War and Peace is a big ass book, and almost everyone I know who reads anything has thought about taking on Tolstoy, saw that page count, and walked away.
So I’m reading it next year. All year. Why?
Because War and Peace, as long as it is, is made up of 361 puny chapters, averaging 4 pages per chapter. That means that with 5-15 minutes of reading each day, you can finish the whole book in one year.
And you should! Because War and Peace is one of those canonical classics that earned its spot on every best-of-literature list ever. It has some of the most phenomenally human characters ever written, who experience trials and tribulations that will stick with you forever. It’s a huge book, and it’s not perfect for every second of the ride, but it has some of the highest peaks ever written by human hands. It’s one of the few stories of this size that I can confidently say is worth every ounce of effort it takes to read it.
So I am formally inviting you to join me in reading A Year of War and Peace in 2024 and to add this beast of a novel to your shelf by the end of next year.
Credit where credit is due, I am not the originator of this idea. Credit goes to Brian E. Denton’s A Year of War and Peace blogpost, which is where I first heard of the challenge and is, as far as I can tell, the first mention of it on the internet.
If you’re interested, also check out the subreddit r/ayearofwarandpeace, which follows this challenge every year and posts daily discussion posts for every chapter.
My partner and I are also starting a daily podcast where we’ll break down and discuss each chapter. To avoid being too self-promo-y, I won’t link it directly here, but you can find it as A Year of War and Peace pretty much anywhere you get your podcasts.
So please, set your New Years Resolution and treat yourself to one of the most incredible literary adventures you’ll ever embark on. I guarantee War and Peace has something for everyone–at half a million words long, it ought to.
by ironmoger2