War and Peace Readalong thread 2022

[VikingNorthUtsire]

Interest thread for the 2022 War and Peace readalong

THIS OP WAS UPDATED on 4/1 BY MNHQ (THANK YOU) TO ADD MORE DETAIL TO THE READING SCHEDULE AND UPDATE THE AMAZON LINKS

"The finest novel ever written on this planet"
"Here is a novel that is worth whatever time one gives to it. There is more life between its cover than in any other existent fictional narrative"

This is a really helpful blog post by someone who has done the challenge: nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/announcing-the-2020-war-and-peace-chapter-a-day-read-along

1. Translations

The main complication seems to be which edition to choose. The blog post above contains some commentary of the different tranlsations that are available and their merits. There's also a pretty comprehensive guide here including samples from some of the best-known translations: welovetranslations.com/2021/08/31/whats-the-best-translation-of-war-and-peace-by-tolstoy/

The main differences that I can see are:

• some editions (including the free download on Project Gutenburg) have a different chapter structure. I think/hope we would manage to find one another if some are reading versions with more or fewer chapters but I have based the readalong on the versions with 361 chapters.

• there's quite a lot of French in at least some parts of the book. Some editions translate it into English, others keep it in French but use footnotes

• some translators have chosen to anglicise the characters' names. I guess its personal preference whether you prefer Mary, Andrew and Basil or a more Russian version.

Looking at the editions recommended and reviewed in the above blog:

The Vintage Classics edition, translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky: ]]

NB also this link for the kindle version: ]]

The Signet Classics edition, translated by Anne Dunnigan: ]]

The Penguin Classics edition, translated by Anthony Briggs: ]]

As a general rule I would definitely recommend downloading a sample of any kindle edition before buying, so you can be sure that you are happy with it.

Obviously, some people will prefer to avoid Amazon! Feel free to use the weeks in the run-up to Day 1 to share any tips on what you are buying and where from. Can I suggest though that we stick where possible to the editions with 361 chapters otherwise we will all get very confused!

1. Reading timeline

Nick, of the blog post, has very helpfully done the calculations for which chapters fall on which days, except he did it in 2020 which was a Leap Year. So feel free to take a look at nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Nicks-2020-War-and-Peace-Chapter-a-Day-Reading-Schedule.pdf but see below the schedule for the Mumsnet Readalong.

Again, different editions name and number their chapters differently - some refer to four books divided into parts (as below), others refer to fifteen books although it's essentially the same structure just with different numbering. Hopefully there's enough info below to keep us all in sync, and always happy to let anyone know via PM what's happening in today's chapter so we can keep together.

Book 1: 1805
Book 1 Part One (25 chapters): 1/1 - 25/1
Book 1 Part Two (21 chapters): 26/1 - 15/2
Book 1 Part Three (19 chapters): 16/2 - 6/3
DAY OFF: 7/3
Book 2: 1806-1812
Book 2 Part One (16 chapters): 8/3 - 23/3
Book 2 Part Two (21 chapters): 24/3 - 13/4
Book 2 Part Three (26 chapters): 14/4 - 9/5
Book 2 Part Four (13 chapters): 10/5 - 22/5
Book 2 Part Five (22 chapters): 23/5 - 13/6
DAY OFF: 14/6
Book 3: 1812
Book Three Part One (23 chapters): 15/6 - 7/7
Book Three Part Two (39 chapters): 8/7 - 15/8
Book Three Part Three (34 chapters): 16/8 - 18/9
DAY OFF: 19/9
Book 4: 1812-13
Book Four Part One (16 chapters): 20/9 - 5/10
Book Four Part Two (19 chapters): 6/10 - 24/10
Book Four Part Three (19 chapters): 25/10 - 12/11
Book Four Part Four (20 chapters): 13/11 - 2/12
DAY OFF: 3/12
Epilogue One 1812-20 (16 chapters): 3/12 - 19/12
Epilogue Two (12 chapters): 20/12 - 31/12

Phew!

I would suggest that we meet at the end of each section (so 17 times over the course of the year) to discuss what we've read, but with (non-spoilerish) chatter welcome at any time in between. According to my guru, Nick, each chapter is around 4 pages long, so it should be do-able.

1. Chapter "meditations"

This looks like another really interesting blog post from someone who has done it, with thoughts and meditations on each chapter: brianedenton.medium.com/a-year-of-war-and-peace-cc66540d9619#.yabefbbgz

Come and join me! This time next year we will almost have finished reading the finest novel ever written on the planet.

