The Plot Thins

I wish War and Peace had a plot
But it does not.

Yes, it has a story, or at least an interconnected set of stories, it has certain families it follows, it has dramatic events, it moves in chronological sequence, it has major characters, it is brilliantly written.

But, all in all,
It sprawls.

If you care, here's an interesting lit-crit book about storytelling technique in Tolstoy's Big Book. I was reading it at the library today at lunch.