War and Peace

Author: Leo Tolstoy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: "War and Peace" is a masterpiece of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (1828—1910) and also the pinnacle of epic novels in the history of world literature. "War and Peace" narrates the story of Russia from 1805 to the eve of the Decembrist Uprising in 1820. The novel takes the activities of the four aristocratic families—Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, Rostov, and Kuragin—as its main thread, intertwining the themes of war and peace, or the front lines and the home front. Through the joys and sorrows of the noble youth Andrei, Pierre, Natasha, and Nikolai during the war, it connects the three major battles of Shenna Graban, Ostrovnoy, and Borodino in the Russian War of Independence against Napoleon, depicting the changes in people's lives, spiritual outlook, and character development during wartime. It vividly portrays a realistic picture of Russian society, economy, culture, and family life, expressing Tolstoy's philosophical reflections on history and life.