Tolstoy: Introduction to War and Peace (1/4)

Description

With rhetorical mastery, psychological insight and an artist’s vision of the world, the prolific Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828—1910) takes a few narratives, a brutal war, and a modern view of history to capture all of life in his 1,200 page epic War and Peace. Tolstoy asks this pivotal question: how are decent people capable of war and slaughter? Then, Tolstoy digs deeper; what causes anyone’s behavior at all? War and Peace is Tolstoy’s answer to the question of human motivation, desire and interaction, from the scope of monarchs and peasants, soldiers and slaves, in country and city life alike. The finished product is one of the finest achievements in human civilization.

References

Buy War and Peace and actually read (or listen) to it! You won't regret it.
I recommend this translation and edition.
See our full introduction to the series and more information on our website. wellreadchristian.com/tolstoys-war-and-peace
The intro music for this series is a section from a piece by Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844—1908) titled The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship. Rimsky-Korsakov was a contemporary of Leo Tolstoy and my favorite Russian composer of the era. I hope you enjoy the segment and the podcast.
The artwork is titled Battle of Moscow, 7th September 1812, painted in 1822 by Louis-François Lejeune.

Links

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