The best version of War and Peace available, I have seen almost every one that has been made; this one has it all, you will not be disappointed.

I had not read the book before watching this series, and thanks to this series I am now. Lily James is adorable and gets the chance to flex her acting chops, and is well supported by a talented cast and tight script that tells the story for a modern audience.

In response to another review I am not certain this series is actually shorter on itunes. IMDb only lists the series at 6 episodes but iTunes has 8. If you add up the missing running time in the two extra episodes then the running time is the same as what was broadcast.

I watch a lot of mini series and this one is sumptious to see. The actors get to the core of who the character are, amazing costumes, beautifully photographed. Amazing detail through out. Have read the book and have never seen such a faithful adaptation to the epic novel. It does justice on the screen in a way the words do on the page. The long arch of the character development allowed me to become caught up in the emotional life of the characters. Granted the charcters are not quite how they are described in the novel, but the actors chosen give it such life. I t does move along at a fairly fast pace and finally settles in about the 3rd episiode. I felt every emotional possible while watching this masterpiece. Well worth the time invested in watching it.

This series is brilliant. Whether is it the music, costumes, scenery, script or incredible acting, I was absolutely blown away. I cried, I laughed at at times was frightened by its realism..as someone who is an incredibly tough critic, I am overwhelmed by how much I fell in love with this adaptation. Lastly, James Norton and Paul Dano are MAGNIFICENT.

Amazing acting! The architecture alone is enough to watch this masterpiece. I’ve never read the book, but this is truly an amazing story that every person should experience.

I watched the entire series in two days. From the first minute of the first episode to the last minute of the last episode I was hooked. I thought the casting, the story, and the scenery was all amazing. I would highly recommend purchasing this. I usually don't pay for content but I want to support great television such as this so I paid the $20.

The best version I've seen!!! Love it. The best version of Pier, so close to the book

This adaptation was put together with artistic brilliance. Wonderful character development and excellent acting. Paul Dano was marvelous. Very enjoyable.

Not worth watching with 15 minutes cut out, if you can watch the full hour episode then do so otherwise forget it as major plot lines are omitted

This is a great adaption of Tolstoy's novel. I absolutely love the show and find myself addicted to it after each episode. This is a perfect show to take Downtown Abbey's spot on Sunday's. I wish they could continue the show for more seasons and write past the novel because what they have done thus far is brilliant!

I wrote my first review after seeing only the first episode, which I found well-acted, original and thoroughly entertaining. After forcing myself through the next two episodes, I’ve come to realize why so few people can finish the book. No, it’s not merely the Millennials and their limited social media attention spans. The story is dreck. Dreck, I say. Gorgeously photographed dreck, but dreck nonetheless. Boring dreck done better in a low budget BBC movie own Netflix that no one ever heard of. Save your money.

The actresses playing Natasha and Sonia look like they’re 30 years old and wearing a face-full of makeup. It’s very annoying. The early scenes where they’re whispering, crying, and confiding in one-another about boys reminded me of when Gilda Radner played a little girl on “Saturday Night Live”: comical! Those characters are supposed to be adolescent girls, with a great deal of charm, and totally natural and spontaneous (when contrasted with the artificiality of the society women). Similarly: Jim Broadbent? I love Jim Broadbent. He’s wonderful! But who thought he could remotely convey the frightening austerity of Prince Andre’s father?!? Jim Broadbent is endearing and adorable, but he’s no Old Prince Bolkonsky. You could make the same complaint about Paul Dano, but he is at least conveying the character of Pierre convincingly (despite his physical type being so wrong).

If episode five is scheduled to be release January 31, why has it not yet available on iTunes? If iTunes is going to overcharge us for automatic downloads, then shouldn’t season pass holders at least be able to watch the episode on time?

This is an excellent, very engrossing series, whether you have read the book or not. I have read War & Peace, and have looked for a good mini-series / movie adaptation of the novel. I have watched parts of other movies, such as the 1972-3 adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins. In terms of casting, sets, music and balancing comprehensiveness with a manageable running length, no other adaptation even comes close. I have watched the first 3 episodes so far. All of the characters are cast perfectly -- I could instantly tell who each character was supposed to be based on my knowledge of the novel. They are exactly as I imagined them. The sets (mostly computer-generated) are gorgeous. There is just the perfect amount of detail retained, with the director having an excellent grasp of how to convey the spirit of the novel rather than getting bogged down in detail.

Some years ago Germany produced a magnificent telling of the novel War and Peace. Here is an attempt that falters which I attribute to the writing. I expected a much better attempt.