War and Peace, Volume 1

By: Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by: Neville Jason

Length: 30 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

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

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)

Well Done

I really enjoyed the presentation. The narrator held my interest throughout. It was a great story.

Wonderful

Perfect reading, good voices, diction, and speed. A great way to experience one of the best books ever written.

Fascinating

What did you love best about War and Peace, Volume 1?

I was never able to get through reading this wonderful piece of historical fiction. Listening to it made the journey through the complex characters and story so much easier. The world that was early 1800's Russia is painted so clearly and the nature of that centuries cultural and political intracies so vivid, I feel I could have lived and experienced it myself.

I just started

This reader is well worth paying an additional credit. This is a higher quality performance than the unabridged version.

He is brilliant!

Favorite story of all time

One of the best reads of my short existence. Advice for reading this book is commitment and perseverance. It's not the most difficult book to read depending on your translation or comprehension, but the battles and philosophical musings of Tolstoy can feel somewhat long. Interesting, but long. However, I will definitely be rereading in the future. The characters are rich and flawed and War & Peace feels like it captures the essence of the epoch (maybe elaborated in some areas as Tolstoy warns in my version's Appendix), but you'll most definitely have a smile at the end of this long read!

Exquisite narration

Neville Jason puts such life and genuinity into each and every character, one cannot help but love and loathe each respectively. He lends a great ease in imagining the settings, emotions, and expressions. His narration made this great classic that much more enjoyable!

It's Tolstoy

Ceaselessly entertaining. It isn't long at all - the eternal is beyond time. Can't wait for volume ii.

Long, but brilliant!

A very long listen and this is only part one! Yet, the drama between the characters, large and small, make this listen something you can’t put down!

A Truly Great Book and a Truly Astounding Narrator

War and Peace is a book that I put off reading for quite a long time. I have to say that I regret not having read it earlier in life, as the characters are so very true to life, and the story, while specific to its time, has themes that are universal and timeless. As one familiar with the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian, I found Tolstoy's Russia of the same time period to be startlingly familiar in many ways, and quickly became engrossed in the story.

Listening to it in Audio book format only adds to the pleasure, as Neville Jason narrates each scene with superb timing, and is able to pitch his voice and change his tempo to put real "character" behind each character. It seems impossible, but he's able to portray both young and old women in a variety of circumstances in such a way that you ~never~ feel he's striking a false not, or tempt you to laugh at the voices he summons for them.

The basic character of humanity apparently does not change. Tolstoy's asides (Such as "Like all young men, he was determined to make his opinion known.") are as true today as when he wrote them. The nature and actions of the many people within the book are never dull, sometimes moving, often very funny, and always authentic.

I've purchased a printed version of War and Peace which I will look forward to re-reading from time to time, and may keep a few audio chapters handy for "impulse listening" in the future.

By all means, take a listen - War and Peace's reputation is wholly deserved.

Best reading

It took me a few months to get through this but it was well worth it. I think even better than the story is the superb reading by the narrator. I will go in search of other audiobooks by this narrator because he was so good. In a book that has so many characters he was able to give each person their own unique personality. Being a history grad I really enjoyed this book, but I understand that it may be a bit daunting for most casual readers. Yet it entwines love stories with Russian history beautifully and if someone has the time they would enjoy it. And talk about value, 60 hours for 2 credits...wow!