her this week :)
Agreed 100%
Totally!
If they only read classics = 80% bored
If they only read YA = 40% bored
If they read the book they want not for the age, or the publishing year = 0% bored.
I think that you must read the book that "calls your attention" careless if it's classic or not 👌
Oh, and also. I was thinking that between the classics and the new books... There isn't much difference, just the epoch, the writing way and topics it deals with.
Guys War and peace is amazing. Don't be scared of how chunky the book is. The story is very interesting. I guarantee time will fly when you're reading this masterpiece
I don’t know about “time flying” but it’s definitely worth getting through
is this very sad? it turns me off when a book puts me in a dark headspace
This video, and your comment have encouraged me to finally read this book. I've had a copy of it for about a year now and for some reason I've felt intimidated of it, but now is the time =) I'm on page 4, hooray for me lol
@@tayyebafaisal296 yes and no. There are some emotional parts but this book is full of satire. The big ending is happy so don't worry
@@haibui8072 thankyou for taking the time to reply :)
I’m from Russia, and I want you to know that I’m soooo proud of you, really💪🏻
приятно вас тут видеть :)
Рада видеть)
Маргарита всегда в курсе всех движух)
Покоряем западный буктьюб
Рита)))
In Russia we read this in school (grade 10, 15 yo) and i really don’t know anyone in school who loves it 😂 except that every girl was in love with Andrey ☺️ You are now in a perfect age to read it ❤️
yeah. it's so stupid!!😂
I loved it actually when we were in school but that’s because of my teacher who explained all the hidden messages of the book.
School just ruins the fun experience of reading. It's not about the book.
I'm Russian and I'm in the 10th grade now, and we have finished working with this book like a month ago. I read it last summer and though I loved it, I feel like I didn't understand many things that Tolstoy talked about. Also it was so hard to get through all the war scenes! I understand why this book is a masterpiece, but I guess I'm just too young to truly appreciate it.
The best way to spoil a book is to make it an obligatory school lecture 🙄
You have Great Expectations for ‘War & Peace’!? *Dickens tiptoes back to his cave*
Underrated comment lmAOO
LMFAOOO
"the Tolstoy Diaries" omfg, I feel this is gonna become my favorite series ever
"i know this book has been out for.... a while" this is the kind of classics accessibility I'm looking for in a booktuber ✨
i’m sure someone has already mentioned it, but there is this absolutely stellar musical called Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 that is based off of a 70 page chunk taken from the middle of War & Peace. I would highly recommend listening to the cast recording once you get to that part of the book because it really helped me to fall in love with the story ❤️
my favorite musical in the whole world!! and i’m a musical theatre major so that says a lot lol
That musical got me into War and Peace, and I just finished that 70 page chunk!! It was a reading experience unlike any I’ve ever had, when the songs were continually playing in my head as I read because obviously a lot of the lyrics are taken exactly from the book. The audio and the visual intertwining, a full sensory experience!
ANOTHER ONE! I'VE FOUND ANOTHER GREAT COMET LOVER!
@@AnnaItem Can you share your other favorites too? I'm sorry if this doesn't feel like the place to talk about musicals but I have listened to some much-beloved musicals recently and Great Comet is probably my fave so far and I would love to hear some of your recommendations since you are a professional.
I really like the part where nikolai is in battle and he thinks to himself, why am i under attack? Why is the enemy trying to kill me? Me, who everybody loves? And he thinks of the love of his family and how next to it, it seems impossible that someone would want to kill him.
Yes, this scene made me laugh out loud! “But I’m such a nice guy!”
Also loved this part! Like other first-timers, he went into war cocky and naive, only to find himself in shock when he found himself a victim, which was obviously not an option in his mind.
Did War and Peace have boring Parts?
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 YES! Definitely, but you'll just have to push through it.
