Translations

I have read absolutely nothing since I last posted. Instead I sang lots, had snowball fights, and baked stuff. Shameful I know. :P

But I was going to ask, which translations are you reading? According to the ever-wonderful Wikipedia there are ten, though I doubt that all are readily available. Even the character names are different; in some versions they're more anglicised (Maria for Marya, Lisa for Lise). I prefer the Russian ones, myself.

I had Ann Dunnigan (what I owned) and Anthony Briggs (what the library had) to choose from, and Briggs is supposed to have modernised things for today's audience, or whatever they say, so I'm reading Dunnigan. It's hard to tell without reading the original, of course, but it's not bad. It flows well and reads like...well, a nineteenth century novel! Which is what we all wanted, right?

Well, I suppose we should get it started.

Our third reader, Valia, gave permission for us to go ahead, and suggested that we share the page number we're on so far at the top of the post, which I actually think is a really good idea. :)

I'll try to refrain from spoilers. I'm on page 177 and in Chapter 10 of Part Two.

So far, I'm quite enjoying this. It's easy to read and get into the characters and story, even if you're only ten pages in or so. While not exactly gripping, there is something that draws one into the story so that you want to read more, without being pressured into it, and soon the pages pile up....

The characters are interesting- of course, it's too close to the beginning to tell just how everything turns out and whether or not characters will be good/bad, etc, but I think I have some peoples that might be favourites, if of course they all behave themselves through out the book.

I find it at least a little amusing that just at the time that I started reading War and Peace, I began to help my brother with a rather detailed and somewhat intense and structured research project covering the area (Russia, Prussia, Bavaria, Austria, etc), from the early 1800s upwards....which is of course when War and Peace is set. All the additional information, even if it's not directly related to the story, will be nice. Details, I love details! And facts. ;)

I guess this is all for now. Cheers everyone!

Welcome!

(Note to all other Readers Who Will Post: I hope it's fine I'm doing a bit of a welcome post)

Welcome to Books to the Ceiling! This is a blog where we shall post our thoughts on War and Peace as we progress through it this December and beyond. But hopefully not too beyond. We first concoted the idea to read through War and Peace together sometime this past summer. Kelsey had wanted to read it, and when I bought the book we decided to have a go at it. Valia showed an interest as well and now so far it's us three reading it. It's hard to believe December is here, when we first decided upon this month as our reading date I remember thinking how far away it was! Anyways. Enough of that.

Firstly, a little introduction on my part. I'm ForeverFan (or Fanny, as my dear friends have named me. Think Fanny Price or Fanny Dorrit) on NarniaWeb, where the three of us (Kelsey, Valia & I) are members. I personally enjoy reading and collecting books, Narnia and NarniaWeb, and blogging. I am a Born Again Follower of Jesus. :) I suppose that pretty much sums it up!

Thanks to Kelsey for setting up this blog, and thanks to herself and Valia for wanting to spend time reading War and Peace this December! :)