Review: Definitely a Classic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 30, 2013
All I can say is I regret waiting so long to read it! Part history of Russia's war with Napoleon, part reflections on the nature of war, power and history and part fictional account of five families, There are parts of the novel, depending on the reader's interests that are more difficult than others.For me, the characters and the great themes ( particularly good vs evil, fall and regeneration, the nature and source of true greatness) made the novel the best read (despite its length) I had in a long time. By the standards of most of today's fiction it will seem excessively sentimental in places; at the same time, however, if readers are starved for a respectful literary treatment of traditional values, they will find a real treasure here.