Synopses & Reviews
From a popular Tolstoy scholar: an entertaining, thought-provoking, and accessible argument for why andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; is more relevant to readers now than ever.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Considered by many critics the greatest novel ever written, andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; is also one of the most feared. And at 1,500 pages, itand#8217;s no wonder why. Still, new editions keep appearing. In July 2009 andlt;Iandgt;Newsweekandlt;/Iandgt; put andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; at the top of its list of 100 great novels and a 2007 edition of the andlt;Iandgt;AARP Bulletinandlt;/Iandgt;, read by millions, included the novel in their list of the top four books everybody should read by the age of fifty. A andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; survey from 2009 identified andlt;Iandgt;Warandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Iandgt;and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; as the world classic youand#8217;re most likely to find people reading on their subway commute to work. What might all those andlt;Iandgt;Newsweekandlt;/Iandgt; devotees, senior citizens, and harried commuters see in a book about the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s? A mirror of our times.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; is many things. It is a love story, a family saga, a war novel. But at its core itand#8217;s a novel about human beings attempting to create a meaningful life for themselves in a country torn apart by war, social change, political intrigue, and spiritual confusion.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Give andlt;/Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;Iandgt; a Chanceandlt;/Iandgt; takes readers on a journey through andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; that reframes their very understanding of what it means to live through troubled times and survive them. Touching on a broad range of topics, from courage to romance, parenting to death, Kaufman demonstrates how Tolstoyand#8217;s wisdom can help us live fuller, more meaningful lives. The ideal companion to andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt;, this book will also be enjoyable to those who have never read a word of Tolstoy, making that masterpiece more approachable, relevant, and andlt;Iandgt;funandlt;/Iandgt;.
Review
"No other novel in world literature possesses the intimidating allure of Tolstoyand#8217;s andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt;. It is the very Everest of fiction, and most readers need a sherpa. Andrew Kaufman has not only produced a perfect guide to the setting, characters, history, and background of this epic work, all skillfully interwoven with events in Tolstoyand#8217;s life; he has done so with zest and personality."
Review
"Andrew Kaufman has written the book on andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; for our time. In his colloquial and personal style he explores, as his subtitle puts it, Tolstoyan Wisdom For Troubled Times, recovering this wisdom not only from Tolstoyand#8217;s diaries, letters, and essays, but, more importantly yet, the text of the novel itself. This is quite simply the most engaging and thought-provoking book on Tolstoy I have ever read."
Review
"Andrew Kaufman has found a refreshingly informal way of reading (and re-reading) andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt;, weaving the lives of the noveland#8217;s characters together with Tolstoyand#8217;s life and his own. By breaking all the critical rules, he manages to enter into the ever shifting and growing reality that Tolstoy sought to portray, producing an excellent and#8216;companionand#8217; for new readers of the novel."
Review
"With literary insight and stylistic flair, Andrew D. Kaufman shows why andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt; is not just a monumental work of fiction but also a kind of userand#8217;s manual for a world out of joint. Read Tolstoy, of course, but then read Kaufman to uncover the hidden truths that are sometimes lost amid the cannonades and drawing-room conversations."
Review
"Andrew Kaufman has done a remarkable job of combining personal interest and experience, impressive writing skill, and a remarkably wise sense of humor, with the irresistible compulsion to read Tolstoyand#8217;s presentation of life itself. Many critics have had their go at this noveland#8211;few of them have displayed the personal attractiveness possessed by this lover of Tolstoyan vision."
Review
"[andlt;Iandgt;Giveandlt;/Iandgt; War and Peace andlt;Iandgt;a Chanceandlt;/Iandgt;] records Kaufmanand#8217;s ongoing personal and professional quest for authenticity that has unfolded through many years of reading and rereading Tolstoyand#8217;s classic, alone and with others. Alternatively chatty and probing, Kaufman offers anecdotes from his experiences and those of his students and fellow readers that parallel those of Tolstoy and his characters, reasserting its relevance in our time. This is a substantial, informative, authoritative and yet highly personal book that will impress scholars and general readers alike. Kaufman, your friend, fellow traveler, and confidant, is a great listener, an in-the-know gossip, and a virtuoso storyteller. Join him in conversation with other readers about things that matter: love, family, courage, death, perseverance, truth. Get to know them all: author, critics, characters; get to know yourself. Humorous, smart, human, pitch-perfect, alternatively hilarious and profound, this is a great and#8216;great bookand#8217; book. Give andlt;Iandgt;Give andlt;/Iandgt;War and Peace andlt;Iandgt;a Chanceandlt;/Iandgt; a chance."
