74. Read a classic literature book I haven't read before
This goal is one that I've already checked off of my 101 in 1001 list but I feel like this book fits the "classic literature book" category better than Atlas Shrugged did so I'm checking it off once again--this time FOR REAL. I got a hankering to read War & Peace 5 or 6 months ago. I guess I was feeling up for a challenge. Weighing in at a robust 1358 pages, this may be the longest book I've ever read. It took me the full 5-6 months and it even made it's way to Europe with me in August. We've spent QUITE a bit of time together--mostly at night before my head hit the pillow. I enjoyed it overall. I would have to give it 3 out of 5 stars. For those of you who haven't read it, it's not your typical narrative novel. There's definitely a story woven throughout with 4-5 times as many characters to keep track of than most books. I had to re-read the first 200 pages or so because Tolstoy would introduce certain characters and then move on to others and come back to the first ones hundreds of pages later and I couldn't remember who they were. It was A LOT to keep track of at first. Even in the last sections of the book he was introducing new characters like there was much more to tell. Woven throughout the narrative is Tolstoys discussion of the science of history and his thoughts and philosophies on it. He definitely is confronting his contemporaries about how they depict history. In college I had no idea I was going to one day own my own photography business so I majored in philosophy. As I was reading Tolstoy's thoughts they brought back a lot from my philosophy studies. He was pretty ahead of his time in that much of what he said is also being purported by post-modern philosophers of our time. Interesting stuff. But it made me really glad that I'm done with college. And that the next book that I am going to pick up will be a much lighter read :).
This goal is one that I've already checked off of my 101 in 1001 list but I feel like this book fits the "classic literature book" category better than Atlas Shrugged did so I'm checking it off once again--this time FOR REAL. I got a hankering to read War & Peace 5 or 6 months ago. I guess I was feeling up for a challenge. Weighing in at a robust 1358 pages, this may be the longest book I've ever read. It took me the full 5-6 months and it even made it's way to Europe with me in August. We've spent QUITE a bit of time together--mostly at night before my head hit the pillow. I enjoyed it overall. I would have to give it 3 out of 5 stars. For those of you who haven't read it, it's not your typical narrative novel. There's definitely a story woven throughout with 4-5 times as many characters to keep track of than most books. I had to re-read the first 200 pages or so because Tolstoy would introduce certain characters and then move on to others and come back to the first ones hundreds of pages later and I couldn't remember who they were. It was A LOT to keep track of at first. Even in the last sections of the book he was introducing new characters like there was much more to tell. Woven throughout the narrative is Tolstoys discussion of the science of history and his thoughts and philosophies on it. He definitely is confronting his contemporaries about how they depict history. In college I had no idea I was going to one day own my own photography business so I majored in philosophy. As I was reading Tolstoy's thoughts they brought back a lot from my philosophy studies. He was pretty ahead of his time in that much of what he said is also being purported by post-modern philosophers of our time. Interesting stuff. But it made me really glad that I'm done with college. And that the next book that I am going to pick up will be a much lighter read :).
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