Modernized Version of War and Peace Less Long, Boring

Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, widely regarded as one of the most important novels of world literature, has been given a 21st century refashioning to make it less boring for modern readers.

The original book, which is over 900 pages, details in profuse detail the events surrounding some old war in Europe from the perspective of dozens of characters with long Russian names that are nearly impossible to keep straight.

Re-adapted by Random House's Tyson Kennedy - who admits to only reading the first chapter of Tolstoy's tome, the new and improved War and Peace has been condensed to an optimal 375 pages, and contains vampires.

"The modernized version of the book diverges somewhat from the original as its thematic focus deals mostly with issues of adult authority and the transition from childhood to maturity as seen through the eyes of a band of teenage vampires, some of whom have acquired the ability to travel through time," Kennedy said.

Set in a post-apocalyptic version of Los Angeles, several of WAP's notable characters have undergone significant transformations here, including Inspector Bonaparte, a slight but ruthless detective with a Napoleon complex capable of reading minds, and Count Pyotr Kirillovich Bezukhov, who, referenced throughout the work simply as Count Peter, is a vampire mired in a relationship of unrequited love with the shape-shifting Princess Elena Johnson, who is also a vampire.

"Princess Elena and her friends must navigate the nuances of their own identities in both the future and the past within a communist society dedicated to crushing non-conformity in all forms, but especially that of vampires," Kennedy explained.

The new version of War and Peace will be available for download August 30th.