If I wanted to be bored by 6,000 pages of unreadable dreck, I'd read War and Peace four times

If I wanted to be bored by 6,000 pages of unreadable dreck, I'd read War and Peace four times

Lewis Black, the renowned comedian known for his fiery rants and no-holds-barred approach to comedy, has never been one to shy away from expressing his opinions on a wide range of topics. One of his most famous rants involves his disdain for Leo Tolstoy's epic novel, War and Peace.

In one of his stand-up routines, Black famously quipped, "If I wanted to be bored by 6,000 pages of unreadable dreck, I'd read War and Peace four times." This line perfectly encapsulates Black's frustration with the classic Russian novel, which is often lauded for its literary merit but criticized for its dense and meandering prose.

Black's comedic take on War and Peace highlights his irreverent attitude towards pretentious literature and his preference for more accessible and entertaining forms of storytelling. While some may view War and Peace as a masterpiece of world literature, Black sees it as a tedious and laborious read that fails to engage the reader.

Black's disdain for War and Peace is not just about the length of the novel, but also its perceived lack of entertainment value. For Black, a good book should be engaging, thought-provoking, and, above all, enjoyable to read. War and Peace, in his eyes, fails to meet these criteria and instead comes across as a bloated and self-indulgent work of literature.

Black's comedic rant on War and Peace serves as a reminder that not all acclaimed works of literature are to everyone's taste. While some may find joy in delving into the complexities of Tolstoy's magnum opus, others, like Black, may prefer to steer clear of such dense and challenging reads in favor of more light-hearted and accessible fare.