PS Some may feel that each day off deserves a shot of vodka or two. I couldn't possibly comment.

Oh wow - I’ve been wanting to read it for ages so this is the perfect thread! What a lovely idea. Looking forward to getting started!

Tempted but I'm such a flake nowadays when it comes to proper reading. Internet killed off too many brain cells.
I've read Anna Karenina which I loved. Do love the whole Russian thing. Being encouraged would be magnificent! Trying to talk myself into it...

@heldinadream I was genuinely surprised when I read it in 2020 that it really is true that the chapters are very short which makes a chapter a day to easily fit into a routine at the best time of day for me. I read Anna Karenina this way this year (inspired by I think Nick's blog about W&P).

@StColumbofNavron ooo my first dose of encouragement, thank you! I have a copy somewhere so move one is do I look for the book that's among my bazillion books or download one of the above recommends to my very stuffed already Kindle?
Or buy a whole new paper copy even!

That's really good to know about short chapters. No excuse not to try!

Yes! Great idea! I'm unsure whether to buy a paper copy but will look at the options when I get home.

I'm in. I have the Maude version and I think it's 365 chapters so very similar to the OPs suggestion. I've had it on my booklist for years so hopefully a read along will encourage me to finally read it!

I'm up for this, will get myself a kindle copy. As much as I love actual books, I'm not sure I want to lug a physical copy about with me!

@InTheCludgie

I'm up for this, will get myself a kindle copy. As much as I love actual books, I'm not sure I want to lug a physical copy about with me!

Same here.

I fell off the Our Mutual Friend thread despite it being my favourite Dickens novel but up for giving this a go.

It's not that long since I read W&P but would be fun to do a chapter a day and discuss it as we go along. I think I would be more likely to stick with it that way.

Lovely idea - I’d like to give it a go. Will put a copy of W&P on my Christmas list. Have to admit though I’ve had a copy of Anna Karenina on the shelf for years and never managed to get started.

I bought W&P this time last year with the intention of reading it in 2021. I did not even open it..... maybe if I join in with this thread, I will actually manage it in 2022!

Four pages a day @PrawnCracker1, four pages.😃

I read this last Christmas during lockdown.

How long did it take you to read?

Reading War and Peace was one of my retirement goals. Two and a half years later I still haven’t started it. This is just the push I need.

I'm definitely up for this. Can we keep the thread active until we start, is that how this works? Not done anything like this before. Are we aiming to start on January 1st?

I can’t believe I have just signed up for this! I first read the book at university as I had to write essays on it (for my degree in Russian Language and Literature). I gave up part-way through when it got really boring! I’ve tried twice more over the years before giving up at the same spot then skipping to the end. Copy downloaded to my kindle app and I’m ready to give it another go! 4 pages a day is definitely do-able!

Thank you OP - I would love to do this!

It will be interesting to hear what people think of their chosen translation. This will sound like a stealth boast , but I don't often read translated literature. I'm a language teacher and I tend only to read foreign fiction in the languages I speak, because it's a good opportunity to practise them. I recently tried to read an English translation of the first book in a series which ought to be right up my street and couldn't get on with it at all, I suspect because of the translation.

When I read it last year I read the first two chapters simultaneously in a three volume edition that doesn’t seem to specify translator and the Briggs Kindle version. The main difference was definitely that the language was clearly much older (assume it was probably the Maude version but doesn’t say) and flowery. I did like it but I just opted for kindle ease. I think Briggs definitely brings more modern prose. That’s why I liked Pevear and Volokhonsky for Anna Karenina because it had a feeling of Russianness running through, or what I understand Russianness and Tolstoy to be about from my history degree (so not super well informed). I might see if Oxfam have a copy and I can try alongside Briggs for the first few days.

@IsFuzzyBeagMise it took me about six weeks. I was careful to keep the momentum up.

[quote MynameisWa]@IsFuzzyBeagMise it took me about six weeks. I was careful to keep the momentum up.[/quote]
That was good going @MynameisWa !

Looking forward to this.

Count me in too! I've tried to read this before but never managed to get far. Hopefully this will give me the motivation I need.

I read this years ago and have to say, it is a truly wonderful book.. I got my copy back recently (the Penguin Classic I think - didn't realise there were so many!) so think I may well join you as it definitely warrants discussion. What a great idea - thanks OP.