Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace: A Companion

War and Peace is widely viewed as one of the world’s greatest novels, but oddly, no reader’s companion to the text was written in English until now. This volume fills that gap. For scholars, it will synthesize the critical heritage and present new perspectives on the novel. For the general reader, it will provide the sort of guidance that will enrich the reading experience and help the reader navigate the long and rewarding journey to the novel’s end. The annotations provide a thorough background on the historical contexts, notes on the character and plot development, discussion of the various English translations, and other explanatory notes that will clarify the fundamental ideas and aesthetic devices of the novel.