War and Peace

By: Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 61 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Often called the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace is at once an epic of the Napoleonic wars, a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian spirit. Tolstoy's genius is clearly seen in the multitude of characters in this massive chronicle, all of them fully realized and equally memorable. Out of this complex narrative emerges a profound examination of the individual's place in the historical process, one that makes it clear why Thomas Mann praised Tolstoy for his Homeric powers and placed War and Peace in the same category as The Iliad.

War and Peace was translated by Constance Garnett.

Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio

two goddsmn

long,takes to much blather to get to the point. not a great,or a good book

It's worth wading through the first hours!

This has been on my reading bucket list for ages. Initially, it was hard to keep track of all the different characters. As the story unfolded, the interconnections became apparent; it does take focus to keep track of all the relationships, however. It was well-narrated and an enjoyable (though long) listening experience.

terrible performance

I'll read the complete book instead. I cannot enjoy the story because of the exaggerated pompous and fresh voice. it's unbearable!

Bra historia men dåligt genomförande

What did you like best about War and Peace? What did you like least?

Jag gillar allt som har med Napoleon att göra och boken histora är bra.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Uppläsningen är riktigt dålig, teatralisk på ett dåligt sätt.

Any additional comments?

Denna bok har dåligt ljud.

Poor narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No, I would not due to difficult narration.

What didn’t you like about Frederick Davidson’s performance?

I am sure this is a great book but I'll never find out because I couldn't get past the narrator. I prefer narration that simply reads the book with enough vocal variation to get the point across that different characters are speaking. Frederic Davidson tries too hard to add stylization and ends up getting in the way of the story.

Phew

This is the only way to go to "read" this novel. It's amazingly intricate and a little tough to learn the characters but soon the listener becomes comfortable with who and what each character is about. I admit to being somewhat bored by the author's sermonizing in between the story parts but otherwise enjoyed this long tale.

Accents

Distracting accent (pompous) and would have preferred someone who would do a Russian accent for the Russian characters. Classic book but honestly Tolstoy is not the best story teller. Yeah, I said it.

Wonderful reading of this epic book

Read this in my 20's. Listened to in 2022. Thoroughly enjoyed it both ways. Highly recommend!

Very hard listen

Why they decided to use a snobbish and disinterested voice is beyond me. The narrator's lack of range makes listening and distinguishing characters nearly impossible. His only apparent talent is to swallow the last sound in a sentence and kill the sound in his throat. He could do a single character well, but this book demands much more than he can deliver.

Excellent telling of epic story

I absolutely loved this fabulously rich and elaborate story. The narration is excellent and is well-suited to the context and setting of the tale. I recommend printing out one of the helpful charts (available via Google) of the military persons to best follow the generals and their retinues. This audiobook is a jewel.