#34 in Classics
War and Peace
- 644
- Pages
- about 12 h
- Reading time
- Film 1965 +5
- On screen
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Our view
“War and Peace” is far easier to enjoy than its reputation suggests: scene by scene it is vivid, humane and often absorbing. Its scale tests some readers, with so many characters that a favourite may vanish for hundreds of pages, and with chapters where Tolstoy sets the story aside to argue about history. It is best taken in steady instalments. For those who want to live inside a book rather than merely finish one.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
War and Peace is an epic novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An early version was published serially beginning in 1865, after which the entire book was rewritten and published in 1869. The novel has claims to be the greatest novel written. It is regarded, with Anna Karenina, as Tolstoy's finest literary achievement, and it remains an internationally praised classic of world literature.
On screen
This book has been adapted for the screen 6 times — from 1915 to 2016.
- FilmWar and PeaceIMDb
- FilmWar and PeaceIMDb
- SeriesWar and PeaceIMDb
- SeriesWar and PeaceIMDb
- SeriesWar and PeaceIMDb
- FilmWar and PeaceIMDb
Adaptation data: Wikidata · On screen →
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 570 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 79% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Classics average of 7.7. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.5 | 43 | 8% |
| Hardcover | 8.2 | 527 | 93% |
Frequently asked
How long is War and Peace?
It has 644 pages — longer than 78% of the ranked books in Classics.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Classics — with scores between 6.6 and 8.4, closest to this book.
