Fini Tolstoy

So yes I finished War and Peace, making the last few months of '010 a very deep immersion in 19th century Russian history and life. I finished W&P with mixed emotions, yes there was the sense of accomplishment . . . probably what it feels like to finish a marathon, in one way a thank god that's over and in another I can't believe I did it. At any rate, with the Tolstoy the joy of having read these wonderful books far outweighs the work it was at times. When you are contemplating a 1200 page book before you start it, it does seem daunting, then you get into it and it's moving along just fine for a while . . . by the time you're six hundred pages in you look at where the book mark is and you see you still have another six hundred to go! but listen, I wouldn't have bothered with it if it wasn't a great book. The story, the characters, the writing . . . all made it a most enjoyable experience. And, like a marathon, now I can say I did it. And I'm better for it. The insights Tolstoy brings to his characters are timeless and the way they look at the world, despite the fact of their station in life, is universal . . . at least the truths they come to realize are. But I still think Anna Karenina is the better of the two books; it may not have the historical, epic scope, but the focus makes it much more compelling, I think. So bravo Leo!

As to my own writing, still chipping away; I need to get into more of a rhythm with it so it becomes a part of each day; the stage I'm in now is the meticulous read each line and decide if it stays or goes stage, can something be said better, more clearly? Does it need to be said at all? So I'm cutting and adding . . . and one of these days I'll settle on a title for it!

Onward!