2026 War and Peace Reading Schedule
Footnotes & Tangents slow read of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace
Hello, fellow slow readers!
This is the reading schedule for the 2026 year-long read-along of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.
Please read the welcome pack for War and Peace 2026.
Weekly emails: In 2026, I will send out an email every Wednesday, linking to the week’s corresponding discussion post and the podcast/audio version of the guide. To receive these emails, turn on notifications for 2026 War and Peace in your settings.
Daily emails: In addition, you can also turn on notifications for “2026 War and Peace Daily.” These will be daily emails for the day’s chapter, with the summary, footnotes and tangents, and a link to the day’s thread.
Rhea Forney has very kindly shared her bookmarks for the read-along with us. You can download them here:
Everything related to the slow read can be found here:
Notes
I am using the Oxford World Classic edition (translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude, edited by Amy Mandelker).
Each chapter is linked to a chat thread where you can discuss that chapter. These threads also include discussion from 2025 and a link to the 2024 archive. Please be courteous to past years by not reacting or responding to comments from previous years. Thank you!
Most English translations are divided in the same way, but there are exceptions. The chapters in the original Maude & Maude are organised differently, and most free online copies will use this version. To help readers, I have noted the difference below with an asterisk.
BOOK ONE
Part One
January
1 Jan: Chapter 1
2 Jan: Chapter 2
3 Jan: Chapter 3 * Ends with Prince Vasili: “Educate this bear.”
4 Jan: Chapter 4 * The rest of chapter 4 and all of 5 in Maude.
5 Jan: Chapter 5 * Chapter 6 in the original Maude.
6 Jan: Chapter 6 * Chapters 7, 8, 9 in the original Maude.
7 Jan: Chapter 7 | Week 1: An invitation to a soirée
8 Jan: Chapter 8 * Chapter 11 in the original Maude.
9 Jan: Chapter 9 * Chapter 12 in the original Maude.
10 Jan: Chapter 10 * Chapter 13 in the original Maude.
11 Jan: Chapter 11 * Ch 14 in Maude
12 Jan: Chapter 12 * Ch 15 in Maude
13 Jan: Chapter 13 * Ch 16 in Maude
14 Jan: Chapter 14 | Week 2: Life at both ends
15 Jan: Chapter 15 * Ch 18 in Maude
16 Jan: Chapter 16 * Ch 19 in Maude
17 Jan: Chapter 17 * Ch 20 in Maude
18 Jan: Chapter 18 * Ch 21 in Maude
19 Jan: Chapter 19 * Ch 22 in Maude
20 Jan: Chapter 20 * Ch 23 in Maude
21 Jan: Chapter 21 | Week 3: A heart needs a home
22 Jan: Chapter 22 * Ch 25 in Maude
23 Jan: Chapter 23 * Ch 26 in Maude
24 Jan: Chapter 24 * Ch 27 in Maude
25 Jan: Chapter 25 * Ch 28 in Maude
Part Two
26 Jan: Chapter 1