Yes I found this hilarious😂
Fun Fact: My teacher once said that the word «мир» can both be translated, understood as “piece” and “humanity ”, and Tolstoy put two (actually more but that is irrelevant here) meanings behind the name of his book. And, by War and People he means that the book will show different people from different classes with different life goals be affected by war (which it does)
Actually during Tolstoy's lifetime there were two words - "миръ" and "мiръ". The first one meant "peace" and the second one meant "humanity". Tolstoy used "миръ" in the title of his novel, so he meant "peace". Here are the sources (in Russian):
gramota.ru/lenta/news/8_784
polka.academy/articles/507 (in the last part of the article)
@@bronteide6052 actually it's more complicated... Tolstoy used both variants in his drafts, so he just had to chose. I think it's fair that we consider both meaning of the word
@@АльбинаАбдулатипова Ok! Thanks for informing me, I didn't know that
@@bronteide6052 hey! I don't know any Russian so I'm a little confused by your comment or rather what version of the word means what and what he used for his title:
At first you wrote:
"Actually during Tolstoy's lifetime there were two words - "миръ" and "мiръ". The first one meant "peace" and the second one meant "humanity"."
So "миръ" means "peace" and "мiръ" means "humanity", right? Since the first one you listet was миръ and the second one was мiръ.
But then you go on:
"Tolstoy used "миръ" in the title of his novel, so he meant "humanity"."
So is it the other way around and "миръ" means "humanity", while "мiръ" means "peace"?
What is what now? I'd love to know🙈
@@wochenente6977 right now people use "мир" which means "peace". Russian language changed through decades, so not a lot of people know about old versions. In conclusion Russians also use " war and peace". " Война и мир"
War and Peace, even if you‘re not a great reader, is just a title everyone knows. And for me at least it always felt like I was never going to read it, not only because of its length, but also because it always seemed to be only for ‚true‘ specialists, for old white men, scholars, the elite. When I was younger, I was worried I wouldn’t understand it, would waste my time and energy at something I wasn’t supposed to do in the first place. And yet here I am - here we are - a generation of young people of all different sorts of backgrounds, tackling (and enjoying!) this literary masterpiece. Discussing it among each other, learning from it, growing as people for having read it. I think I‘ve come a long way from that intimitaded girl to a young woman confident in her abilities and choices, but I also think that we all owe you and Carolyn a great deal too, because for many of us, your discussions and passions are the reason we picked this book (and others like it) up in the first place. And to inspire so many people, especially young people, to approach and enjoy great literature, to encourage them to read more and more widely, is an honourable thing to do indeed, and it deserves all the attention and gratitude we can give. Because I don‘t know if you‘ve actually realised it, but you‘re making a huge difference here. So, thank you for that. 💛
Well said!
wow i thought almost the same.
didnt think thou it was for the elite (cuz we in russia read it at school, so it was initially for everyone, and i thought maybe i was too stupid to read it, as i could go through only the first volume back then and everybody else seemed to read it all, many enjoyed! haha) but that i would definetely never read it, never enjoy it, never fathom this deep sense everybody says it contains 🤷♀️ but, times change it turns out haha
I‘m also currently reading war and peace and i would highly recommend watching the bbc mini series before you start, because it will introduce you to the important characters. The series focuses mainly on the „drama“ parts because it is just 6 episode so you‘ll still get a lot out of reading the book
I prefer reading them first not knowing (by watching the show). I like the journey better that way, as I feel like it's how Tolstoy wants you to receive this masterpiece of EXPRESSION. I'm currently on page 1008, started on the 1st of April. And it's absolutely brilliant! The first war they got on I feel like Tolstoy's way of testing the reader then after that, when you get through it, you're IN!!! Love it!!
@@robertobastardo haha yes that war sequence (can you even call it that if it’s the same amount of pages as some other books??) is truly something. Usually I’m 100% team read the book first but in this case the show just made me way more excited to read the book. Especially the visuals for Saint Petersburg and Moscow were truly magical and captivating. I’ve heard that the book gets way more philosophical in the second half and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to pick up on that a lot better since I already know the major plot points 😊
@@julianecutie218 Amazing! I can't wait to see the show! Paul Dano as Pierre is just so perfect as I watched the trailer!
@@robertobastardousually yes but for a book with that many characters, I think it would be useful to get a glimpse of the series to be introduced to the main characters, so you don’t get lost. It’s quite overwhelming at the beginning to understand who is who and how they are related
Hi🤍 I'm from Russia and "War and peace" one of my favourite russian classics book. I wish you like this book 🤧💕
hi! I'm loving it so immensely much
Her comment section is the best one I've seen till date.So much positivity ❤️
I just finished War and Peace a couple weeks ago. I found it really helped to watch historical videos on the battles before reading them.
