What book are you reading atm??

Ian McEwan Sweet Tooth

I love the way he writes women... Atonement was wonderful..

Just finished Liz Nugent's 'Lying in Wait'.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Will read her first book next.

Dublin Tenement Life, anyone interested in local history I would highly recommend it.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

I'm about one third though it. Crap title if you ask me; should be called Anna and Levin.

Still digging it so far though.

Just thought I'd do a writeup of books I've read in the past while.

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

Where to start with this one? It's essentially three books in one: a story of five families that lived through the Napoleonic Wars in Russia, a historical (the necessity part) account of that period, and Tolstoy's debunking of the great men of history theory.

The book is absolutely fantastic, long story (HOHOHO) short. It's not perfect by any means: Tolstoy likes to talk about his theory of history a lot, maybe a bit too much, (though I think it works well to set up a lot of the events in Book Three such as the Battle of Borodino) and that could have definitely been cut down. Also, while the ending fits the themes and the overall context of the novel, perhaps it is a tad bit pancake flat? Though, considering Pierre's and Andrey's conclusions on what makes one happy and fulfilled in life, that might be precisely the point, I'm not sure. Tolstoy's a mad cùnt.

Finally, while Tolstoy uses his theory of history (which I for the most part agree with), to rip Napoleon a new one, he sort of ignores it when he talks about Kutuzov lol, the lad who could do no wrong. Bit jarring, but still good craic all the same. To be fair, I'd probably hate that fat little bastard too if I was Russian.

There's tonnes of variety in the thing. One moment you're reading on two teenage girls talking on some lad they have it for, the next minute you're reading an essay on historical determinism before being in a battle with thousands of lads and cannons blowing shìte up. The three central characters are all fantastic, well rounded people. And to sound like a cheesy cùnt for a second, its a very human book. It's not a nihilistic piece of Cormac McCarthy ****. It gives a shìte about its characters.

The translation I have was done by Orlando Figes; I'm not entirely sure that making the Russian peasants speaking in slangie English (ello guvnor) was the best move, but overall, its a very easy, tight read and he did a superb job at translating this beast. Kudos man.

It deserves to be the length it is for the most part, and it deserves its place in the canon; easily one of the greatest novels of all time.