I read The Siege of Krishnapoor with Simon as a slow read in 2025 and it was a wonderfully immersive experience. Reading that book on my own would have given me only 10 percent of what actually went on in my mind with the help of the footnotes, the tangents and the wonderful discussion with other intensely involved readers. It’s a funny, terrible and philosophical novel based on a real historical event which I basically knew nothing about before I started. I had been through the siege myself by the time it ended and loved the characters even though they were all ridiculous.
As I say good-bye to the powerful, vivid characters I've lived with for the past year, I find myself looking forward to Simon Haisell's 2026 War and Peace slow-read; to once again see Tolstoy's people and know them better. Thanks to Footnotes and Tangents, I also discovered two more books I completely loved: Penelope Fitzgerald's 'The Blue Flower' and 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe. The many recommendations listed by readers in the monthly 'What have you been reading?' threads have grown my reading interest beyond the limits of my pretty well stocked bookshelf.
Simon's posts, consisting of factual and imaginative tangents, frees up the reader to associate books with their own life stories, as well as events belonging to the world. As a 'visual learner' with an art school degree, I loved the beautiful works of art that accompanied each post - most by artists I was unfamiliar with. Questions posed within each week's post, gave a personal connection to the slow reads, that made reading introspective for me again.
Highly recommend joining a Simon Haisell 2026 slow read (or two!). The best thing on the internet. Thanks Substack for providing a space where thought and connection take place.
I could say much more ... But the W&P slow read got me out of a very serious reading (that is not reading) rut. I'm doing the Blue Flower slow read now and loving it. Reading real books is medicine for brain and soul.
I just want to thank you for making me fall in love with the classics. I’ve always been a lover of reading, but growing up in a family of non-readers, I didn’t really read many classics. Earlier this year, I decided to finally pick one up and went big with War and Peace (they say go big or go home, right?). While looking for a guide, I stumbled upon Simon’s slow read of War and Peace, and honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without his daily notes and wonderful weekly guides.
I also joined him for Wolf Hall and oh my god, I’m so glad I did. I discovered one of my favorite authors! Then came the French Revolution in the form of A Place of Greater Safety, and what can I say – I’m a big fan of Simon’s picks. He makes reading these heavy books feel so approachable and rewarding.
This whole experience has been one of my best accomplishments, and I can’t wait to join him again next year.
I started read alongs with Simon at the start of 2024. I wasn’t sure it would be my thing as I’d always read alone and had never even been a member of a book group. It was a chance conversation with my niece over Xmas dinner that started it all off.. she showed me how to get on to Substack and I thought this will last about a month! I’ve done all the books with him in the last 2 years - books I would never have opened without Simon’s guidance. W&P is my favourite so far.
If you are thinking about signing up for 2026, and not quite sure, go for it! You will not regret it. Lots of interesting books next year.. it has become “ a happy place” for me 📚
I’m reading along with the War and Peace slow read from Auckland, New Zealand. It has been remarkable, Simon’s approach is brilliant and I love the comments from other readers too. I choose to read the weekly overviews at the same time as I’m listening to Simon’s beautiful voice read them, it really helps as the content is so dense! My degree was in French and I lived in France for several years, it’s been really interesting having a Russian view of Napoleon and the campaign. Also, my mother’s family were refugees who fled Latvia after WW2, so that’s often in the back of my mind. F&T has opened my mind to so many things, I can’t wait to continue next year now the reading list is out! I’m also plotting a return to my favourite European art galleries to see some of the fantastic works Simon has featured along the way. I owe Simon a huge debt and can’t recommend this highly enough!
As the year winds down, I want to thank you, Simon, for your impeccable guidance through a fascinating year-long slow-read of War and Peace! It’s been such a rewarding experience. Each week, I look forward to your poetic chapter summaries, relevant ‘Footnotes’ of historical artwork, and enlightening ‘Tangents’ all of which enhance the weekly readings and bring 19th century Russia to life. Heartfelt thanks for this memorable journey!
