Let us recall what was read: a brief summary of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

In the world literature there are artistic masterpieces, once you have read them, you will not forget their heroes and the twists and turns of the plot for many years to come. And the next meeting with them every time is perceived as the first. For every true work of art is always relevant, interesting, new. Roman-epic Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" is the most vivid confirmation of this.

Theme, idea, genre

As it makes it possible to understand the summary, "War and Peace" is a work in which the author, in his own words, loved the idea of the people. Tolstoy wanted to show how, in the face of danger, the troubles that threaten the whole country, her best people, true citizens and patriots, are imbued with the national feeling of the Motherland, feel and realize the full unity of their fate and the fate of the Fatherland. And although the heroes of Lev Nikolayevich are noblemen, cream of Moscow and St. Petersburg, many of them, after long, painful searches, find themselves, their place in life, precisely among the people. Therefore, who did not read the whole work, even a brief summary of "War and Peace" will help to understand that the main theme of the epic is the unity of all Russian people in the Patriotic War of 1812. And the main theme of the novel is a reflection of the search for the meaning of life of the writer's favorite heroes, their uneasy path to the heights of spirituality, love and happiness.

The genre of the four-volume is interesting. Researchers-literary critics define it as a novel-epic. And the summary "War and Peace" proves the validity of such a definition. This is a novel, because the volume of the book is large, a large number of characters, extensive geographic coordinates are involved , there are many complex storylines, a considerable time interval of the narrative, a reflection of the dynamics of the development of the personalities of many main and secondary heroes, the presence of real historical figures and fictional characters. In fact, in his novel Tolstoy gave a detailed psychological and historical portrait of the entire society of Russia, beginning with the Emperor Alexander and ending with serf peasants from the estate of Rostov or Bolkonsk.

The epic is because the main, central point of the work is an event historically important for the whole country as a whole, for the entire state and for each individual in it - Napoleon's invasion and struggle with it. The struggle to which not only the army rose, not only the nobility as the main defender of the existing system, but also the people, those same serf peasants who were oppressed by the autocracy.

Of course, the summary "War and Peace" can not contain and express all the wealth, the whole breadth of the author's design, the details of the life of his favorite heroes. In such a narrow framework, we can speak about them only in general terms. And yet…

The plot and heroes

In the center of attention of the author and our history is the history of three noble families - Bezuchovs, Bolkonskikhs, Rostovs. In our short content of "War and Peace" we will include a story about one of them - Pierre.

Bezukhov - the noble Russian nobles. The richest and most notable of them, Prince Cyril, dying, leaves all the fabulous state to his illegitimate offspring - Pierre, a young man, ardent, sincere, naive, educated abroad and seized there seditious revolutionary ideas. He did not have time to become a hypocrite, like many in the big world. Throughout the work the hero will make a lot of mistakes, serious insights will come to him. He knows falsity and betrayal in love, meanness is in friendship, disappointment in moral search, in landlord activity. However, the moral cleanliness of Pierre, the sincere desire to be quite good, to bring good to people, a somewhat enthusiastic but sharp, critical mind, will help the hero to find himself, to be realized as a bright public figure and as a wonderful family man. "War and Peace" in brief content allows you to recall the most significant stages of his life:

• Arrival in Russia, an unexpected inheritance, his introduction into the higher aristocratic circle as Peter Kirillovich Bezukhov, inability to distinguish secular artistry, theatricality from truth and sincerity;
• Love of the "rich body" Helen Kuragina, marriage to this depraved and deceitful woman;
• A duel with Dolokhov, a shock from the fact that he had to raise his hand to a man. An explanation with his wife, insight, disappointment in the family, women, himself. Meeting with Bazdeev and passion for Freemasonry;
• Initiation into Freemasons, a trip to their southern estates, an attempt to restore order and a complete fiasco;
• A meeting with Prince Andrew, a conversation with him, including a landmark conversation on the ferry;
• Communication with the Rostovs, with Natasha, the joy of Andrei and the regret that this is not his destiny;
• The return of Natasha's letters to Prince Andrew, deep sympathy for her grief and unexpected confession of love. Meeting with the comet, which foreshadowed the war for 12 years;
• Participation in the Moscow militia, a dream to kill Napoleon;
• Captivity, the horror of the death penalty;
• Degeneration under the influence of Platon Karataev, comprehending oneself as a grain of sand in the eternal movement of life, its immortal soul, which can not be encircled;
• A happy, harmonious life with Natasha and participation in the birth of the Decembrist movement in Russia.

In many respects, with his spiritual growth, personality development, Pierre is indebted to Andrei Bolkonsky, friend and mentor, the most precious person who supported and directed the hero on the crossroads of fate. And Natasha Rostov, who illumined Pierre's life with true love, also became for him that spiritual support by which he became what he had become.