War and Peace
The novel against which all other novels are measured — Tolstoy's project to capture an entire society at a moment of historical crisis is unmatched in scope or psychological precision.
“We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom.”
Why It Matters
The novel against which all other novels are measured — Tolstoy's project to capture an entire society at a moment of historical crisis is unmatched in scope or psychological precision. War and Peace established the realist novel as a vehicle for total knowledge: of war, marriage, religion, history, and the inner life of dozens of characters. It is the answer to the question 'what can the novel do at its absolute limit.'
The 
Take
Personal reviewTolstoy exudes comprehensive careful analysis throughout the breadth of human experience. Deeply knowledgeable and full of history, human quirks, nationalism, military realities, society, marriage , families, money etc. the characters are all extremely believable. The philosophical “point” was well argued even if he didn’t fully convince me, made me think. Clinical ability to translate obviously true observation to a believable narrative. He just goes and goes and goes and nothing feels forced at all
Notable Quotes
“If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war.”
“There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness, and truth.”