I’m so happy to be participating in the slow read of War and Peace from my home in Clearwater, Florida and thankful for the recommendation from the happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. This has been a true reading accomplishment for me and I plan to do slow reads with Simon’s footnotes, and tangents group every year. Kieran
Reading Wolf Crawl is like being able to see another dimension of the books. Wolf Crawl's analyses, callbacks and references, historical context, character list, maps, and actual physical documents help untangle the threads of meaning woven into the books. They are amazing resources and I strongly recommend it for anyone reading this trilogy.
It's also a great space for discussion and bouncing ideas. It's the perfect book club, and the pace is reasonable enough to keep up with without being stressful.
The 2025 slow read of War & Peace was worth every penny. Simon's weekly updates have brought a richness to my reading experience that would have taken more hours to prepare than I have to spend. I look forward to hearing Simon's voice and thoughts every Tuesday. The art and social references he's sprinkled in to the weekly updates are sometimes historical, sometimes silly, and always delightful! I'm so grateful to Simon for all he's done to enhance my reading life this year!
If you are perched on the “should I, shouldn’t I” section of the proverbial fence, jump off and join us in 2026! This is my first year at Footnotes & Tangents and I have found the experience very rewarding. I doubt I would ever have tackled WAR AND PEACE but for this Substack. Simon does a staggering amount of work preparing, presenting and responding.
In 2025 I signed up to finally tackle the Wolf crawl and I was not disappointed. As I had paid my subscription I also signed up for War and Peace not expecting to like it much but I absolutely love it. My daily chapter over breakfast has become a ritual I am looking forward to each day. I also very much enjoyed The Siege of Krishnapur and will be along for The Blue Flower in December. In 2026 I am looking forward to re-visiting Pat Barker’s Regeneration but I had such a great experience this year that I will be along for the ride and will be committing to the rest of the books as well. I cannot wait to be surprised and delighted again. Such a great idea and so very well done by Simon
I read The Siege of Krishnapoor with Simon as a slow read in 2025 and it was a wonderfully immersive experience. Reading that book on my own would have given me only 10 percent of what actually went on in my mind with the help of the footnotes, the tangents and the wonderful discussion with other intensely involved readers. It’s a funny, terrible and philosophical novel based on a real historical event which I basically knew nothing about before I started. I had been through the siege myself by the time it ended and loved the characters even though they were all ridiculous.
Thanks Suze!
As I say good-bye to the powerful, vivid characters I've lived with for the past year, I find myself looking forward to Simon Haisell's 2026 War and Peace slow-read; to once again see Tolstoy's people and know them better. Thanks to Footnotes and Tangents, I also discovered two more books I completely loved: Penelope Fitzgerald's 'The Blue Flower' and 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe. The many recommendations listed by readers in the monthly 'What have you been reading?' threads have grown my reading interest beyond the limits of my pretty well stocked bookshelf.
Simon's posts, consisting of factual and imaginative tangents, frees up the reader to associate books with their own life stories, as well as events belonging to the world. As a 'visual learner' with an art school degree, I loved the beautiful works of art that accompanied each post - most by artists I was unfamiliar with. Questions posed within each week's post, gave a personal connection to the slow reads, that made reading introspective for me again.
Highly recommend joining a Simon Haisell 2026 slow read (or two!). The best thing on the internet. Thanks Substack for providing a space where thought and connection take place.
Thank you! These are such kind words.
I could say much more ... But the W&P slow read got me out of a very serious reading (that is not reading) rut. I'm doing the Blue Flower slow read now and loving it. Reading real books is medicine for brain and soul.
Thanks, Jennifer!
All the hype is well deserved- best reading home on the internet!
I just want to thank you for making me fall in love with the classics. I’ve always been a lover of reading, but growing up in a family of non-readers, I didn’t really read many classics. Earlier this year, I decided to finally pick one up and went big with War and Peace (they say go big or go home, right?). While looking for a guide, I stumbled upon Simon’s slow read of War and Peace, and honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without his daily notes and wonderful weekly guides.
I also joined him for Wolf Hall and oh my god, I’m so glad I did. I discovered one of my favorite authors! Then came the French Revolution in the form of A Place of Greater Safety, and what can I say – I’m a big fan of Simon’s picks. He makes reading these heavy books feel so approachable and rewarding.
This whole experience has been one of my best accomplishments, and I can’t wait to join him again next year.
