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'War and Peace' will air on British radio on New Year's Day

The 10-hour radio adaptation will star actors John Hurt and Simon Russell Beale.

'War and Peace' is by Leo Tolstoy.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

Is your New Year’s resolution to refresh your memory of classic Russian novels – or maybe learn the stories in the first place? The BBC’s Radio 4 can help you out.

On New Year’s Day, Radio 4 will be broadcasting a 10-hour radio adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” according to The Independent. This version will star “Snowpiercer” actor John Hurt and “Penny Dreadful” actor Simon Russell Beale. The adaptation will be briefly broken up by other programming such as the news.

According to the BBC, Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams called “War and Peace” “arguably the best book ever written.”

“If you haven't made the journey through it, Radio 4 thinks you are missing out,” Williams said of the program. 

It will air between 9 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the UK.

According to the Guardian, the production will also be available on iPlayer.

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