@@ysnswamy1235 “Napoleon’s Masterpiece: Austerlitz 1805” and “Napoleon’s Masterpiece: Boredino”
Умница! Не многие русские читают это произведение, а уж иностранцам и подавно тяжелее) Но я рада, что ты решила одолеть эту книгу! ❤ (п.с. в России "Войну и мир" проходят в школе на уроках литературы)
Ну, эта книга явно не должна быть в школьной программе. Нынешняя молодежь - как обобщение большинства - просто не осилит её и не поймет...
@@saska.kukuruzka но среди молодежи есть исключения) хотя я с Вами согласна, без личного опыта прожитых лет и похожих жизненных ситуаций проникнуться к произведению будет труднее.. Да и в зрелом возрасте начинаешь читать "между строк")
@@saska.kukuruzka ну там же не на немецком написано)))
Читающая молодёжь-которая знакома с классикой- прекрасно осваивает это произведение (хотя нравится/не нравится и у них возникает)
@@saska.kukuruzka нынешняя молодежь все прекрасно понимает. Не все, но многие, не волнуйтесь за них. У Толстого не самый сложный язык, он многое повторяет и читать его легко
Блин, я начинала читать для уроков литературы и мне очень понравилось, но тогда у меня не было сил читать. Это очень даже прекрасная история, цены бы ей не было, если бы не заставляли читать
I am from Russia. And in our schools we must read this book in 10th grade. So many of pupils hate War and Peace, because it's time-consuming and "boring". But then you actually read this you start to understand how much Leo Tolstoy had to tell us, how real and powerful the historic events and story is. This is not only accurate story of Russia this is life-changing book. For me it is at least.
Fun fact: The first name of the book was rather simple and a little stupid but true _" Аll is well that ends well".
All meaningful characters were real people. For example Denis Davidov appears as Dennisov Vasiliy (sorry for the name spelling). He was a great soldier who worked with a partisans and a writer.
I also loved that many of the characters and even documents (such as Napoleon's letter) were derived historically from real life. When I think of the amount of TIME that it must have taken to put this work together...I'm simply in awe.
I think 10th grade sometimes is too young to understand the importance of such books. Especially when you are forced to read it. Please just fly over it and don’t understand the meaning of it.
But definitely people should read the same book later in life to understand the deeper meaning of everything.
I want to read this desperately
Literally same
go for ittt
It's not as daunting as it looks honestly! You just need to dedicate time (especially in the beginning) and have a list of characters for clarity!
When I got to 100 pages I was like oh sweet and then I looked at the rest of the book and was like oh godddd
I know this is an older video but I'd like to say thank you so much. Your videos are very calming. I was having a panic attack because I'm overwhelmed and overworked and I put this video on to help me fall asleep. I appreciate you and the work you put into your channel. I started reading The Great Gatsby for the first time today! I'm also working my way through Phantom of the Opera
I just want to read War and Peace more now, and oh Emma, I just cannot get over how much I love listening to you.
It is definitely a slow burn book but it will be worth it and I wouldn't stress much about remembering everyone. Tolstoy is good to remind you of the people that is important that you look closely and that you will follow until the end and from others that are just for historical purposes or just to set a moment... if that makes any sense :D
Highly agree!
this book haunted me in the 9th grade *oh. my. god.*
but as a native Russian, it melts my heart seeing your excitement about it x
hope you'll enjoy it!
I’m only about 60 pages in and it’s been slow going so far, but I’ve also been taking a ton of notes and really focusing on getting to know the characters. I’m sure it’ll speed up soon, but at the same time I really want to savour it.
That’s a good strategy. It will pay off well for you. And put stickies on the pages where that characters are introduced.
I am fascinated by ur passion and ur lifestyle. Just by living and thinking as u think, u have shown me a lifestyle far superior to my own. I hope to read and appreciate language and writing only half as much as u do. Your endeavor to explore the depth of the literate world has shaped your speech and your persona which deserve at least my recognition. Keep up the good work!
In Russia we read War and Peace in 10th grade, and even though i REALLY wanted to get through it i just couldn't at 16...
