omg yeah anonnie i did read it you got that right!! but pls idk if my method at the time is all that correct, looking back, because i binge-read it for like 3-4 weeks when i was 14, going in completely blind.

and i DO get the big book fear bc my god depending on the translation i can get up to 2k pages and that's just so much. but i do think, and this is how i would get into it now if i was to read it for the first time at my current age, the easiest way to think about the earlier parts is to see it as one big party you've been invited to.

like u said, war and peace has a LOT of characters and russian names are already quite long, so i think it would help to think of them as people you're meeting as your guide (the narrator) leads you through this big party. the guide is a nosy one, and they know a lot about everyone, so they're feeding you all this gossip as you pass. war and peace begins with a get-together too so it just places you in that headspace i think.

it's a very sprawling novel that takes its time tho, so there Will be enough pages for you to remember the key players at the very least HAHAHSDADH.

but i do think that in regards to the length, if it helps you to think of it in manageable chunks as opposed to this one big thing then maybe that!! but in truth, in my experience the only way i ever got over the page count is to start and just keep going. once you're in it, you'll find that it flows tbh!!

as for the historical context, i do think it's better to just go in blind, not just because tolstoy takes the time to explain the things happening anyway (wap is as much a historical as it is a novel) but also u might find urself frustrated at some of the inaccuracies HAHSDHASDF i would recommend more that u look into the culture, etiquette, and customs of the time tbh!! to me that speaks more of tolstoy's intent and it also informs how you'll interpret the relationships the characters have with eo.

i'm wishing u all the luck, anonnie, and if u ever get around to reading it pls do talk to me abt it if u wanna!!! i love war and peace Dearly and it's one of the most memorable reading experiences i've had in my life so i hope u get to start it and enjoy it hehehe.