A Year of War and Peace

[rug]

Introducing a Daily, Yearlong, Chapter-by-Chapter Reading and Meditation on Tolstoy’s Masterpiece



Brian E. Denton
Dec 21, 2016

What It Is

A Year of War and Peace is the bibliotheraputic equivalent of mainlining your favorite mood enhancer.

Over the course of one year, should you choose to join me, we will read one of the 361 chapters of War and Peace per day followed by a brief reflection on the chapter published here on Medium. These reflections will focus on the novel’s characters and how thinking about their nineteenth-century triumphs and failings may help us to live better, more fulfilling lives today. This unique reading of War and Peace is something I’ve been doing every day for the past seven years. I welcome you to join me this year.

Why You Should Join Me

The primary reason you should join me is that War and Peace is one of the greatest books ever written. It’s immensely enjoyable to read. It’s also just plain immense. In fact, its size is often cited as the reason people have not read it yet. A Year of War and Peace solves this problem by breaking down the gigantic novel into small, bite-sized pieces. No more than twenty minutes per day is required to read along and, by year’s end, with just this small investment of time, you’ll have a thorough understanding and appreciation of one of the world’s most celebrated books.

When It Starts

A Year of War and Peace begins on January 1, 2017.

What Translation I’ll be Reading

I’ll be reading Oxford World’s Classics’ Maude translation. I’ve read many of the English translations and this is my favorite. With the exception of the Norton Critical Edition, all the translations I’ve read follow the 361 chapter convention so following along with another translation should not be a problem. The first time I cycled through the book using the one-chapter-per-day method I used this cheap digital version. There are a few minor typos but it’s serviceable for our purposes.

The Daily Readings

Below are the daily readings. I will link to each as they are made available.

Day 1

Day 2

https://medium.com/@BrianEDenton/a-year-of-war-and-peace-cc66540d9619#.7rmflgb51

A little background:

http://blog.oup.com/2017/01/reading-war-and-peace/

[TexasProgresive]

1. Now you've done it, rug.

I have been reading one Russian novel a year. I have just downloaded a pdf of War and Peace translated by the Maudes from Gutenberg press. We will see.

[rug]

2. You just have to tag along with this guy.

He posts a bite size chapter every day. Here's yesterday's:

https://medium.com/@BrianEDenton/pavlovnas-god-79e913b6ad33#.ju3g7c1me

[hermetic]

3. Hi there, rug

What an interesting undertaking. I read War and Peace back in high school and loved it. Your link only takes us to the main page of medium.com and I couldn't find it there. It seems that @ sign is not recognizable as a hot link, but if you paste this link in your address bar, https://medium.com/@brianedenton
it will take you to his page where the links for the discussions are.

I don't expect to reread the book but I think I will check out his daily musings. Thanks for sharing.

[rug]

4. That link doesn't go directly to the page either

The only way to get there is to paste the whole link into the url.

Oh well.

I haven't read the book yet but I think I will. Next New Year's Eve we can argue about it here.

[hermetic]

5. Been reading every day

The discussion and meditations. It only takes a few minutes and I am enjoying how it makes me think about life and all. Here is today's, which I trimmed down a bit:

Unhappiness is all too common; the events in our life can really drag us down. Life’s challenges can’t stop, won’t stop. So what should we do? Wallow away into a sad gallon of cookie dough ice cream and binge watch Netflix? Epictetus has a pro-tip that might be more helpful: Acceptance.

True instruction is this: learning to will that things should happen as they do.
-Epictetus, The Discourses

[rug]

6. Me too.

It's an intriguing way to read a hefty book.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. The last time I tried reading that book

some three or four chapters in we were still at that same dinner party, or whatever it was, and NOTHING had happened.

Sigh. I suppose I could try a chapter a day.

The version I have is Penguin Classics translation by Rosemary Edmonds. So I've got Book One, Book Two, Book Three, Book Four, and an Epilogue. I wonder if the chapter divisions are the same.

[rug]

8. This guy has his comments online. It's a read-along.

If you're really not into the book, it's a misery loves company approach.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

9. In which case, why bother?

I do get that some people love that book.

[rug]

10. You may learn something.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. I do keep thinking I should read it, and as indicated I have a copy

of the book.

[Goblinmonger]

12. Since my college days, I have had a personal ban on Russian novels.

Because screw them and their 5587 characters.

My copy of the book arrives today and I'll take the chapter-a-day journey with this guy. At my age, this is probably the last chance Russian novels have to win me over. And, as an English teacher, this should probably be in my "have read" column.

[Goblinmonger]

13. Thanks for this.

I got my copy from Amazon yesterday and read 5 chapters. Three chapters today, and I'm caught up.

I like his summaries and analysis.

There are a handful of English teachers at my school doing this with me.

[rug]

14. I'm impressed that he's read it six times before.

I really like his approach to this book.

[Goblinmonger]

15. I've read Ulysses six times, so I appreciate the approach.

Have done it during the summer (start reading on Bloomsday). Didn't last summer because I had 15 young adult books to read for the new teaching job.

I do like his approach. It's simple enough to read the chapter and then check in with his thoughts.

[hermetic]

16. Found in the comments

of my daily reading. Wonderful article by a professor of Russian literature who explains the importance of united opposition.

How Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ can inspire those who fear Trump’s America

In one of his greatest novels, “War and Peace” (1869), Tolstoy insists that history is propelled forward not by the actions of individual leaders but by the random alignment of events and communities of people.

Obviously, the president of the United States has tremendous power. But here is where “War and Peace” can provide some perspective, helping to demystify this power and sort out its more performative aspects.

...mass marches and protests broadcast united opposition – as do all the petitions, safety pins, pink pussy hats and rogue tweets. Some of this might be derided as #slacktivism. But collectively they map out tenuous networks of connections among individuals.

Thinking in essentialist terms, Tolstoy felt that Napoleon failed to destroy Russia because the collective interests of Russian people aligned against him: a majority of people – wittingly or unwittingly – acted to undermine his agenda. Is it possible that we will see a similar alignment of grassroots interests now? Could men, women, people of color, immigrants and LGBTQIA individuals make their voices heard against some of President Trump’s executive actions, which may threaten many on a personal level?

http://theconversation.com/how-tolstoys-war-and-peace-can-inspire-those-who-fear-trumps-america-71312

[rug]

17. That's timely.

A mark of a classic.

[hermetic]

18. Did you guys notice this?

It showed up between chapters 44 & 45 and appears to be an essay by one S. Nightengale, another Medium writer.
I'm not sure what it has to do with War and Peace BUT if you read on you find a reply by Denton which is one of the most depressing things I think I've ever read.

We look at ourselves and the wonderful gains we’ve made in the economic and social spheres and see a permanent — or at least durable — situation. But, if history is any guide, it may very well prove that this flowering of liberalism that brought us these advancements will soon wither and so with it all the progress. Liberalism is young and certainly not the historical norm. This makes it fragile. But despotism has centuries of practice and has therefore grown robust. It’d be nice to think that liberalism will endure but in all likelihood this liberal period of civilization, limited though it is to just a small portion of the planet, will be looked back on as the aberration rather than the norm of political and social organization.

We should, however, strive to keep the liberal project alive. But the prospects don’t look good.

Just wondered if anyone else saw that, and what you thought. And what's it got to do with War and Peace?

[rug]

19. The only comment I saw was from Tatiana Kuzmic.

I'll control myself and not give an opinion until I find the comment.