u/No-Championship4744

My experience with War and Peace so far 🥹
I think the biggest thing I’m realizing is how much I would have missed if I rushed through this book.
I’m only at Volume 1, Part 3, Chapter 15, and already I feel like there are so many branches of life happening inside this one book.
I’m slowly noticing Tolstoy’s way of writing…the nature transitions, the symbolism, the incredible depth of his characters, and especially how human and raw they are. As they grow, they change. Some characters I can relate to, some I understand, and some I can only empathize with.
The war chapters have been a completely new experience for me too. The terminology, the military system, the movements, the hierarchy, the orders being passed down… and then seeing how chaotic war actually becomes in real time. Higher officials pressuring the lower ranks while sometimes they themselves don’t even fully know what they’re doing. And somewhere in the middle of all that chaos are ordinary human beings trying to survive.
And the more I read, the more disturbing the idea of war feels to me. Humans divide themselves into groups, draw lines between “us” and “them,” and then justify killing other human beings because of that division. Yet even within those groups, there are so many different people, personalities, beliefs, fears, hopes and reasons for being there. So much diversity within the very divisions we create. It makes the whole thing feel so contradictory.
And then there’s the other side of humanity that Tolstoy keeps showing…how much of what we do comes back to wanting recognition, power, money, status, importance, or simply love.
Maybe at the most basic level, we just want to be loved and witnessed. We want someone to see us, know us, and be there as we grow and change.
And somehow, Tolstoy has managed to make a war story feel like a study of life itself.
I’m only halfway through Volume 1 and already feeling like Tolstoy opened 47 tabs in my brain. 🥹

I’ve reached the military life in Volume 1 - Part 2, Chapter 3, and I can already feel how much more concentration this section asks of me. Even the aristocratic world was deep and fascinating enough for me to spend so much time thinking about the characters, their conversations, their relationships, and all the little things happening beneath the surface. Now the war feels even more intense.
And somehow, I’m loving it. I’m not just reading about it, I feel like I’m slowly entering it.

For those who have read War and Peace, how did you experience it? Did you also feel a shift when you entered the military sections? And what did this book become for you as you moved through it?

Please keep the discussion spoiler-free beyond Volume 1 - Part 2, Chapter 3. 🤍📖

📖 Starting War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (very slow read)
I’m currently on Chapter 4 and taking this book extremely slowly. I’m not trying to finish it quickly or follow a strict schedule. I want to spend time with the story, the characters, and Tolstoy’s ideas, and read whenever I genuinely feel like picking it up.
My plan is to take this journey comfortably through the rest of this year and even into next year if needed. No rushing, no pressure, just enjoying the experience and annotating along the way.
I’m curious if anyone else is reading War and Peace at a similar pace. I would love to have some slow-reading companions to share thoughts and discussions with.
Also, for those who have already read this beautiful book, what would you recommend paying attention to while reading? Are there any themes, characters, details, or moments that are worth noting or annotating?
I would love to hear about your personal experiences with the book too. What surprised you, moved you, or stayed with you long after finishing it?
Any advice for someone beginning this long but exciting journey would be greatly appreciated. 😊

I’ve finally reached the last page of The Count of Monte Cristo. 😊

Although this slow read runs from January to December, my own journey began on March 2 and came to an end on June 30. Reading it slowly made the experience incredibly rewarding, and I wouldn’t have wanted to rush it.

A big thank you to everyone in this group for the thoughtful weekly discussions. Reading your perspectives each week made me notice things I might have otherwise missed, and it was wonderful to experience this classic alongside all of you.

To everyone still on the journey, enjoy every chapter. I won’t say anything more except that it’s absolutely worth taking your time with. Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the read!

I’m breaking her spine with annotations 😭 but also she’s breaking my brain.

These pages in The Count of Monte Cristo, I can’t move past them yet. I need to sit with this a little longer.

It’s the way the Count talks about revenge that’s unsettling me. Not loud anger, not impulsive violence, but something slow, measured, almost calculated. Like pain should be returned in equal weight, not ended quickly. And that thought is just sitting with me.

Because it makes me question things I never really questioned

Is justice ever enough?

Can any punishment match what someone has truly lost?

And if it can’t, then what does “justice” even mean?

It’s also how calm he is about it. That calmness feels heavier than rage. It makes me feel like he’s lived something we don’t fully know yet, and that scares me a little.

This feels less like reading and more like being pulled into someone else’s mind and not knowing if I agree with it or not.

I’m a bit unsettled, honestly.

Did anyone else pause here and just sit with it?