I’m about 400 pages into War and Peace, and I’m blown away. The story is rich in themes, well-developed characters, history and ideas. At the same time, it is a gripping read and nowhere near as tough as I feared. My only regret so far is that I wish I had bought a translation that kept the French intact; I am switching between translations – I read the free Maude translation digitally, and my physical edition was translated by Anthony Briggs. While both are enjoyable, neither indicates which character is speaking in which language. But it's important to know, because Tolstoy puts a lot of meaning into how characters express themselves.

Anyway, is anyone else reading it at the moment, or has anyone read it in the past? How do/did you like it?