Oh, wow! Such a lovely review. Thank you, Neeti!
I started read alongs with Simon at the start of 2024. I wasn’t sure it would be my thing as I’d always read alone and had never even been a member of a book group. It was a chance conversation with my niece over Xmas dinner that started it all off.. she showed me how to get on to Substack and I thought this will last about a month! I’ve done all the books with him in the last 2 years - books I would never have opened without Simon’s guidance. W&P is my favourite so far.
If you are thinking about signing up for 2026, and not quite sure, go for it! You will not regret it. Lots of interesting books next year.. it has become “ a happy place” for me 📚
How wonderful, Lynn. Thank you so much!
I’m reading along with the War and Peace slow read from Auckland, New Zealand. It has been remarkable, Simon’s approach is brilliant and I love the comments from other readers too. I choose to read the weekly overviews at the same time as I’m listening to Simon’s beautiful voice read them, it really helps as the content is so dense! My degree was in French and I lived in France for several years, it’s been really interesting having a Russian view of Napoleon and the campaign. Also, my mother’s family were refugees who fled Latvia after WW2, so that’s often in the back of my mind. F&T has opened my mind to so many things, I can’t wait to continue next year now the reading list is out! I’m also plotting a return to my favourite European art galleries to see some of the fantastic works Simon has featured along the way. I owe Simon a huge debt and can’t recommend this highly enough!
Lovely, thank you, Kirsten. And it is always helpful to have some kind of personal connection to a book. Hope you get to those art galleries soon!
As the year winds down, I want to thank you, Simon, for your impeccable guidance through a fascinating year-long slow-read of War and Peace! It’s been such a rewarding experience. Each week, I look forward to your poetic chapter summaries, relevant ‘Footnotes’ of historical artwork, and enlightening ‘Tangents’ all of which enhance the weekly readings and bring 19th century Russia to life. Heartfelt thanks for this memorable journey!
Marissa (Pennsylvania, USA - War and Peace)
Thanks Marissa!
I’m so happy to be participating in the slow read of War and Peace from my home in Clearwater, Florida and thankful for the recommendation from the happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. This has been a true reading accomplishment for me and I plan to do slow reads with Simon’s footnotes, and tangents group every year. Kieran
Wonderful! Thank you!
Reading Wolf Crawl is like being able to see another dimension of the books. Wolf Crawl's analyses, callbacks and references, historical context, character list, maps, and actual physical documents help untangle the threads of meaning woven into the books. They are amazing resources and I strongly recommend it for anyone reading this trilogy.
It's also a great space for discussion and bouncing ideas. It's the perfect book club, and the pace is reasonable enough to keep up with without being stressful.
Love that! Thanks Jenny!
The 2025 slow read of War & Peace was worth every penny. Simon's weekly updates have brought a richness to my reading experience that would have taken more hours to prepare than I have to spend. I look forward to hearing Simon's voice and thoughts every Tuesday. The art and social references he's sprinkled in to the weekly updates are sometimes historical, sometimes silly, and always delightful! I'm so grateful to Simon for all he's done to enhance my reading life this year!
Jennifer, California
Thank you!
To Prospective Slow Readers:
If you are perched on the “should I, shouldn’t I” section of the proverbial fence, jump off and join us in 2026! This is my first year at Footnotes & Tangents and I have found the experience very rewarding. I doubt I would ever have tackled WAR AND PEACE but for this Substack. Simon does a staggering amount of work preparing, presenting and responding.
Mercedes, Tallahassee, FL
Thanks so much Mercedes!
In 2025 I signed up to finally tackle the Wolf crawl and I was not disappointed. As I had paid my subscription I also signed up for War and Peace not expecting to like it much but I absolutely love it. My daily chapter over breakfast has become a ritual I am looking forward to each day. I also very much enjoyed The Siege of Krishnapur and will be along for The Blue Flower in December. In 2026 I am looking forward to re-visiting Pat Barker’s Regeneration but I had such a great experience this year that I will be along for the ride and will be committing to the rest of the books as well. I cannot wait to be surprised and delighted again. Such a great idea and so very well done by Simon
Thanks, Barbara!
Thank you, Elizabeth. And thank you for all your brilliant contributions to the discussion.