Talk Tolstoy to Me: Update

Part II of Book One

 Page 137 of Volume I

Wow, part, book, page, volume....so many ways to keep track of where I'm at in War & Peace. I enjoyed the introduction of numerous characters in Part I of Book One. The beginning of Part II is not quite as interesting but it's to be expected that there will be preferences to certain parts of the story. Personally, I do not expect to enjoy the "war" part. 

Until next week......

 

Talk Tolstoy to Me: My 2021 Reading Challenge

 War and Peace

War & Peace has been a reading goal of mine for many years.  This year, on January 2, 2021, I finally started reading this massive book.  Have you ever wanted to read a classic book and not had any idea why you wanted to read it?  This is me with War & Peace.  For some reason, I picked up a very old used edition many years ago, most likely from Goodwill for a $1, and I have wanted to read it since that day.  Why didn't I read it sooner? The truth is that this book is intimidating.  Once or twice a year I will pick it up, thumb through the pages, and think "maybe later, not today".  Every year I put "Read War & Peace" at the top of my reading plans for the year and every year by December I think "maybe next year".  Well this is the year I am going to finally read this comprehensive and massive piece of Russian literature.  This is also the year I am going to document my reading challenge on this blog.

The edition I have decided to read is the Everyman's Library edition.  I love that this is a set of three volumes which makes it seem less daunting and it's definitely lighter to hold for reading purposes.  As of today, January 7, 2021, I am on Volume 1, page 59.  Yes, I am reading it rather slowly and much slower than I normally read but I am also reading other books.  Currently, I am still completing my 2020 Jane Austen rereads with Mansfield Park and reading a book from the library on Libby.