War and Peace enters UK bestseller list for the first time

Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace (1869) has entered the UK’s top 50 selling books for the first time, following the BBC’s acclaimed television adaptation.

According to The Bookseller, the BBC edition of the novel was the 50th most popular book last week, selling 3,581 copies. Sales of the BBC edition of the book now total more than 13,000 since it was released in December. In addition, five other editions of War and Peace made a strong showing, with combined sales of 2,438 copies last week.

“Judging by our recent sales […] an awful lot of people have finally crossed this classic off their must-read list. Four different editions of the book have hit our bestseller list, shifting an almost equal number of copies each,” said buyer for book retailer Waterstones Joseph Knobbs.

This news comes soon after a survey by market research firm YouGov revealed that only 4% of the British public have read War and Peace, although 14% wish they had. According to a study commissioned by BBC Store, War and Peace is among the top five works of fiction people are most likely to lie about having read.

Source: The Guardian