Whilst a (sometimes) voracious reader who has tackled some doorstop-sized books in my lifetime, I had always been intimidated by War and Peace. I’ve always loved Anna Karenina, despite its tragic ending — and Keira Knightley’s performance only endeared it to me more.

Recently, while working, Spotify slipped in an original composition from the 2016 BBC series War and Peace called “Andrei” — and I just fell in love with it. That’s when I decided to give the series a try, even though I was still a little intimidated by its length. I’d blown it off in the past, partly because I find it incredibly difficult to take something so dense and iconic from its print form to the screen.

Well — I was completely off in my concerns.

Over the course of a week, I watched War and Peace. The first episode took me a minute to buy into, but after that, I was hooked. Set in early 19th-century Russia, the story centers on Napoleon’s invasion of Imperial Russia and the devastating impact it had on five aristocratic families.

At the heart of the story are three main characters: Pierre, a rake but kindly illegitimate count; his best friend Andrei, a serious, cynical war hero; and Natasha, the woman they both love. Through their eyes, we witness the rise and fall of families amid the chaos of war, along with the scheming rival aristocrats who try to tarnish their moral compass.

Starring period-piece heavyweights — Lily James, James Norton, Jack Ludlow, and the legendary Jim Broadbent — it is an absolute masterpiece. James Norton and Lily James are so beautiful as Andrei and Natasha it’s truly unfair.

Like true Tolstoy, the endings are only “happy” depending on your point of view. I, for one, was left absolutely devastated and shattered- I wish I could say I was exaggerating using those terms. It’s been a long time since I’ve read — or watched — a period piece that left me so emotionally attached and completely hooked. Part 7 had me sobbing. Full breakdown mode.

If you’re up for a truly indulgent experience, the costumes and sets are incredibly well done, and the acting is superb. It is gneuinley so shockingly beautiful you feel like you’re in 19th century Russia I did a bit of research afterward and found that many War and Peace lovers consider the series fairly faithful to Tolstoy’s original work. Most of the criticism centers on the obvious: condensing a 1,300-page novel into an eight-hour miniseries is no easy feat.

Today, as I sat down to work and “Andrei” came on my playlist, I had to skip it — it genuinely evoked such a strong emotional response. And yet, I must be an absolute sadist, because I finally decided to purchase the novel so I could relive it all over again.

Give the soundtrack a listen (below), give the show a try and maybe even order the book.