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Even before reading the article I was about to comment on "War and Peace". Its size is initmitating and I only started to read it because it is a classic and I

Even before reading the article I was about to comment on "War and Peace". Its size is initmitating and I only started to read it because it is a classic and I had some time on a lenghy train ride. I braced myself for a torturous read ala Dostoevsky (no offence, but I really dont enjoy his tangents). But to my complete surprise "War and Peace" is not only an enjoyable read, it is also extremely educating and still relevant today. Of course it is set in its time, but what is brilliant about it is that it covers a vast amount of people in different positions, locations and upbringings and puts them into a vast amount of different situations. And the outcome feels realistic. Some people fare well, others dont. Most have to make sacrefices in some way or another. Some survive, some dont. Some become better of and some dont. Some deserve what happens to them, some dont. In that sense it is different than most other books. Due to the war setting and its allegedly realistic description of the campaign on the ground, it feels like a massive companion to Sun Tzus "Art of War". Without referring to "Art of War" at all (I dont know if Tolstoy knew it), "War and Peace" puts it into the context of politics and society, and expanding on the impact decisions have on individuals. It also show-cases the impact of "Art of War" principles in the strategies of Napoleon and Kutuzov and how human nature can get into the way of the best plans. In that way I recommend "War and Peace" as an essential read for entrepreneurs who find the "Art of War" useful.

m0zg 6y ago
FYI to folks who consider War and Peace intimidating: at least the Russian audio version on Audible is excellent, and fairly easy to enjoy. More so than the book itself, in my opinion, because narration is excellent. I was forced to read War and Peace when I was 15 (it's required reading in Russian schools), and didn't like it then because I wasn't yet equipped to understand it. Nor did I understand any Dostoevsky we were required to read either. A 16 year old just can't understand any of what's going on in such works - it's easy for me to see that now when I have a son that age. After I listened to it some 25 years later, it became my favorite work of literature by quite a margin. I strongly suspect that as I get older, I might be due for another pass through it, and I will enjoy it even more then. So there's no shame in listening to an audiobook on your commute, once we have commutes again. I just don't know if there are English language productions of it that are any good. Perhaps someone could chime in and recommend. But if you speak Russian, get the version from Audible and spend some quality time with it, you won't regret it.
082349872349872 6y ago
I think the wide variety of characters and entourages is something that novels can pull off way better than film, as https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24746574 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24746574 observed. Screenplays are not as dense as novel pages, and even so they're unlikely to run over 120 pages. ==== "War and Peace" has also spun off an entire genre of jokes: Natasha Rostova is at ball. First Prince Bolkonsky asks to dance. Natasha says, "Why, Andrey Nikolayevich, there is some cake on your moustache." Bolkonsky begs leave to go clean up. Then Pierre Bezukohov asks to dance. Natasha says, "Why, mon cher, someone has spilled wine on your sleeve." Bezukhov begs leave to go clean up. Finally Lt. Rzhevsky asks to dance. Natasha says, "Why, Poruchik, there is some mud on your boots." Rzhevsky quickly answers, "Don't worry your pretty little head, Mam'zelle, that's not mud, it's shit. Anyway, after it dries it'll fall off all by itself." ==== Bonus clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFPIGNua5WM&t=78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFPIGNua5WM&t=78
- darkerside 6y ago
  Love the novel, don't get the joke at all
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    Maybe it would help if one is in the habit of buying footwear advertised as being "barnyard-acid resistant", known less euphemistically as shitkickers[1]. Bolkonsky and Bezukohov have both been raised respectably (are glad to say that they have never seen a spade) and prefer to sit out a dance than allow Rostova to be seen on the floor with anything other than an impeccably turned out gallant. Rzhevsky (who I forgot to mention is a cavalry lieutenant and presumably has been invited to the ball solely due to military rank and not social position) not only hasn't polished his boots, he hasn't even cleaned them before coming inside; not only doesn't mind dancing with Rostova with shit on his boots, he also implies that during their dance it will be flaking off all over onto the ballroom floor. [1] infra dig in urban areas: Blame it all on my roots I showed up in boots and on planets, but not in the asteroid belt: Ta desh na koming gut Mi kom ere but

m0zg 6y ago

FYI to folks who consider War and Peace intimidating: at least the Russian audio version on Audible is excellent, and fairly easy to enjoy. More so than the book itself, in my opinion, because narration is excellent. I was forced to read War and Peace when I was 15 (it's required reading in Russian schools), and didn't like it then because I wasn't yet equipped to understand it. Nor did I understand any Dostoevsky we were required to read either. A 16 year old just can't understand any of what's going on in such works - it's easy for me to see that now when I have a son that age. After I listened to it some 25 years later, it became my favorite work of literature by quite a margin. I strongly suspect that as I get older, I might be due for another pass through it, and I will enjoy it even more then. So there's no shame in listening to an audiobook on your commute, once we have commutes again. I just don't know if there are English language productions of it that are any good. Perhaps someone could chime in and recommend. But if you speak Russian, get the version from Audible and spend some quality time with it, you won't regret it.

082349872349872 6y ago

I think the wide variety of characters and entourages is something that novels can pull off way better than film, as https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24746574 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24746574 observed. Screenplays are not as dense as novel pages, and even so they're unlikely to run over 120 pages. ==== "War and Peace" has also spun off an entire genre of jokes: Natasha Rostova is at ball. First Prince Bolkonsky asks to dance. Natasha says, "Why, Andrey Nikolayevich, there is some cake on your moustache." Bolkonsky begs leave to go clean up. Then Pierre Bezukohov asks to dance. Natasha says, "Why, mon cher, someone has spilled wine on your sleeve." Bezukhov begs leave to go clean up. Finally Lt. Rzhevsky asks to dance. Natasha says, "Why, Poruchik, there is some mud on your boots." Rzhevsky quickly answers, "Don't worry your pretty little head, Mam'zelle, that's not mud, it's shit. Anyway, after it dries it'll fall off all by itself." ==== Bonus clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFPIGNua5WM&t=78 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFPIGNua5WM&t=78

darkerside 6y ago
Love the novel, don't get the joke at all
- 082349872349872 6y ago
  Maybe it would help if one is in the habit of buying footwear advertised as being "barnyard-acid resistant", known less euphemistically as shitkickers[1]. Bolkonsky and Bezukohov have both been raised respectably (are glad to say that they have never seen a spade) and prefer to sit out a dance than allow Rostova to be seen on the floor with anything other than an impeccably turned out gallant. Rzhevsky (who I forgot to mention is a cavalry lieutenant and presumably has been invited to the ball solely due to military rank and not social position) not only hasn't polished his boots, he hasn't even cleaned them before coming inside; not only doesn't mind dancing with Rostova with shit on his boots, he also implies that during their dance it will be flaking off all over onto the ballroom floor. [1] infra dig in urban areas: Blame it all on my roots I showed up in boots and on planets, but not in the asteroid belt: Ta desh na koming gut Mi kom ere but