War and Peace, Volume 2 cover art

War and Peace, Volume 2

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War and Peace, Volume 2

By: Leo Tolstoy
Narrated by: Neville Jason
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About this listen

War and Peace is one of the greatest monuments in world literature. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, it examines the relationship between the individual and the relentless march of history. Here are the universal themes of love and hate, ambition and despair, youth and age, expressed with a swirling vitality which makes the book as accessible today as it was when it was first published in 1869.

In addition it is, famously, one of the longest books in Western literature and therefore a remarkable challenge for any reader. Neville Jason read the abridged version of War and Peace and proved his marathon powers with his outstanding performance of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. These make him the ideal narrator to essay Tolstoy's epic.

War and Peace was translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude.

© and (P) Naxos Rights International Classics Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Fiction War

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Critic reviews

" War and Peace presents us with a complete picture of human life; a complete picture of the Russia of those days; a complete historic picture of the struggle of nations; and a complete picture of the things in which men set their happiness and greatness, their sorrow and their shame." (A.V. Knowles, Tolstoy: The Critical Heritage)
"There remains the greatest of all novelists - for what else can we call the author of War and Peace?" (Virginia Woolf)
All stars
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I'd always wanted to read War and Peace but the book has sat on my shelf for 20 years untouched. finally Audible has allowed me to do it and it was no chore but an absolute pleasure.

wonderful story, beautiful narration

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Having enjoyed Volume 1 I was prepared to enjoy Vol 2 and I was not disappointed. The reader was easy to listen to and his characterisation of the characters excellent. I struggled with part 2 of the Epilogue and lost the will to listen to the last 5 minutes, however, the war sequences were exceptionally good as was the analysis of why Napoleon lost. It has aroused my interest in this period of European History. Great listen.

Vol 2 as good as Vol 1

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Tolstoi has written a masterpiece, very very long but I frilly enjoyed it especially the approach he has towards history and the way it should be approached. The narrator is excellent and has given a very pleasing effect to a book that can be challenging due to its length.

Amazing book excellent narrator!

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I think Volume 2 is slightly less interesting than Vol. 1, mostly because it focuses a lot on what caused different historic events, and less on the more romantic story being played out. Thus 4 and not 5 stars on "story", but overall still 5/5.
The narration by Neville Jason is fantastic!

Great narration!

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it's a great end to an epic story. it's a fantastic book.. however the rambling treatise into the craft of the historian and our relevant understanding of historical events is tiresome.

satisfying ending

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Like all the Russian classics I’ve read, took a while to get hooked on this, perhaps 10 hours or so, but worth the effort. Fascinating and rich group of characters and interactions, revealing much about the historical lifestyles of early 19th C upper classes, as well as Tolstoy’s take on the Napoleonic wars (he openly disagrees with many of his contemporaries’ histories).
Found his philosophic epilogue a bit laboured - you can probably skip it, particularly as most of its ideas you’ll have already read scattered through the main narrative in the mouths of his characters or narrator.

Rich and insightful

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When I finished listening to the second epilog my first thought was: oh my God, how is the world and our understanding of ourselves and the nature of free will not been completely uprooted and revolutionised by this essay? I shall have to look it up. I'm sure smarter people than me have looked at this and have come up with good reasons. It should be interesting never the to know why.

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

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The idea of reading War and Peace has always interested me, but I won’t be getting to it any time soon with the pile of other titles I have been given to read. Step in Audible, whilst running, commuting, cooking I have got through a book I have always wanted to and what a book. I was somewhat concerned that it would be dry and lethargic, complex and tedious. Mr Jason brings Tolstoy’s fantastic style to life. Pithy chapters, vibrant characters, Tolstoy is accessible and made more so by the style and panache of the narration. Only question is what now?

Bloody Brilliant

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smashing, amazing characterisation from single narrator, would definately recommend. tolstoy doea go on a bit in the last 20 chapters so so though...

great performance of a great book

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Explores everything that defines humanity. Read perfectly by Neville Jason. Now that I have finished it, I feel bereft…

Perfection

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