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War and Peace discussion thread

168 replies

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 06/01/2016 13:12

For all things Rostov, Bezukhov and Bolkonsky - come in, pour yourself some tea from the samovar and settle down to debate love, politics, war and religion. Or if that sounds too hard, you can just bitch about the Freemasons or the BBC version.

Spoilers - what do people think? It will be a bit hard to discuss without posting any spoilers, but maybe we could write SPOILER! at the beginning of a post if it has something major in it.

I am 45% into it on my Kindle, but it's taken me 2 years to get this far! How far has everyone else got?

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LookingForMe · 16/01/2016 18:05

I think I'll step away from the thread for a while so you two can discuss spoilers! I will return once I've finished....

Am only on 62% as got distracted by my light read this week. I need to up the ante on W&P a bit this weekend, I think. Am very impressed that you're both finished!

regenerationfez · 16/01/2016 15:11

I've finished! Although I only read epilogue 1. Shall I bother going on? I'm ready for a rant but I'm making biscuits with my son so don't have time at the momentGrin

regenerationfez · 16/01/2016 09:59

Well done!! I'll vattenpt to finish it today then we don't have too worry about spoilers! ( apart from looking of course!)

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 16/01/2016 00:54

Done! Finally! Well, I gave up on bloody Epilogue 2 and skimmed it to see if it ever went back to the characters. It doesn't, it just witters on about freedom and inevitability and I don't know what else. Historians of 3 types. Napoleon. West to east and east to west. Power. My advice to everyone is just to read to the end of Epilogue 1 and leave it at that. Jesus. Tolstoy can never say something just the once, can he?

I will do a proper critique tomorrow but right now my brain is utterly fried.

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regenerationfez · 15/01/2016 15:03

I think it was, want it? The Napoleonic wars were all about glory. I'm not sure if it was this or the Crimean where the British soldiers would fight in red tunics as it was all a matter of pride and red was the National colour. But it meant they stuck out like a sore thumb. To be honest, even WW1 was all noble marching to oblivion and propaganda.

I need to plough through the reasons for the war bit, then I'll do a big push to the end! I have girl on a train I want to read...

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 15/01/2016 14:20

I'm on 87%. I am trying to do a big push to finish it so I can read something interesting and frivolous.

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 15/01/2016 14:19

Do you think that in the 1800s everyone thought war was amazeballs and noble and that generals were the bee's knees? That might explain all the emphasis on wars being disorganised and all a matter of luck and the spirit of the army being crucial.

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regenerationfez · 15/01/2016 14:11

Oh yeah I forgot that bit. . I still feel bad for her. She's been holding out for him for so many years and he has strung her along really. The family have taken her in but not really treated her as their own.

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 15/01/2016 12:41

Spoiler alert

With Sonya, I meant the bit where she writes to Nicholas releasing him, but she only does that because she doesn't think he'll accept that. She's trying to be noble in the eyes of the countess but she thinks she's on safe ground, little knowing that Nicholas is going to take her seriously! I do wonder how it's all going to turn out. It seems a bit weird that Nicholas can't picture his future with Mary.

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regenerationfez · 14/01/2016 22:10

I'm on 81% now. The telly will definitely be edited highlights! The interminable wars will probably be cut down to a couple of scenes but there is so much on tactics and philosophising about wars that can I suppose be dealt with in a book but not Sunday night drama. Let's see.

LookingForMe · 14/01/2016 21:26

Oh I'm so far behind you both!

Am at 60% now. Still on track to finish by the end of January, which was my aim.

I'm not sure I see how they're going to fit everything into 6 episodes. 2 episodes in and nowhere near a third of the way through the book. I know there's a lot of non-action which can definitely be cut but there still seem to be quite a lot of key events to cover.

regenerationfez · 14/01/2016 21:18

I didnt see Sonya being portrayed cas a conniving bitch. I know what you mean, that she wants Natasha to marry Andre so she can marry Nicholas, but I just saw that as her being someone who had been promised marriage by Nicholas and still loving him, despite him being away with Mary and the opposition of Countess Rostovas and him being a massive dick She's stuck in that house with the old Countess unmarried if Nicholas doesn't marry her.

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 14/01/2016 20:57

82% now. I do like Princess Mary. But I also like Sonya, despite efforts to paint her as a conniving bitch. Natasha is definitely appearing in a much better light and is behaving with great sensitivity and nobility.

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 14/01/2016 20:12

Grin So can I!

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regenerationfez · 14/01/2016 12:34

Yes I agree acting n bits good. I can definitely see how they cut the book down to 6 episodes for the telly Grin

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 14/01/2016 09:20

Oh good. Action is good. War philosophy is NOT good. (God I sound like a philistine!)

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regenerationfez · 13/01/2016 23:21

Oh so you're not up to the bit I thought yet. Another thing happens later re: Pierre!

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 13/01/2016 23:05

Oh! The thing I thought had happened hasn't. It was a rumour. (She says cryptically Wink) Pierre was told something that he thought was true. Before Moscow.

I have just reached Natasha being really good at packing and the surprising end to that chapter.

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regenerationfez · 13/01/2016 23:02

I meant I know they are skint! Bloody tablet!

regenerationfez · 13/01/2016 23:00

God I feel so sorry for Sonya! And how horrible is Countess Rostov! I know they are doing, but still. It's not Sonya's fault!

regenerationfez · 13/01/2016 22:58

Is this after Pierre's rescuing in Moscow?

SonyaAtTheSamovar · 13/01/2016 22:56

Why don't I remember this? I will now have to look it up before bedtime!

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 13/01/2016 22:46

Shock Major happening just randomly announced! I'm trying not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't got there yet, but I was stunned at the casual way Pierre learns something important after the Battle of Borodino!

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regenerationfez · 13/01/2016 08:02

So actually she must have been 16 or 17 at the ball, and they must be mid 20's. IM up to the bit where Pierre is thinking about her and how he loved her from the start, them iirc Boris promises to marry her in 4 years when she is 12 but I suppose in retrospect it's probably Natasha playing at being in love after seeing Sonya and Nicolas and the men playing along and not taking it seriously until 1810 at the ball.

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TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 12/01/2016 23:47

I think it starts in 1805. Also on Kindle and not wanting to flip back! I think she's about 16 when she's engaged to Andrew. I'm not sure how old Pierre and Andrew are at the beginning, but Andrew starts off married to Princess Lise so he's been married for probably a year at least, and there would have been a reasonable amount of wedding prep before that, and courting etc. He must be early 20s at least. Pierre must be similar as a student. Maybe 21 or so.

I don't think Pierre was sexually attracted to Natasha when she was 12, though. I could be wrong! I thought he liked her very much as a little protegee and friend.

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