The Big Read 2021: War and Peace
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2021 is the first year of the Big Read; hopefully the first of many. Our first book is Leo Tolstoy’s famous War & Peace. At over 1,300 pages, it’s one of the longer classics you’ll ever encounter, and yet surprisingly readable. It’s easier than Moby Dick; easier, at times, than Les Miserables. The beauty of Tolstoy is in his relatable characters, his avoidance of easy black and white answers, and, most relevant to today, his wisdom regarding how to live in turbulent, earth-shattering times. How do we relate to others, especially when they aren’t in the same social world as us? How do we view the tides of history when we’ve living in them? Can war and peace really be separated and easily delineated? The questions are as big as they come. Source
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| Scope | National |
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| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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