Russia: <PERSON>’s ‘War and Peace’ Legacy Today · Global Voices
RuNet Echo continues its series examining the 200th anniversary of Tsarist Russia's Victory over Napoleon by examining <PERSON> novel ‘War and Peace’ and the role it plays today online. Although the book was initially published in 1869, its story begins in July 1805 and progresses through the 1812 French invasion, the Battle of Borodino, and the occupation of Moscow, all the way to the French retreat and rebuilding of Russia.
A recent survey of over 100 respected British and American authors revealed that ‘War and Peace’ is considered to be one of the greatest works of the past two centuries. Russian blogger <PERSON> enthusiastically reported these results in a post titled, “Anna Karenina Won!”
These works were listed as the nineteenth century's best:
‘Anna Karenina’ by <PERSON>, ‘Madam Bovary’ by <PERSON>, ‘War and Peace’ by <PERSON>, ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ by <PERSON>, <PERSON> short stories, ‘Middlemarch’ by <PERSON>, ‘Moby Dick’ by <PERSON>, ‘Great Expectations’ by <PERSON>; ‘Crime and Punishment’ by <PERSON>, and ‘Emma’ by <PERSON>.
Additionally, TheRussianAmerica.com reviewed the authors whom the British and American judges selected as the greatest writers of all time. Again, <PERSON> was listed at the top, followed by <PERSON>, <PERSON>, <PERSON>, and <PERSON>.
<PERSON>'s portrait of <PERSON> (1873), public domain.
On the RuNet today, discussions about ‘War and Peace’ and <PERSON>'s literary style are common, often addressing a variety of issues such as the proper translation of the title, the length and depth of the work, and <PERSON>'s use of the French language.
Translation of the Title
The title ‘War and Peace’ is written in Russian as ‘Вoйнá и мир’ (Voina i mir). 880
‘Voina’ is the Russian word for ‘war.’ In the context of <PERSON>'s novel, ‘mir’ is traditionally translated as ‘peace,’ although an alternate translation of ‘mir’ in a variety of contexts is ‘the world.’
Recently, two RuNet Twitter users debated whether or not the common translation, ‘War and Peace,’ is what <PERSON> intended, rather than ‘War and the World.’
<PERSON>:
Вчера узнал, что слово “мир” в “Война и мир” Толстого имеет значение “сообщество”, а не “перемирие”.
Yesterday I learned that the word “mir” in <PERSON>'s “Voina i mir” carries the meaning “the world,” not “peace.”
<PERSON>:
А я не согласен. Я считаю, что он сравнивал их. Ведь у него через том описывается то война, то мир (перемирие).
I disagree. My reading is that he was contrasting [war and peace]. Why, he writes about war and about peace throughout the book.
<PERSON>:
Влияние войны на общество.
[<PERSON> wrote about] the influence of war on the world. 880