History Literature / WarandPeace

Famous for its [[{{Doorstopper}} massive size]], [[ContemplateOurNavels alleged unreadability]] and being considered one of the greatest novels ever written. Also considered to be brilliant as a paperweight. Or for whacking someone across the head if you need to...

* TheAntichrist: Invoked; Bonaparte is seen as this by a number of characters in line due to his aptitude for warfare.
-->'''Anna Pavlovna Scherer''': "If you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist--I really believe he is Antichrist--I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself!"
* AbusiveParents: Old Prince Bolkonsky is emotionally abusive to his daughter Marya; he frequently rags on her for her looks and she has to bear the brunt of his mood swings. He's slightly less abusive to Lise, his daughter-in-law, but doesn't really bother hiding his disdain for her.

* BabiesEverAfter: the First Epilogue in a nutshell. As a bonus, said babies are named after dead characters--see DeadGuyJunior.

* DeadGuyJunior: in the First Epilogue, Marya and Nikolai name their son Andrei, and Natasha and Pierre name their son[[spoiler: Petya]].

* FallenPrincess: The Rostovs' social standing and property disappears with their finances. Nikolai's gambling debts and Natasha's reputation don't help matters.

* TreacheryCoverUp: When Rostov tries to take fellow officer Telyanin to task for stealing the regiment's money, he's called a liar by his colonel, much to his outrage. His fellow officers convince him to drop the matter because it wouldn't do if people said there were thieves among their regiment.

* PrettyInMink: Hey, it's Russia, everyone hangs out in fur coats in the winter. Adaptations have a lot of fun with this trope.

!!Adaptations:

[[AC:Films]]
* ''Film/WarAndPeace1956'': The American version, directed by Creator/KingVidor, starring Creator/AudreyHepburn as Natasha and Creator/HenryFonda as Count Bezukhov, cut out a lot of things so it was "only" 208 minutes long.
* ''Film/WarAndPeace1966'': The Soviet version by Creator/SergeiBondarchuk (who also starred as Pierre) was more accurate. It was released in four parts in 1966 and 1967, with a total running time of 431 minutes.

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
* Creator/TheBBC made two miniseries:
** ''Series/WarAndPeace1972'', starring Creator/AnthonyHopkins as Pierre
** ''Series/WarAndPeace2016'', starring Creator/PaulDano as Pierre
* ''Series/WarAndPeace2007'', a French-Italian miniseries starring Creator/AlexanderBeyer as Pierre

[[AC:Theatre]]
* An opera of the same name by Music/SergeiProkofiev, which premiered in 1955

* ''[[Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812 Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812]]'', a 2012 "[[RockOpera electro-pop opera]]" by Creator/DaveMalloy that adapts a part of the story (Anatole's seduction of Natasha and the aftermath).
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Note: Due to a version of SpellMyNameWithAnS, translations over the years have listed the character names with minor differences in spelling, and this is reflected in some examples on the wiki. For example, Maria=Marya or Mary, Nikolai=Nicholas, Andrei=Andrew, and so on.

* ''Film/WarAndPeace1966'': The Soviet version by Creator/SergeiBondarchuk (who also starred as Pierre) was more accurate. It was released in four parts in 1966 and 1967, with a total running time of 431 minutes. With inflation taken into account, it's the most expensive film in history.

* MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong: Averted. The traditional image of the Russian warrior as [[RatedMForManly massive, macho, boorish, strong]] [[VodkaDrunkenski and heavy drinker]] simply does not exist, which is quite weird coming from an author who extolled the strength and bravery of the ordinary Russian people. In practice, the Russians are described repeatedly as inferior in numbers, training and military skill to the Frenchmen, but [[TheDeterminator compensating by their sheer will to never give up,]] those in charge of military issues are usually idealistic and delicate men like Prince Andrei, the best artillery officer is Captain Tushin, a small guy of unassuming appearance, the Muzhiks are simple and illiterate militiamen used for digging trenches and earthworks, and those who perform traditional macho stunts (Dolokhov, Pierre himself in the opening chapter) are treated with contempt and disapproval.

* AnAesop: You know [[MagnificentBastard Magnificent Bastards]]? No, none of those here.

* HistoricalDowngrade: This book loves to do this to every major historical figure in the war, particularly Napoleon, emphasizing how they don't really know what's going on and their commands are actually so out of touch with the actual reality of war that they don't matter much at all, as well as showing them to have more pathetic human motivations.

* ''[[Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812 Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812]]'', a 2012 "[[RockOpera electro-pop opera]]" by Creator/DaveMalloy

* An opera of the same name by AwesomeMusic/SergeiProkofiev, which premiered in 1955

* An opera of the same name by Sergei Prokofiev, which premiered in 1955

* ''[[Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812 Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812]]'', in 2012.

* A French-Italian miniseries was released in 2007.

