621 War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The History of Literature

Jacke Wilson

Books, Arts, History

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 July 2024

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For Virginia Woolf, Leo Tolstoy was "the greatest of all novelists," and her argument was simple: "[W]hat else can we call the author of War and Peace?" In this episode, Jacke takes a look at Tolstoy's original plans for the novel; the unusual nature of the book, which Henry James called a "loose, baggy monster"; the contributions of Tolstoy's wife Sophia; the reception at the time (and ever since); how Tolstoy was both right and wrong about what the book ultimately accomplished; and more. Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at www.thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podgolomorate Network and LIT Hub Radio.
0:07.0	Hello, it was written over a six-year span about 160 years ago, and its author tinkered with it for years afterwards. 1805, it was originally called, before it settled into its natural home, War and Peace, a world-class title for a world-class book.
0:30.0	It still stands as one of the greatest books ever written at or near the top of many such lists.
0:36.0	And on those lists, it stands out big, weighty, enormous, formidable, longer and richer than some lesser novels, if a novel is even what
0:48.9	it is.
0:50.5	Flaubert said, this is the first-class work. What an artist and what a psychologist.
0:58.0	He called it powerful, very powerful indeed, and said,
1:02.0	I used to utter shrieks of delight while reading.
1:06.0	Virginia Wolf said of its author Leo Tolstoy there remains the greatest of all novelists
1:11.9	for what else can we call the author of War and Peace.
1:17.1	Tolstoy himself said to fellow Russian author Maxim Gorky,
1:21.4	without false modesty it is like the Iliad. And yet he had his doubts, confiding in a diary that, quote,
1:30.0	people love me for the trifles, War and peace and so on, that they think are so important."
1:37.0	End quote.
1:38.0	Point taken and guilty as charged.
1:42.0	Count me among those who think War and Peace is important and who loves the author for it,
1:47.0	but who is also fascinated by his view of it as a trifle.
1:52.0	We'll dig into all of that and more in our look at war and peace today
1:58.3	on the history of literature. Okay, here we go.
2:05.0	Welcome to the podcast.
2:09.0	I'm Jack Wilson.
2:10.0	So glad you're here today.
	...

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