January 15, 2016

War, Peace and Cable


War, Peace and Cable

NEWS FLASH! It turns out Lady Rose Aldridge (of Downton Abbey, really, did I really need to tell you that?) is not in America, but Russia – yes, Lady Rose is actually Natasha Rostova (which may or may not be the same thing as Cinderella). 

That's just one tidbit related to the fact that, on January 18, a new BBC six-part miniseries of Lev Tolstoy's War and Peace comes to American television. 

Here's some stuff to help you get ready.

First, watch the trailer.

Second, where can you watch this? Well, if you are in the UK, on the BBC of course (where it started last week), or on BBC.com (which you may also be able to do if you have a VPN). You can also buy the download, which may or may not play outside the UK.

If you are in the US, it will be showing on A&E, Lifetime and the History Channel, as four, two-hour episodes. (It appears that streaming may be available at this link.)

Third, how should you prepare? Well, first remember that this is just a movie, not the book. Just sit back and enjoy it as an interpretive work for a different medium.

If you want to go getting all high-horse anyway, you can read or re-read the book and prep yourself to say pompous things like, "well, Andrei really never said that..." or "that's not how I imagined the ball, based on Tolstoy's description..." 

Both the Anthony Briggs (Penguin) and Pevear and Volokhonsky translations are highly acclaimed. Constance Garnett's is also very nice, and it was done closer to the original, and Garnett knew Tolstoy.

If a 1200-page novel is a bit much to take on right now, you can also go the SparkNotes or Cliffs Notes route. Still too much? There may be no hope for you. Ok, ok, here is a 186-word version from the Independent. And The Standard put out this nice "Everything You Ever Wanted To Know... summary.

Fourth, what should you eat while watching this? Russian food, of course. Turn to our cookbook, A Taste of Russia to find something that sets your tastebuds a-watering and get cooking!

More?

  • In its run-up to the series, the BBC put together this listicle of 10 things you must know.
  • The sounds of War and Peace in 2 minutes. Thanks for that, Jay-Z.
  • 12 reasons to love War and Peace.
  • Get the soundtrack from the Academy Award-winning Russian version of the novel.
  • A music playlist of songs with a connection to the novel, assembled by the BBC.

Enjoy! And be sure to share your comments about the series on our Facebook page, or via the comments box below.

You Might Also Like

War and Peace: 7 Fun Facts
  • July 01, 2015

War and Peace: 7 Fun Facts

How many characters are in Tolstoy's War and Peace? Could it have been any shorter? Did Tolstoy himself love it or hate it? Find out the answers to these – and more! – questions in this quick list of little-known War and Peace facts.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Dostoyevsky Bilingual

Bilingual series of short, lesser known, but highly significant works that show the traditional view of Dostoyevsky as a dour, intense, philosophical writer to be unnecessarily one-sided. 
How Russia Got That Way

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.
Turgenev Bilingual

Turgenev Bilingual

A sampling of Ivan Turgenev's masterful short stories, plays, novellas and novels. Bilingual, with English and accented Russian texts running side by side on adjoining pages.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955