For those daunted by the sheer size of scope of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel “War and Peace,” author and Tolstoy scholar Andrew Kaufman is coming to campus to help cut the book down to size.

Kaufman is the author of the widely praised book “Give ‘War and Peace’ a Chance: Tolstoyan Wisdom for Troubled Times.” He will be on campus Wednesday, Jan. 13, to talk about how a book about the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s still resonates today.

Kaufman is known for his insights into Tolstoy’s work and for helping make it easier for people to encompass the vast landscapes and interwoven themes the Russian author brings to his books. The talk will be held at 7 p.m. in Room 182 Lillis Hall, and a book signing will follow.

In addition to writing his own books, Kaufman is a lecturer and faculty fellow at the University of Virginia. He also founded and teaches a community-based literature course, Books Behind Bars: Life, Literature and Leadership, in mixed classes with regular students and youth held in juvenile centers. He has a doctorate in Slavic languages and literatures from Stanford University.