It has been said that Leo Tolstoy is one of the greatest writers of all time and that can certainly be seen in his epic masterpiece "War and Peace," but there are some things left to be desired in the work including a more uniform style with regard to fiction and history, and a more interesting plot.

I can't add too much to the praise Tolstoy has received about his skill, but I would like to mention that, not only was he a great writer, he was also an observant psychologist (albeit without the doctorates as far as I know). His descriptions of character and idiosyncrasies are masterful and reveal an immense amount of insight into the human character. Reading his work is truly a pleasure, though much of that can be attributed to the translator (Constance Garnett in this case).

I shouldn't harp on about the inadequacies of the book, but Tolstoy's personal reflections on the history when the novel takes place do not mesh well with the fiction and causes a somewhat disjointed read. Though Tolstoy's tearing up of Napoleon is humorous and important for the book, it could be inserted as a character's beliefs just as easily. Instead, it is written as an author's aside. Another negative is the slow plot, which may have been lively in the 19th century, but lacks in excitement today.

The author's free-will/fate philosophy in the last section of the book, however, is about as lively as can be and deserves repeated readings. It alone could stand as a masterpiece.

- JSB Morse