27 Jan: Chapter 2
28 Jan: Chapter 3 | Week 4: Fear and love at Bald Hills
29 Jan: Chapter 4
30 Jan: Chapter 5
31 Jan: Chapter 6
February
1 Feb: Chapter 7
2 Feb: Chapter 8
3 Feb: Chapter 9
4 Feb: Chapter 10 | Week 5: A beautiful world made ugly
5 Feb: Chapter 11
6 Feb: Chapter 12
7 Feb: Chapter 13
8 Feb: Chapter 14
9 Feb: Chapter 15
10 Feb: Chapter 16
11 Feb: Chapter 17 | Week 6: Waiting for history to happen
12 Feb: Chapter 18
13 Feb: Chapter 19
14 Feb: Chapter 20
15 Feb: Chapter 21
Part Three
16 Feb: Chapter 1
17 Feb: Chapter 2
18 Feb: Chapter 3 | Week 7: Daydreams and nightmares
19 Feb: Chapter 4
20 Feb: Chapter 5
21 Feb: Chapter 6
22 Feb: Chapter 7
23 Feb: Chapter 8
24 Feb: Chapter 9
25 Feb: Chapter 10 | Week 8: Young blood
26 Feb: Chapter 11
27 Feb: Chapter 12
28 Feb: Chapter 13
March
1 Mar: Chapter 14
2 Mar: Chapter 15
3 Mar: Chapter 16
4 Mar: Chapter 17 | Week 9: Infinite sky
5 Mar: Chapter 18
6 Mar: Chapter 19
7 Mar: No reading
BOOK TWO
Part One
8 Mar: Chapter 1
9 Mar: Chapter 2
10 Mar: Chapter 3
11 Mar: Chapter 4 | Week 10: Rostovaganza!
12 Mar: Chapter 5
13 Mar: Chapter 6
14 Mar: Chapter 7
15 Mar: Chapter 8
16 Mar: Chapter 9
17 Mar: Chapter 10
18 Mar: Chapter 11 | Week 11: The hazards of love
19 Mar: Chapter 12
20 Mar: Chapter 13
21 Mar: Chapter 14
22 Mar: Chapter 15
23 Mar: Chapter 16
Part Two
24 Mar: Chapter 1
25 Mar: Chapter 2 | Week 12: The house of love and ruin
26 Mar: Chapter 3
27 Mar: Chapter 4
28 Mar: Chapter 5
29 Mar: Chapter 6
30 Mar: Chapter 7
31 Mar: Chapter 8
April
1 Apr: Chapter 9 | Week 13: Regenerate me
2 Apr: Chapter 10
3 Apr: Chapter 11
4 Apr: Chapter 12
5 Apr: Chapter 13
6 Apr: Chapter 14
7 Apr: Chapter 15
8 Apr: Chapter 16 | Week 14: Two men in a boat
9 Apr: Chapter 17
10 Apr: Chapter 18
11 Apr: Chapter 19
12 Apr: Chapter 20
13 Apr: Chapter 21 * In the original Maude & Maude, this is followed by a short chapter 22, which is the first section of Part Three, Chapter One.
Part Three
14 Apr: Chapter 1 * Includes Part 2, Chapter 22 in the original Maude & Maude
15 Apr: Chapter 2 | Week 15: A hundred days of War and Peace
16 Apr: Chapter 3
17 Apr: Chapter 4
18 Apr: Chapter 5
19 Apr: Chapter 6
20 Apr: Chapter 7
21 Apr: Chapter 8 | Week 16: A semblance of life
22 Apr: Chapter 9
23 Apr: Chapter 10
24 Apr: Chapter 11
25 Apr: Chapter 12
26 Apr: Chapter 13
27 Apr: Chapter 14
28 Apr: Chapter 15
29 Apr: Chapter 16 | Week 17: The colour of the soul
30 Apr: Chapter 17
May
1 May: Chapter 18
2 May: Chapter 19
3 May: Chapter 20
4 May: Chapter 21
5 May: Chapter 22
6 May: Chapter 23 | Week 18: Lovers of light
7 May: Chapter 24
8 May: Chapter 25
9 May: Chapter 26
Part Four
10 May: Chapter 1
11 May: Chapter 2
12 May: Chapter 3
13 May: Chapter 4 | Week 19: Never Never Land
