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War and Peace

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War and Peace

By: Leo Tolstoy, Louise Maude - translator, Aylmer Maude - translator
Narrated by: Thandiwe Newton
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About this listen

Tolstoy’s epic novel of love and war, in an unabridged performance by Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning actress Thandiwe Newton.

Some call it the greatest novel ever written. Whether it’s your first time, or you’re ready to dive back in, what better way to experience this epic novel than in this exquisite unabridged reading by Thandiwe Newton?

War and Peace is at once an epic war chronicle and an exploration of everything that make us all human: love and hate, ambition and despair, life and death. Allow yourself to get lost in the lives of three Russian aristocratic families, whose triumphs and challenges are every bit as resonant to today’s listener as they were to original readers. Thandiwe Newton inhabits each character with such flair that it is easy to forget that you are listening to one voice.

So cancel all plans, sit back, and let Thandiwe transport you to 19th-century Saint Petersburg....

Public Domain (P)2021 Audible, Ltd Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction War & Military War Military Thought-Provoking Funny Russia

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Featured article: 6 Must-listen classic audiobooks


When you finally get a break from the day-to-day it's the perfect time to get stuck into a classic story. We asked the greatest fan of classic literature in the Audible HQ building for his top picks.

Featured article 6 Must-listen classic audiobooks
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📚 It was time! I was in my twenties when I first read War and Peace. For a while I have wanted to come back to it, and then this came out. Thandiwe Newton, one of my favourite contemporary actors, narrating W&P in a 60 hour marathon. I began it on New Year’s Day and finished it during this morning’s exercise routine. TN is brilliant – so many characters, experiences, contexts and nuances come expertly to life as she reads. As for the book, with its blend of large scale history and smaller scale human life and loves, WHAT A BOOK! It has again amazed me. I cannot better Dostoievsky’s verdict – who can? “My strong conviction is that a writer of fiction has to have most profound knowledge—not only of the poetic side of his art, but also the reality he deals with, in its historical as well as contemporary context. [In Russia] as far as I see it, only one writer excels in this, Count Lev Tolstoy." 🎧 (Michael).

WHAT A BOOK!

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I love the story and listened knowing it to be a lengthy book, with that I think that some more thought could have gone into the voices and accents used. Obviously Napoleon is a big character in the book and I found the accent used for him hard to listen to at times.

Brilliant book

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This is an outstanding work. I refer first of all to the work of Tolstoj, which (although a bit hard to follow at first, due to the many characters quicjly introduced) is intriguing, contains many complex characters and most especially challenged my views on history and manking in so many instances.
And second because of the performance, which I found impeccable and which made it very hard to stop listening every time I had to.
Just marvellous!

I would have given more stars if I could!

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I have watched two television versions of this. I have listened to two BBC radio adaptations. But, like many, the size and scope of the actual book has daunted me for decades. Enter Audible and Thandie Newton! I’m only 10 hours into this leviathan, but this is a very entertaining version and Ms Newton is doing a wonderful job. At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to be persuaded by her various masculine voices but after a while you get used to it and actually warm to them. Her interpretation of Count Rostov is particularly well done. Similarly, I was a bit worried about how she would deal with the battle chapters, but she attacks them with aplomb. I have to admit that the number of soldiers ‘Hurrah’s gets a bit much! Overall, then, a wonderful version read splendidly. I’m looking forward to the other 46 hours!

Really very very good

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A book I’ve wanted to read for a very long time but have always been put off by the size of the book, the minuscule and the reputation. However, even with the 60 hrs of audiobook, I decided to bite the bullet and was so glad I did. An incredible book with a beautiful storyline covering, funnily enough, war and peace during the Russian campaign of the Napoleonic Wars (from the Russian perspective).

The story was aide by the wonderful narration of Thandiwe Newton - a great choice for this book!

I loved it and would highly recommend this audiobook especially, if like me, the physical book sits imposingly on the bookshelf.

Can’t believe I put this off for so long!!

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I thought the reading was exceptional, the book was not exactly what I was expecting. It involves a lot of the authors views on politics at the time and centers around real events making it historically interesting

Really well read rendition of a classic

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Beautifully read by Ms Newton. Despite its daunting reputation, the book is surprisingly easy to listen to. The interwoven storyline combined with the more weighty historical and philosophical perspective provides a remarkable examination of human nature.

Well worth it!

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Really enjoyed listening to this epic piece of literature. Thandie Newton does an excellent job as narrator during some quite dry chapters.

Great storytelling

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An incredible audio book, well read, depicted and I have learnt so much from this historically.
Greta story and Leo Tolstoy was an incredible / insightful writer.

Excellent

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Utterly consuming , I was drawn into this without knowing anymore than it was very long . What an experience, absolutely enthralling. I was brought to tears on more than one occasion. Thandiwe Newton is a master narrator, completely captivating performance.
I can’t recommend this enough .

What an experience !

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