Я в 10 классе прочитала первую книгу, потом летом дошла где-то до трети или половины второй книги и забросила, было очень интересно на самом деле, но чтение занимало оочень много времени, а лето было достаточно активным и коротким... Мне было 16 лет) Но я обязательно когда-нибудь прочитаю все полностью! :)
Кстати! В 11 классе я сдавала историю, и знания из этого романа помогли мне лучше понять Отечественную войну 1812 года, а именно сражения и тактику русской армии.
i feel you though i've never read this one. i'm from argentina and they make us read don quixote at a similar age 😅 i only really enjoyed it as i read it when i was older!
I fall in love with Andrej at 14 through a film version. Then I started to read the book át once. Then at 17. Then now az 59 again.
Sorry for the grammer mistake: fell in love
Losing motivation this couldn't have come at a better time 😂❤️
you can do it!! I am so in love with it now, it just took me a little bit to warm up to it!
Hi! I'm from Russia. Many russians write here that we must read "War and peace" in 10th grade and it was horrible. But when I was in 10th grade and have read it in the summer before the begin of a school year I genuinely loved this book and these characters (especially Andrei and his sister Mary). It's hard to understand many aspects of the book if you don't know history. But if you try to search for some information during reading to understand some difficult parts you will feel the atmosphere of that period and feel the emotions of people of that time. I mean, this book is great!
‘It’s been out for a while’ 😂😂
I'm from Russia and of course we all read it in school and I wasn't really interested in this book, just read it for my exams. After watching of your video I think about to read it again, more slowly and with pleasure. Thank you very much for video and appreciation of our literature ❤️
You have no idea how much this is helping me! I thought there was something wrong with me when the war description scenes started getting a bit boring, but turns out i'm not alone.
I first read War and Peace in the 7th grade. It opened up a huge world to me of Tolstoy and his writings which I've read most . I suggest watching a video called The Last Station... About Tolstoy's end of life ....very good movie a lot of information about him. I hope you enjoy your journey!
I love these vlogs, its like a whole little movie given to us for free, like wow
I read W&P last year... The "peace" parts are definitely better than the "war" parts. At least Tolstoy switches between them in relatively equal intervals
I found the war parts a bit difficult to get through 😅
I got to that point with 100 years of solitude where I stopped caring who everyone was and recognized them by their personalities and storylines rather than names
I've read this book several times over the years, and even have a copy in Russian. I love it through and through, but particularly those sections on family life. There is a lot of commentary on Napoleon and how historians have described him over the years. I have a degree in history and studied Tolstoy's theory of history as part of my work on history writing and what it all means. This book really is a sustained critique of history as it is normally written. He bases this on his own experiences as an officer at war--and on his own analysis on how complex events like this occur. See the end of the book to get an idea of his views on history and history writing. This book is so entertaining and so thought-provoking. If you're like me, when you finish it, you'll be sad that it had to end at all--it's like you've been party to life as it is unfolding and you want to keep unfolding with it. Enjoy reading this book.
Writing in the 19th cent., Tolstoy felt no pressure to create an alter-ego or inhabit a central character. He is a storyteller, and sometimes he pulls a Scheherazade. He unwinds the narrative now and then and often, perhaps too often, he goes off on Historical and Sociological tangents. Take him at face value, for better or for worse.
I just wanted to say.... you have inspired me to start reading more! I am halfway through Don Quixote currently!
Don Quixote is my favorite book of all time. Great job for getting to it!!! It's definitely not an easy read
Congratulations on 80k, Emma!!!
The vlog I was waiting! So excited bc this is just part 1
You're so erudite and charming, you seem like a true Tolstoyan humanist.
I just can not express how much I love your account
My favourite part of the novel is when Prince Andrei Bolkonsky realises the futility of war and simply admires nature's bounties on the battlefield of Austerlitz when he sees the vast expanse of sky above him
My favorit was the tree. It really touched my soul.
to understand War and Peace is to understand history. On a reread, I would highly recommend knowing the dynamics of the Napoleonic wars, especially at Austerlitz and Borodino. His chapters on Kutuzov, Alexander I, and Napoleon are insane when you understand who they were in history. This goes for Andrey and Pierre's experiences of the battles, as it's the battles that impact who they are as characters.
