Reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace is not just a literary experience, it also has inbuilt commitment and perseverance requirements.

This mammoth of a book had been on my list for many years, and I am finally nearing the end. I am surprised to find that it has proven not only a tour de force of storytelling, but of emotional ups and downs between highly engaging sections as well as (seemingly endless and to me way less interesting) battle scenes. I somehow feel like I’ve been embroiled in a very demanding relationship.

If you have never read this classic, Simon Haisell is an exquisite quide!