War and Peace facts for kids

A copy of War and Peace

War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир) is a very famous book by Leo Tolstoy. He was a Russian writer. The story is about four important families in Russia during the time of the wars with Napoleon. It shows how they live through the war and how their lives connect.

Tolstoy said War and Peace was more than just a novel. It's not just a poem or a history book. It mixes stories with deep thoughts. The book describes Russian life in the 19th century. It also shares Tolstoy's ideas about free will, history, and how big events happen.

Main Characters in War and Peace

There are many characters in War and Peace. Here are some of the most important ones:

• Pierre Bezukhov: He is a thoughtful man. Pierre is quite smart, but he doesn't think being clever is the most important thing. He is very emotional, which sometimes gets him into trouble. His marriage to Natasha makes him happy in the end. Some people think he is a bit like Tolstoy himself.
• Natasha Rostova: She is a very happy and energetic girl. She is the opposite of Helene Kuragina, Pierre's first wife. Almost everyone she meets likes her. Natasha is charming but not proud. She is also very emotional. By the end of the book, she marries Pierre. Her character changes a lot throughout the story.
• Andrei Bolkonski: He is a good man, like Pierre, but in a different way. Andrei is much less emotional than his friend. He deeply loves his country and is always honest.
• Maria (Marya) Bolkonskaya: She is Andrei's sister. Maria is a very gentle and patient girl. She never complains, even when her father is unkind. She feels lonely and thinks she is plain. But the book says she has beautiful eyes. Her heart is full of love and kindness. She marries Nikolai and finds happiness.
• Nikolai Rostov: Like his sister Natasha, Nikolai can be very impulsive. He gets angry easily but loves his family very much. His gambling habits cause his family to lose a lot of money.
• Napoleon: He is the emperor of France. Napoleon is described as small, plump, and very proud. He is also a powerful leader in battle. Tolstoy wrote about him mostly in a negative way. He shows Napoleon as selfish and someone who loves power too much.
• General Kutuzov: He is an old, fat general with only one eye. He leads Russia's army in battle. Kutuzov is very different from proud Napoleon. He is humble and respects God. He is also more careful and thoughtful in his plans.
• Elena Kuragina (Helene Kuragina): She is Pierre's first wife. Helene is cold, selfish, and proud, but very beautiful. She marries Pierre but is not faithful to him.
• Dolokhov: He is a handsome Russian army soldier and a friend of Nikolai. He causes trouble for Pierre and Nikolai. He makes Nikolai gamble and lose a lot of money. Later, he tries to help Anatoly Kuragin run away with Natasha.
• Sonya Rostova: She is the pretty, shy, and humble cousin of Nikolai and Natasha. Sonya lives with them. She used to love Nikolai. But she generously lets him marry rich Princess Marya. She does this to help her family and make Nikolai happy.
• Anatoly Kuragin: He is Helene's brother. Anatoly spends too much money and often does wrong things. He tried to marry rich Princess Marya just for her money, but she said no. He fell in love with Natasha at an opera. He then tried to run away with her. This caused Natasha and Prince Andrei to fight, and they could not marry.

Images for kids

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  Only known color photograph of the author, Leo Tolstoy, taken at his Yasnaya Polyana estate in 1908 (age 79) by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky.

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  Cover of War and Peace, Italian translation, 1899.

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  War and Peace detailed family tree

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  The Empress Dowager, Maria Feodorovna, mother of reigning Tsar Alexander I, is the most powerful woman in the Russian royal court.

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  The Battle of Borodino, fought on September 7, 1812 and involving more than a quarter of a million troops and seventy thousand casualties was a turning point in Napoleon's failed campaign to defeat Russia. It is vividly depicted through the plot and characters of War and Peace.Painting by Louis-François, Baron Lejeune, 1822.

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  Napoleon's retreat from Moscow. Painting by Adolf Northern (1828–1876)

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  Leonid Pasternak's 1893 illustration to War and Peace

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  Battle of Schöngrabern by K.Bujnitsky

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  In 1812 by the Russian artist Illarion Pryanishnikov

See also

In Spanish: Guerra y paz para niños