War and Peace - new translation

1805, glittering balls in Moscow and St. Petersburg, young loves, unhappy marriages. 1812, Napoleon's army invades Russia. Tolstoy's novel follows the fate of three of the most famous figures in world literature: Pyotr Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count, who must fight for his inheritance while yearning for spiritual fulfillment. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky leaves his family behind to fight against Napoleon. Natasha Rostova, the beautiful young daughter of a Russian aristocrat, attracts the attention of both men. As the French army advances, Tolstoy presents a series of characters from very different origins and backgrounds: peasants and nobles, civilians and soldiers. What they all have in common is that they face problems specific to their era, their history, and their culture. As the novel progresses, these characters transcend their inherent individual traits to become some of the most human and moving characters in world literature. 21. Század Kiadó publishes Tolstoy's grandiose novel in a brand new, modern translation by Gy. László Horváth. "I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal." Turgenev on Tolstoy "I have studied about two hundred books about Napoleon's campaign in Russia, but I only understood its essence when I read War and Peace." Lion Feuchtwanger "War and Peace remains for me the model of the modern epic." Romain Rolland "What a painter, what a psychologist... There are parts in the work that are comparable to Shakespeare. While I was reading, I kept exclaiming in my delight - and it takes quite a long time to read it!" Gustave Flaubert "While the World War was raging, I often thought that perhaps it would not have dared to break out if the sharp, penetrating gray eyes of the old man of Yasnaya Polyana had still been open in 1914. But Tolstoy was no longer alive, and no one had taken his place who could compare with him." Thomas Mann Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy (1828-1910) is one of the greatest novelists of all time. He was born in Yasnaya Polyana and fought in the Crimean War. After his discharge, he retired to his family estate, where he wrote, farmed, and devoted his time to raising his large family. He gained world fame for his novels and his outspoken, polemical writings. "A dazzling... a great classic that did not become a monument, but remained accessible. A deeply moving story of the contradictions inherent in the human heart." Washington Post "Tolstoy and his characters are more tangible than ever before. ...The spirit and style of this book are incredibly timeless." New Yorker "Well-crafted. Fresh, readable. This story is full of hidden depths." New York Review of Books