14 May: Chapter 5
15 May: Chapter 6
16 May: Chapter 7
17 May: Chapter 8
18 May: Chapter 9
19 May: Chapter 10
20 May: Chapter 11 | Week 20: The enchanted forest
21 May: Chapter 12
22 May: Chapter 13
Part Five
23 May: Chapter 1
24 May: Chapter 2
25 May: Chapter 3
26 May: Chapter 4
27 May: Chapter 5 | Week 21: If life could write
28 May: Chapter 6
29 May: Chapter 7
30 May: Chapter 8
31 May: Chapter 9
June
1 Jun: Chapter 10
2 Jun: Chapter 11
3 Jun: Chapter 12 | Week 22: Natasha’s battlefield
4 Jun: Chapter 13
5 Jun: Chapter 14
6 Jun: Chapter 15
7 Jun: Chapter 16
8 Jun: Chapter 17
9 Jun: Chapter 18
10 Jun: Chapter 19 | Week 23: A dramatic interlude
11 Jun: Chapter 20
12 Jun: Chapter 21
13 Jun: Chapter 22
14 Jun: No reading
BOOK THREE
Part One
15 Jun: Chapter 1
16 Jun: Chapter 2
17 Jun: Chapter 3 | Week 24: The Great Comet of 1812
18 Jun: Chapter 4
19 Jun: Chapter 5
20 Jun: Chapter 6
21 Jun: Chapter 7
22 Jun: Chapter 8
23 Jun: Chapter 9
24 Jun: Chapter 10 | Week 25: The Emperor’s New Clothes
25 Jun: Chapter 11
26 Jun: Chapter 12
27 Jun: Chapter 13
28 Jun: Chapter 14
29 Jun: Chapter 15
30 Jun: Chapter 16
July
1 July: Chapter 17 | Week 26: Growing Pains
2 July: Chapter 18
3 July: Chapter 19
4 July: Chapter 20
5 July: Chapter 21
6 July: Chapter 22
7 July: Chapter 23
Part Two
8 July: Chapter 1 | Week 27: The Madding Crowd
9 July: Chapter 2
10 July: Chapter 3
11 July: Chapter 4
12 July: Chapter 5
13 July: Chapter 6
14 July: Chapter 7
15 July: Chapter 8 | Week 28: Life’s Retreat
16 July: Chapter 9
17 July: Chapter 10
18 July: Chapter 11
19 July: Chapter 12
20 July: Chapter 13
21 July: Chapter 14
22 July: Chapter 15 | Week 29: Marya’s World
23 July: Chapter 16
24 July: Chapter 17
25 July: Chapter 18
26 July: Chapter 19
27 July: Chapter 20
28 July: Chapter 21
29 July: Chapter 22 | Week 30: Time and Patience
30 July: Chapter 23
31 July: Chapter 24
August
1 Aug: Chapter 25
2 Aug: Chapter 26
3 Aug: Chapter 27
4 Aug: Chapter 28
5 Aug: Chapter 29 | Week 31: The Longest Night
6 Aug: Chapter 30
7 Aug: Chapter 31
8 Aug: Chapter 32
9 Aug: Chapter 33
10 Aug: Chapter 34
11 Aug: Chapter 35
12 Aug: Chapter 36 | Week 32: Borodino
13 Aug: Chapter 37
14 Aug: Chapter 38
15 Aug: Chapter 39
Part Three
16 Aug: Chapter 1
17 Aug: Chapter 2
18 Aug: Chapter 3
19 Aug: Chapter 4 | Week 33: This Terrible Affair
20 Aug: Chapter 5
21 Aug: Chapter 6
22 Aug: Chapter 7
23 Aug: Chapter 8
24 Aug: Chapter 9
25 Aug: Chapter 10
26 Aug: Chapter 11 | Week 34: Evasive Manoeuvres
27 Aug: Chapter 12
28 Aug: Chapter 13
29 Aug: Chapter 14
30 Aug: Chapter 15
31 Aug: Chapter 16
September
1 Sep: Chapter 17
2 Sep: Chapter 18 | Week 35: The Value of Things
3 Sep: Chapter 19
4 Sep: Chapter 20
5 Sep: Chapter 21
6 Sep: Chapter 22
7 Sep: Chapter 23
8 Sep: Chapter 24
