Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace is often called the greatest novel ever written—a sweeping journey through love, loss, and the fate of nations. In this ten-week seminar, we’ll take on this legendary “long and glorious read,” exploring both its epic story and its enduring insight into what it means to be human. Set amid the Napoleonic wars, the novel moves from the battlefields of Europe to the glittering salons of St. Petersburg and the quiet beauty of the Russian countryside. Along the way, we’ll encounter the passions, doubts, and revelations of Tolstoy’s unforgettable characters—and of Tolstoy himself, as he wrestled with history, faith, and meaning. Through lectures, discussion, and excerpts from classic films, we’ll trace the novel’s grandeur and its intimate truths. Join us to experience one of literature’s greatest adventures—and discover why War and Peace still speaks to every generation.
Required Reading
We will only be using one text in this class, and it is a long one.
A number of people have set their hands to translating Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Which translation is the best? This is a very difficult question to answer. Feel free to choose among those listed below:
- War and Peace, translated with Notes by Louise and Aylmer Maude, rev by Amy Mandelker (Oxford Univ Press, 2010). This is the version I use. The Maudes, an English couple, knew Tolstoy and worked on their translation alongside him. This is the only version at present that has retained the French, which is spoken heavily in the first 100 pages of the novel. The English translations appear at the bottom of the page, but it may slow up the reading process.
- War and Peace, trans by Anthony Briggs. Intro by Orlando Figes (Penguin Random House, 2005). Good summary by chapters in the Appendix.
- War and Peace. The Maude translation (but without the French), ed by George Gibian. This version is published by Norton Critical Editions, 1966. This edition may be harder to find, as it is old. It contains numerous essays on Tolstoy in addition to the text of the novel.
- War and Peace, trans by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonskaya (Vintage, 2008). Pevear and Volokhonskaya have taken over translating the corpus of Russian literature into English. Those of you who took Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina with me may remember that I used the Pevear and Volokhonskaya translation in that class. Their translations have much to recommend them. This may be the choice for many of you.
You can use whichever translation you prefer. There are clear chapter headings, making it easier for those of you with different translations to follow along. From time to time, I may use a different translation when I think that one translator did a better job at one scene than another.
Meet Your Instructor
ADELE BARKER is Professor Emerita of Russian at the University of Arizona, where she taught Russian and Soviet literature and film for more than 35 years. A scholar, writer, and traveler, she has lived and conducted research across Russia and the former Soviet Union, bringing first-hand insight to her teaching and writing. She is the author and editor of five books on Russian literature and popular culture, as well as works of creative nonfiction exploring life and culture abroad. A longtime member of the Humanities Seminars Program faculty, she has taught seven courses that invite students to engage deeply with Russian history, art, and ideas.
Location
POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.