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!! Tropes unique to the 2007 TV Mini-Series:

* AdaptationalJerkass: The Kurragins aren't exactly ''good'' people, but this series plays up their villainy. Anatole seduces Natasha as payback on the Bolkonskys for getting rejected by Marya. Hélène helps in the seduction out of jealousy of Natasha and because the girl suggested she was a horrible wife to Pierre. When Napoleon invades Moscow, Prince Vasily and Hélène decide to collaborate with the French occupiers.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Although this Countess Rostov does protest Nikolai's engagement to Sonya, this adaptation has her come around to accepting their relationship, [[spoiler: even pleading to Sonya not to sacrifice it to allow Nikolai to court the heiress Marya.]]
* InternalHomage: [[spoiler: Natasha and Pierre's reunion at the abandoned Rostov Estate]] is a homage to the ending of the 1956 King Vidor version.
* LaserGuidedKarma: The adulterous Hélène [[spoiler: appeases the French occupiers, sleeping with a diseased French officer, dooming her.]]
* LoveAtFirstSight: This adaptation has Andrei & Liza attend Natasha's Name Day Party in 1805, adding an accidental meeting between Natasha and Andrei that sets her holding a torch for him years before the novel's canonical meeting.
* PairTheSpares:[[spoiler: Sonya and Denisov.]]
* PossessiveWristGrab: Vasily tries to take the dossier legitimizing Pierre as the heir from Count Bezukhov's death bed. The dying Count forcefully changes his mind by this trope.
* RageAgainstTheReflection: Hélène does this [[spoiler: on discovering the reason for spots on her skin...]]
* SparedByAdaptation: [[spoiler: Count Rostov.]]
* VillainExitStageLeft: At an evacuated town, Andrei spots Anatole (who seduced his fiancee Natasha). Andrei intends to initiate a duel with the man, but then the town gets attacked by French cannons. Anatole gets on a horse and rides away from a screaming Andrei.

* The 1956 American version, directed by Creator/KingVidor, starring Creator/AudreyHepburn as Natasha and Creator/HenryFonda as Count Bezukhov, cut out a lot of things so it was "only" 208 minutes long.
* The [[Film/{{War and Peace|1966}} Soviet version made in the 1960s]] by Creator/SergeiBondarchuk (who also starred as Pierre) was more accurate. It was released in four parts in 1966 and 1967, with a total running time of 431 minutes. With inflation taken into account, it's the most expensive film in history.

!!Tropes unique to the 1956 film:

* AdaptationalBadass: Since Marya Dmitriyevna Akhrosimova is cut from the story, Sonya takes the initiative in preventing [[spoiler:Natasha's eloping with Anatole; she locks her in her room and sends for Pierre so he can drive Anatole away at the gate.]]
* OffIntoTheDistanceEnding: Ends with Pierre and Natasha walking away arm in arm through the grounds of the Rostov estate in Moscow, having found each other again.
* RuleOfThree: A fancy Russian lady in a fancy carriage is seen three times. As the French are pulling out of Moscow, she's riding away; Pierre contemptuously compares such army groupies to the lice that have to stick around a dog. A later scene shows soldiers struggling to get the fancy Russian lady's fancy carriage through a field of thick soupy mud. Still later, after the snows have come, we see the fancy carriage stuck in a drift. A soldier opens the door to the carriage and the frozen corpse of the Russian lady tumbles out.
* SnowMeansDeath: It certainly does for the straggling remnant of the French army retreating from Moscow. The retreat, which had already become difficult, becomes harrowing as the cold of winter arrives, and corpses start getting left behind in the snow.
* SpreadingDisasterMapGraphic: The very first shot is a graphic showing Napoleon's France taking over Western Europe.
* ThatRussianSquatDance: Apparently upper-class Russians do it too, as seen at a drunken party attended by Pierre early in the film.
* YouKnowWhatToDo: Dolokhov says this word for word to his men as they are leading some bedraggled French prisoners away. Shots ring out offscreen as the Russians execute the prisoners.
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The book was adapted to film several times. The 1956 American version, directed by Creator/KingVidor, starring Creator/AudreyHepburn as Natasha and Creator/HenryFonda as Count Bezukhov, cut out a lot of things so it was "only" 208 minutes long. The [[Film/{{War and Peace|1966}} Soviet version made in the 1960s]] by Creator/SergeiBondarchuk (who also starred as Pierre) was more accurate. It was released in four parts in 1966 and 1967, with a total running time of 431 minutes. With inflation taken into account, it's the most expensive film in history.

It has also been adapted for TV a number of times, including Creator/{{BBC}} adaptations in 1972 and 2016. The former starred Creator/AnthonyHopkins as Pierre Bezukhov in a cast that also included Creator/ColinBaker as Anatole Kuragin. For tropes exclusive to the latter, see ''Series/WarAndPeace2016''.

A small section of the story was turned into a musical, ''[[Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812 Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812]]'', in 2012.

