Book Recommendations - War and Peace

War and Peace is a mammoth novel of 1200 pages, written by Count Leo Tolstoy. This is a special kind of novel. It is an historical novel blended with fictional elements. It is a rare mixture of history and fiction.
Count Leo Tolstoy, born in 1828 was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time.
When I first held this book in hand to read, my hand started to be in pain as this book is so heavy. I never thought that I could finish reading this novel when I saw the number of pages.
This novel has so many characters and moments, it has got 33 pages of notes, adjoining the novel. The novel has been split into 15 parts and two epilogues.
The characters present in the novel can be applied to our own lives. I was able to draw parallels between some of the characters and the people I know. It also explains the conflict between war and peace and its effects on people.
This is written in the backdrop of Napoleonic wars and its impact on Russia. The novel takes place between 1805 and 1820. The most appreciable part of this novel is it gives you the story from each and every characters point of view. It also gives the story from citizens point of view. It gives details of Napoleonic French army's ruthless, seize and burning of Moscow. It also gives details of Russians outwitting and discouraging of Napoleon, which was due to his own mistakes. This was the important moment in the history as it led to the decline of Napoleon. This novel has used a lot of historical characters such as Napoleon Bonaparte, General Kutuzov, Tsar Alexander I, etc.
The pain of the Russians during Napoleonic wars can be experienced by the reader. The 1812 seizure of Moscow is a minor part of the novel, yet it is a major turning point for the characters, especially for protagonists Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova. Tolstoy also gives the philosophical point of view of the wars and peace. At points, Tolstoy agrees and disagrees with the actions of certain historical characters through different point of views.
Some historians do point out the discrepancies present in the novel with history. But one needs to understand that it is bound to happen when one writes a huge novel like this. One must also note that Leo Tolstoy was not even born during Napoleonic wars. Some may still argue that Tolstoy's father was veteran of 1812 war. But one has to appreciate the author for his efforts as the discrepancies are very few.
I recommend this book very much as this is one of a kind with mixture of wars, drama, fiction, romance and philosophy.