I just found your channel and am so glad I did. This vlog is so calming. I’m only 4min. In and truly enjoying it. 😊👍🧡
as a russian speaker, i am really happy but also sad i moved to the uk right before the year we had to study this book at school. from one hand, all russian literature did not seem as exciting as it can be now, when i’m older and can really appreciate it. plus, i knew that it’s longer than anything we’ve ever read. however, the analysis would’ve been so interesting, i am sure of it. seeing other people taking this book, i really miss russian lit and wish i could have it in original so i could remember what it’s like to read books in my language. also, war and peace doesn’t seem that scary anymore, and i’m even curious to read it. looking forward to going home and buying it as soon as i can :) and thank you for an amazing video!
War and Peace is my favorite book. Glad to see other people enjoying it as much as I did
6...600 characters....I have a hard time with 5 characters....still put it on my to buy list to have whenever I feel like I like to torture myself 🌝
Congrats on 80k! So deserved 💛 War and Peace is absolutely epic in every sense haha. Such an emotional rollercoaster!
I just started War and Peace too! I just finished part 2 as well. I love everything about it. My favorite book is Anna Karenina which I read about a year ago. I started reading books when covid happened, before that I never read, but now I own a library!
AAAH! im so excited to see this series! i love war and peace, i started it last year and it took me ages to finish, but the story is so incredibly beautiful and real, it incorporates history, literary fiction and russian culture in such a beautiful way! so it was worth all the time it took, and the story really consumed me.
First, I can't express enough how happy i am to having finally found a booktuber who talks about other books than new releases and YA, thank you for being in youtube
Your video about War and Peace has inspired me to reread this epic after 12 years! Still so much to feel and so much to enjoy. This book is like a mirror which reflects my younger and naive self but I am not afraid to look straight into it. This is a work to be respected. Please accept my gratitude, emmie!
we literally have the same bookmark!!!!! we are stardust meant to shine!!!
What is the bookmark called?
I had to take so many notes when I read this. What a journey! Was so cool to see how (how much better lol) someone else approached it.
Emmie you've convinced me to read classics and now I'm gonna be reading Tolstoy, you're really amazing💞Love love love your videos, they make my week a whole lot calm and happy💕Thank you!
This is my favorite book- I read it in a month, meaning double my reading pace! It’s so beautiful and intresting
Congratulations🎉🥳👏 for 80k .. Love from India🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
awe thank you so much!
I deep analyzed this book at school (I’m russian) for exams, so if you ever need a presentation on the mental journey and development of Pierre throughout the novel then I’m here for you😂
Edit: btw Maria is amazing, waaaay better than Natasha.
I mean this book is quite difficult to read, because there’re a lot of things you don’t have to focus on. And it’s difficult to know what is actually important without extra research. It’s important to know Tolstoy’s opinion on war and things like this to really get the book.
I too love Maria.
omg i need this soo much like literally the same for exams for me at my school :((
I was working while listening to you talk - with earphones. When your dog came around, I was freaked out by its sound and suddenly looked around!!! I changed window to your video and rewind for several seconds and felt relieved that the sound came from your vid lol :')
Anyway I'm dedicating my spare time for this War & Peace read along.. I totally feel you - Book 1 Part 2 felt like it's going over and over with the details of the war and I didn't quite understand it. But after some 'research' I decided to went back to several of the chapters and found that.. It was actually a genius chapter. I think it shaped Andrei's point of view on life!
I looove War and Peace, it is such a journey, can't wait to reread it 🦋
just finished watching this for almost the 5th time. New comfort video. I am reading war and peace after being so inspired by you and carolyn talking about it. As I am going through the book I am watching your updates on the parts I read. Something about hearing you talk about war and peace with your amazingly sweet voice fills me with so much happiness. Even before I started reading it and knew nothing about what it was about it got me wanting to pick up a 1300 page book lol. Thank you so much for making this so that it will fill others with the joy that comes through books and reading :)
It would be lovely to have an audio book with your peaceful and calming voice! Loving the videos.
This is one of my favorite books. Once you get the hang of the characters and the distinct story arcs, the book will fly by.
It's lovely how you talk in book titles, e.g. "I have great expectations for. . ." etc
Really this book feels so scary to start I own but have been pushing it aside for so long. Might even start now.
Have you started now?
@@holgersstals9450 Yes I have
This channel is pure perfection.
The books
The music
Your soft voice.
Can't wait to get better in english so I can read this book
What's helped me with getting to know the numerous characters is thinking of them not as individuals, but by family groups. I find it easier to keep them straight in groups if that makes any sense. Then as the book goes on, you kind of get to know each person more by identifying them with their family group. What a book!