!! Tropes unique to the 1972 BBC Series:

* AdaptationalLateAppearance: Andrei, who is introduced in the first chapter of the book, has his appearance delayed until Episode 2.
* AdaptedOut: Averted in some cases. This is the only adaptation that features Eldest Rostov Daughter Vera.
* CallBack: The series' focus on the Franco-Russian War began at the Palace Ballroom in Vilna (when Alexander I received word of the French Army crossing the border). It ends at the same Ballroom (as Alexander I relieves General Kutuzov of Generalship of the Russian Army once the French have left the border).
* CallingTheOldManOut: Actually, the Old Woman. Natasha does this to her mother twice. [[spoiler: One, for selfishly refusing to use their wagons to carry the wounded soldiers at the sacrifice of their furniture and possessions. Two, for keeping secret the fact that Andrei is among the wounded with them (so it will not cause a reconciliation that will hinder Nikolai's financially lucrative courtship with Marya).]]
* CassandraTruth: French Minister Joseph Fouche tries to persuade Napoleon not to invade Russia. In vain.
* CoolUncle: Nikolai Andrevich Bolkonsky views his "Uncle" Pierre as such.
* DraggedIntoDrag: For Christmas 1811, Nikolai and Sonya dress up as Wife and Husband.
* GilliganCut: Slightly delayed. Pierre swears by his word to Andrei that he will not attend Anatole's wild party. Cut to Anatole's party. Guess who soon arrives?
* KilledOffScreen: [[spoiler: Hélène and Anatole's (who may not actually be dead, as neither was Prince Adrei when his death was reported) deaths]] are mentioned.
* TheKlutz: Pierre has several moments of clumsiness. Countess Rostov amusingly notes that whenever Pierre visits, he will knock into a table in the hall.
* MatchCut: Alexander I is having a ball in a Vilna Palace when he gets word that Napoleon has crossed the Russian Border. An overhead shot of the bright Ballroom- full of dancing partygoers- dissolves into an empty, darkened room a day later, visited by Napoleon.
* NostalgiaFilter: In the final episode, Old Countess Rostov laments about the good old days before Napoleon changed/ruined everything.
* NotAMorningPerson: Nikolai on his first morning home.
* PeacefulInDeath: The dead at Borodino- Russian and French- all have a calm expression.
* TheReveal: The final episode [[spoiler: comes to 1820 with Nikolai coming home. He sees Sonya looking after the children. It seems the two finally got together. However, a flashback reveals who Nikolai truly married. Return to the present, a pregnant Marya appears to her husband.]]
* VideoInsideFilmOutside: Like the BBC TV Serials of the day.
* VoiceoverLetter: Focused on Pierre. Most memorably as the war-traumatized Pierre attempts to read a letter from Hélène. Her words repeat several times due to Pierre's inability to concentrate.
* WhatHaveWeEar: Rostov servant Mitenka gives Petya a sweet by this fashion.
* WhatTheHellHero: Sonya does this to Natasha. [[spoiler: She was forced to sacrifice her engagement with Nikolai so he can marry Marya Bolkonksky, which would not have happened if Natasha had married Andrei Bolkonsky instead of ruining things by her affair with Anatole.]]
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* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Something like 580 named characters, serving out their roles throughout the story. Maybe a fifth of those are present in the whole book. Made worse for non-Russian speakers in that each character has loads of nicknames or is referred to by their patronymic. For example, Nikolai Rostov is also Nikolushka, Nikolinka, and Kolya. Most modern translations mercifully include character lists for the most noteworthy ones.

* TheSiege: Subverted. Everyone expects Kutuzov to hold Moscow against a French siege, and he instead abandons the city.

%%TheStrategist: Pfuel.

%%WarriorPoet: Prince Andrei turns into this after Austerlitz.
%%WillTheyOrWontThey

* CallBack: As the French are pulling out of Moscow, a fancy Russian lady is riding away in a fancy carriage. Pierre contemptuously compares such army groupies to the lice that have to stick around a dog. A later scene shows soldiers struggling to get the fancy Russian lady's fancy carriage through a field of thick soupy mud. Still later, after the snows have come, we see the fancy carriage stuck in a drift. A soldier opens the door to the carriage and the frozen corpse of the Russian lady tumbles out.

* SceneryPorn: The river Enns as the Russian troops crossed it, especially the left, alpine side. Not shied away from in the 2016 BBC adaptation; St Petersburg and Moscow are ''very'' pretty. Many of the interiors look as if they were shot in real Russian palaces.

* AuthorTract: '''HISTORY, HISTORY, HISTORY!''' There's an entire second epilogue devoted to tearing down the Great Man of History theory that was in vogue in the 19th century. It comes after all of the plot has been resolved, feel free to skip it considering that Tolstoy is rehashing the exact same argument he made in the book and you've already read one of the longest works of fiction in existence.