9 Sep: Chapter 25 | Week 36: How Bees Die
10 Sep: Chapter 26
11 Sep: Chapter 27
12 Sep: Chapter 28
13 Sep: Chapter 29
14 Sep: Chapter 30
15 Sep: Chapter 31
16 Sep: Chapter 32 | Week 37: The Unsettled Question
17 Sep: Chapter 33
18 Sep: Chapter 34
19 Sep: No reading
BOOK FOUR
Part One
20 Sep: Chapter 1
21 Sep: Chapter 2
22 Sep: Chapter 3
23 Sep: Chapter 4 | Week 38: Phantoms and Reflections
24 Sep: Chapter 5
25 Sep: Chapter 6
26 Sep: Chapter 7
27 Sep: Chapter 8
28 Sep: Chapter 9
29 Sep: Chapter 10
30 Sep: Chapter 11 | Week 39: Beyond Understanding
October
1 Oct: Chapter 12
2 Oct: Chapter 13
3 Oct: Chapter 14
4 Oct: Chapter 15
5 Oct: Chapter 16
Part Two
6 Oct: Chapter 1
7 Oct: Chapter 2 | Week 40: Death’s Door
8 Oct: Chapter 3
9 Oct: Chapter 4
10 Oct: Chapter 5
11 Oct: Chapter 6
12 Oct: Chapter 7
13 Oct: Chapter 8
14 Oct: Chapter 9 | Week 41: Fighting With Ghosts
15 Oct: Chapter 10
16 Oct: Chapter 11
17 Oct: Chapter 12
18 Oct: Chapter 13
19 Oct: Chapter 14
20 Oct: Chapter 15
21 Oct: Chapter 16 | Week 42: Happy Feet
22 Oct: Chapter 17
23 Oct: Chapter 18
24 Oct: Chapter 19
Part Three
25 Oct: Chapter 1
26 Oct: Chapter 2
27 Oct: Chapter 3
28 Oct: Chapter 4 | Week 43: Negative Numbers
29 Oct: Chapter 5
30 Oct: Chapter 6
31 Oct: Chapter 7
November
1 Nov: Chapter 8
2 Nov: Chapter 9
3 Nov: Chapter 10
4 Nov: Chapter 11 | Week 44: No More Heroes
5 Nov: Chapter 12
6 Nov: Chapter 13
7 Nov: Chapter 14
8 Nov: Chapter 15
9 Nov: Chapter 16
10 Nov: Chapter 17
11 Nov: Chapter 18 | Week 45: The Drowned and the Saved
12 Nov: Chapter 19
Part Four
13 Nov: Chapter 1
14 Nov: Chapter 2
15 Nov: Chapter 3
16 Nov: Chapter 4
17 Nov: Chapter 5
18 Nov: Chapter 6 | Week 46: Life After Death
19 Nov: Chapter 7
20 Nov: Chapter 8
21 Nov: Chapter 9
22 Nov: Chapter 10
23 Nov: Chapter 11
24 Nov: Chapter 12
25 Nov: Chapter 13 | Week 47: We Are Stardust
26 Nov: Chapter 14
27 Nov: Chapter 15
28 Nov: Chapter 16
29 Nov: Chapter 17
30 Nov: Chapter 18
December
1 Dec: Chapter 19
2 Dec: Chapter 20 | Week 48: Tell Your Story
3 Dec: No reading
EPILOGUE
Part One
4 Dec: Chapter 1
5 Dec: Chapter 2
6 Dec: Chapter 3
7 Dec: Chapter 4
8 Dec: Chapter 5
9 Dec: Chapter 6 | Week 49: Sorrow and Joy
10 Dec: Chapter 7
11 Dec: Chapter 8
12 Dec: Chapter 9
13 Dec: Chapter 10
14 Dec: Chapter 11
15 Dec: Chapter 12
16 Dec: Chapter 13
17 Dec: Chapter 14
18 Dec: Chapter 15
19 Dec: Chapter 16 | Week 50-52: The Eve of St Nicholas
Part Two
20 Dec: Chapter 1
21 Dec: Chapter 2
22 Dec: Chapter 3
23 Dec: Chapter 4
24 Dec: Chapter 5
25 Dec: Chapter 6
26 Dec: Chapter 7
27 Dec: Chapter 8
28 Dec: Chapter 9
29 Dec: Chapter 10
30 Dec: Chapter 11
31 Dec: Chapter 12
Really excited for this! Was always way too intimidated to read it on my own.
Thank you for the bookmakers.