War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, trans. by Constance Garnett, 5/5

I approached this classic with trepidation, having somehow got the notion in my head that it was prohibitively long and complex, and was shocked by how accessible and absorbing it really is.  The scope of this book is staggering – it seems to cover every single aspect of the human existence, with an insight, skill and thoughtfulness that I am at a loss to describe and cannot praise enough.  This book is touching, inspiring, challenging, informative and (despite the awkwardness in style that is inevitable in many translated works) is the best novel I have ever read.