War And Peace

Discussion in 'Reading & Writing' started by Hal Pollner, Jun 29, 2020.

  1. Hal Pollner

    Hal Pollner Veteran Member
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    Did anyone on this Forum ever read the great Tolstoy novel?

    Hal
     
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  2. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I've not.

    For some reason, I've never had an inclination to, although I've tried to read most of the classics.
     
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    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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  4. Thomas Stearn

    Thomas Stearn Veteran Member
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    Nothing Russian, please. It's difficult for someone who had to grow up under Russian rule to take an interest in their culture and language. Nonetheless, I had to read other Russian books in school and didn't like any of them. Anything else is better.
     
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  5. Patsy Faye

    Patsy Faye Supreme Member
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    Not after seeing Sam Malone wade through it (to impress Diane) and then have someone tell him 'he could have watched the film !'
    :p
     
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  6. Ed Wilson

    Ed Wilson Veteran Member
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    I saw the film and it was so long there was an intermission so you could go to the lobby and stretch your legs. Over all, it was boring, boring and boring.
     
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  7. Hal Pollner

    Hal Pollner Veteran Member
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    Thomas Stearn, regarding your living under Russian rule, did you live in Communist East Germany?

    Hal
     
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  8. Thomas Stearn

    Thomas Stearn Veteran Member
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  9. Mary Robi

    Mary Robi Veteran Member
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    I've never gotten past the first 30 pages of War and Peace; I've had a copy for 40 years or so. I try it again every 20 years.

    I did have to read another long Russian novel in college, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. "Punishment" being the operant word here.

    I have a hard time with Russian novels. Everyone has about twelve names and nicknames and you have to keep looking back to see who the heck it is they're talking about this time. For example, Feodor Ivanovich Rasputinsky will be Feodor to his father, Feddi to his mother, Dori to his sister, Raspu to his best friend, Vichi to his fiancée and, for some reason, his old nurse will call him Masha. And then there's the fact that at least three other characters in the book will be named Feodor. Everybody dies in the end.

    AND, the books tend to be gloomy and who needs gloomy these days?
     
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