This is honestly my comfort video like I literally come back to this all the time.
I love putting your videos on while I’m working on painting commissions! Your voice is so calming and really gets me into that flow state!
It's a huge work. I'm really proud about you. A lot of people in Russia didn't understand this beautiful story. I have read and really like it.
Absolutely great video, honestly I get motivation from your videos for reading books😍
Aaa, I was thinking about you just a minute ago and then you posted. I'm so happy ✨💖
i just found your channel and i am absolutely OBESSED with the atmosphere
I just ordered War and Peace because at uni we recently did a reading from Jon Krakauer about a man named Christopher McCandless. McCandless was an explorer that tragically past away in Alaska. He actually loved Tolstoy's work and was really into the idea of adventure. Anyways, I really admire McCandless and the person he was and I read that he read War and Peace and suggested others read it. So now I'm going to read it and I am so excited, so I'm rewatching your series to prepare myself!
Absolutely love your videos!
Hey Megan, same here! I read Into the Wild and got inspired to read War and Peace at last! It's so incredibly fascinating to see how McCandless still inspires people.
Thank you for saying large parts of this book are boring! I was feeling I must be an imbecile for feeling that way. My other criticism is that when writing we are always instructed to 'show not tell' but Tolstoy does a whole lot of telling what people are thinking instead of letting us work it out from their conversation or actions. This book feels more like good journalism than great writing to me (in the way it is written - obviously, I understand it is fiction and not factual).
I binged all your recent videos and now I'm left with a hollow feeling in my heart. So I'm back to your Tolstoy vlogs. 😭
Your videos are the only 40 minute long ones that i watch happily and even end up wanting more. Love your videos, Emmie! I study literature as well, but I study Hispanic literature, so I find these really fascinating, send you so much love!
I´ve had War and Peace on my shelf for years now.. my edition has 2 chunky books so it is pretty intimidating, but maybe it is time to push it up my TBR...
Is that your garden? Goodness!!
omg😍 I work at Jasnaya Polyana (Tolstoy's estate). And right now I can literally see the Tolstoy house through my window. And this video just pops up in my recommendations!
Soooo cute c:
Come to visit our museum! It's worth it
BTW, it's cool that you make notes in the book. Tolstoy always made notes in the books he read)))
that’s actually so awesome
War & Peace was the one and only Tolstoy novel I’ve ever read and at the time it was very intimidating but I look forward to revisiting such a classic ☕️📖 Thank you again, Emmie, for your lovely content. My Sunday became even more relaxing 😌 Happy Reading Adventures 💫
I just both the book after watching your Tolstoy diaries youtube videos 🥺 and I can't wait to start reading it 🤍
My book just came in today!! I’m a little late, but better late than never! Thank you for inspiring me to read War and Peace!!!
It took me month and half to finish War and Peace
But i do want to read it again!
Perfect music for this blog! I love your enthusiasm!
do you know what this music is?
I’m falling love with your gentle voice, and your slow pace calms me down.
Always wait for your next video! Great stuff
My literature teacher gave us an analysis of every named character with story from the first two books as homework...
For two days.
But it didn't spoil the book for me, I still love it
I was very Patiently waiting for this
Thank you for your video
War and peace was my teacher offer in year 11 when I had too much homework for school to do and also was the first serious experiment to reading novels.In the first time I started reading not in order and it was taken about 1 and half year to finish, but the story of novel was attract me very much and I finish the last page , and at the moment opened the first page to start reading again.Now I continue reading and now I'm in page 400.I wish one day I can read it in Russian language.
❤
I did it, because of you I finally started reading it! Thank you! Am really enjoying it so far
This is a good book to digest and not really rush into it. I started reading this book back in May after reading a farewell to arms.
I loved your vlog. Recently I started reading book series very similar to tolstoy’s war and peace but in my native language (polish) I am glad I found your channel. Your videos motivate to to read and maybe after finishing sienkiewicz’s trilogy go and explore war and peace myself ❤️
one of your loveliest thumbnails 💚
thank you so much lovely
I read Anna Karenian. And then My goal was to read this before I turned 18. So I did. I don’t regret it. His short stories are also very very good.
Вы просто не поняли эту историю,не прониклись ею
Literally the cutest human being making my day🥰🥰