War and Peace, Volume 1 cover art

War and Peace, Volume 1

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War and Peace, Volume 1

By: Leo Tolstoy
Narrated by: Neville Jason
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About this listen

War and Peace is one of the greatest monuments in world literature. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, it examines the relationship between the individual and the relentless march of history. Here are the universal themes of love and hate, ambition and despair, youth and age, expressed with a swirling vitality which makes the book as accessible today as it was when it was first published in 1869.

In addition it is, famously, one of the longest books in Western literature and therefore a remarkable challenge for any reader. Neville Jason read the abridged version of War and Peace and proved his marathon powers with his outstanding performance of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. These make him the ideal narrator to essay Tolstoy's epic.

War and Peace was translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude.

© and (P) Naxos Rights International Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction War & Military War Russia

Critic Reviews

"War and Peace presents us with a complete picture of human life; a complete picture of the Russia of those days; a complete historic picture of the struggle of nations; and a complete picture of the things in which men set their happiness and greatness, their sorrow and their shame." (A.V. Knowles, Tolstoy: The Critical Heritage)
"There remains the greatest of all novelists - for what else can we call the author of War and Peace?" (Virginia Woolf)

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Great narrator brings this classic to life. This was the only way i was ever going to get through a whole Tolstoy book.

take your time and enjoy the many story lines

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If there was one book that you must read(or rather listen to in this case) before you die then this is it. I am still gasping for breath

Voluminous, enthralling, exiting and exhausting

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A fascinating voyage into "civilised" past and in so many ways still perfectly relevant today!

The narrator was incredible!

A classic for a reason …

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The book is a bit of a soap opera and despite its fame, could not be compared to the literary quality of much modern writing (unless, perhaps, an awful lot has been lost in translation).
However, it has a good deal of historical interest, both as a kind of first-person view of historical events and as a chronicle of social attitudes. And, above all, it has the benefit of a performance by the narrator that inspires awe and wonder and delight. I plunge on expectantly into Part 2 chiefly for the pleasure of listening to Mr Jason a bit (say, 30 hours!) longer.

Bravo, Mr Jason

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Though I’m sure everyone will find certain sections of this whopper of a novel dull (for me it was the Freemasonry stuff) Tolstoy packs in so much drama, emotion, and humour to keep you pretty gripped the whole way through. I think Tolstoy’s strength is his characterisation and one of the great joys of the novel is getting to know the dramatis personae intimately throughout the story.
I’m looking forward to listening to Volume 2.

A worthy classic worthily performed

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Reviews about the reading being slow are wrong. This is how books should be read.

Brilliant Reading

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It is a masterpiece and I was relieved there is another volume as was traumatised when it finished. There is no writer like Tolstoy for the human condition. The narration was really good and it needed to be when listening to so many hours. Delivered the powerful emotion subtly and resisted too much drama. Only tiny gripe is that he couldn’t nail Natalia’s girlish voice the way a female narrator would have and it got a bit annoying. Will continue with the same narrator for volume two though as all the other voices were superb.

Not long enough for my liking

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I must say I wasn't expecting much. However, it gives a very interesting insight into Russian psyche and gets better as you become familiar with the characters. Good classic.

Endurance

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It's an epic but so exquisite in its finely crafted protagonists. Covers so many facets of the human condition, it may surprise you.

Unmissable and unmistakable perfection.

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It was with trepidation that I approached an unabridged reading of War and Peace. I’ve read it twice before, in 2 different translations and was uncertain how I’d react to having it read to me. Loved it. Jason’s reading is wonderful and brings something unique to each character.

The book itself gets richer with each reading.

Great reading of the masterpiece

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