Review
and#8220;Looking across the ocean, it seems that Andrew Kaufmanand#8217;s book represents Americaand#8217;s best new understanding of Tolstoyand#8217;s universal truths.and#8221;
Review
"That a novel 'full of clear, honest reflection on the pain of living' is also 'one of the most life-affirming works of fiction' becomes, for Andrew D. Kaufman, a contradiction worth exploring. He does so in this alluring study with a ferocity and lightness of touch that Tolstoy himself would have admired. By exploring a handful of key themes in andlt;Iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/Iandgt;, Kaufman brings us back to the shimmering pages of a classic novel, and his book is nothing less than inspiring."
Review
"This lively appreciation of one of the most intimidating and massive novels ever written should persuade many hesitant readers to try scaling the heights of War and Peace sooner rather than later."
Review
and#8220;Kaufman makes Tolstoyand#8217;s characters lively and palpable. and#8230; Kaufmanand#8217;s enticing invitation may well persuade readers to finally dive into one of the worldand#8217;s most acclaimedand#8212;and dauntingand#8212;novels.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;This lively appreciation of one of the most intimidating and massive novels ever written should persuade many hesitant readers to try scaling the heights of andlt;iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/iandgt; sooner rather than later. Kaufmanand#8230;shows how key scenes and moments in Tolstoyand#8217;s masterpieceand#8230; afford insights into the human condition that still speak powerfully to contemporary readers.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Kaufman looks to the novel for guidance, and#8216;not so much as a set of answers to lifeand#8217;s every challenge as an attitude toward living.and#8217; [He] makes Tolstoyand#8217;s characters lively and palpableand#8230; [and Kaufmanand#8217;s] enticing invitation may well persuade readers to finally dive into one of the worldand#8217;s most acclaimedand#8212;and dauntingand#8212;novels.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Once you have taken Kaufmanand#8217;s well-informed yet unintimidating tour of the Russian classic, it will very likely move up to the top of your literary bucket list. Kaufmanand#8217;s mission is to share the wonder and power of this ageless novel he so clearly reveres and to make the case for its continuing relevance in the 21st century. He succeeds admirably.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;andlt;iandgt;Give andlt;/iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;iandgt; a Chanceandlt;/iandgt;and#8230;is an enthusiastic primer to Tolstoyand#8217;s most famous work, which shows how genuinely exciting it can be to read.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;If you come from a family, then you'll understand [andlt;iandgt;War and Peaceandlt;/iandgt;and#8217;s] deepest meaning, thanks to Mr. Kaufman's erudition and scholarship.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Kaufman is an adept guide, knowledgeable and passionate about his subject [and] his argument is mischievously compelling: Why waste money on motivational tapes and seminars when this fictional account of the Napoleonic Wars provides greater (and cheaper) salve for the soul?.... An attaboy to Kaufman for reminding us of its relevance to our anxious century.and#8221;
Synopsis
From a popular Tolstoy scholar: an entertaining, thought-provoking, and accessible argument for why War and Peace is more relevant to readers now than ever.
Considered by many critics the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace is also one of the most feared. And at 1,500 pages, it's no wonder why. Still, new editions keep appearing. In July 2009 Newsweek put War and Peace at the top of its list of 100 great novels and a 2007 edition of the AARP Bulletin, read by millions, included the novel in their list of the top four books everybody should read by the age of fifty. A New York Times survey from 2009 identified War and Peace as the world classic you're most likely to find people reading on their subway commute to work. What might all those Newsweek devotees, senior citizens, and harried commuters see in a book about the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s? A mirror of our times.
War and Peace is many things. It is a love story, a family saga, a war novel. But at its core it's a novel about human beings attempting to create a meaningful life for themselves in a country torn apart by war, social change, political intrigue, and spiritual confusion.
Give War and Peace a Chance takes readers on a journey through War and Peace that reframes their very understanding of what it means to live through troubled times and survive them. Touching on a broad range of topics, from courage to romance, parenting to death, Kaufman demonstrates how Tolstoy's wisdom can help us live fuller, more meaningful lives. The ideal companion to War and Peace, this book will also be enjoyable to those who have never read a word of Tolstoy, making that masterpiece more approachable, relevant, and fun.
About the Author
Andrew D. Kaufman, internationally recognized Russian literature scholar at the University of Virginia, is the author of andlt;iandgt;Understanding Tolstoyandlt;/iandgt; and coauthor of andlt;iandgt;Russian for Dummiesandlt;/iandgt;. An award-winning teacher of Russian language, literature, and culture, he is a featured Tolstoy expert on Oprah.com and is frequently invited to discuss Russian literature and culture on national and international television and radio programs.