Bringhurst and Zolbrod approach the discussion thoughtfully, and I’ve written in conversation with their thoughts on the matter; Schmiesing clearly has opinions on the matter, but they don’t come across in the text as fully formed, and she engages with the matter shallowly, passing slantwise judgements on the Grimms’ editorial decisions and their intersection with contemporary and modern mores, without engaging in a deeper analysis.
War and Peace Review
It luxuriates, meandering through lives and small events that stack up into occasional flashes of intense conflict. Instead of following a central plot thread all the way through in a direct fashion, as a modern novel would, Tolstoy leads the reader on a winding path that, while you’re walking it, can feel unfocused, but that somehow still conveys a sense of progress.
IGC Publishing 