War and Peace

By: Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by: Philippe Duquenoy

War and Peace is a masterpiece of literature that you won’t want to miss. First published in 1865 by The Russian Messenger, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is considered to be one of the longest novels ever written, although Tolstoy himself did not consider this book "a novel". Interspersed between narrative chapters concerning five aristocratic families are several philosophical and historical chapters against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, where Tolstoy weaves a tale of drama with characters that include statesmen and generals of that era, mixing domestic life, balls, and war councils into one epic story.

Tolstoy was born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, and is considered to be one of the greatest authors of all time. He is best remembered for his literary works War and Peace, and Anna Karenina and also for his efforts to educate the children of the less fortunate - by sponsoring 13 schools during his lifetime.

Public Domain (P)2021 Goffin Media

Excellent narration for a rather long book

I've tried to listen to this title before, but the narrator was so hard to listen to that I could only get a few chapters in.

If you're up for this title, this is the version to go with.

It's obviously quite a novel, but if you're choosing a first Tolstoy book, go with Anna Karenina.

A true classic with excellent narration

The historical fiction is captivating, but what really makes this book thought provoking is Tolstoy’s ability to present topics plaguing the human experience such as the moral failures of the characters, the spiritual conflict with war and how coming face to face with death changes your perspective on life. It is a challenge to keep the characters straight. I recommend you keep a quick guide handy. The narrator is excellent.

Too long but perfect

The stories were great and each separate book was told really well, but after reading the whole book, most, if not all of the earlier chapters were forgotten. But that’s understandable considering it’s 57 HOURS LONG! Tolstoy is fenomenal though.

A true masterpiece

I loved both the narrator, Philippe Duquenoy, and the book itself. They could not have picked a better reader for this masterful classic! 56 hours well spent!!!

Tolstoy is Brilliant!

What can I say, this is called a classic for a reason. Loved this book from the beginning to the end, and the reader was simply awesome, his character voices were clear and distinct for each character in the book.

It's a great story

I really enjoyed this book. It's by far the longest book I've ever listened to, but its well worth the 56+ hours!

Absolutely Loved It

At first I thought listening to a book this long would be a challenge and I might lose track, but the narration by Mr. Duquenoy was WONDERFUL as he gave personalities to each of the characters in this novels large cast.

The book itself has a great storyline full of historic events and philosophy. It transitions between daily Russian life and battles that were fought. Overall this is a wonderful classic that I would definitely recommend!

Great reader, classic story

Tolstoy is classic and this story is perhaps the most well known. Being as long as it is, it drags on a little. It is worthwhile nonetheless. Phillippe Duquenoy has a great voice and does great character voices. I felt that the pace was a little slow and wound up listening on a higher speed (also partly to cut down on the lengthy runtime). But he was great to listen to at any pace.

War and Peace

This is an excellent reading! My only complaint is that Audible sometimes insists that I wade through ads in order to get back to the reading. I bought the book, the audible version of the book, and I shouldn’t have to click click click my way to what I bought.

Loved the narration!!!

This was a brilliant story from the beginning to the end and its narration was simply fantastic. The book, being as long as it is, takes a few hours to develop the storyline, but once it gets going, its such an incredible book. Well worth the listen.