Spoilers galore!
Right, Here is what I thought: I did enjoy reading it, although I don't think I'll be reading it again in a hurry. The characters really stayed with me, even the ones I didn't like virtually the entire Rostov clan!!. I suppose that's the sign of a good book, the emotional connection to the characters, even if the emotion is dislike!
The theorising I found incredibly difficult and I didn't think it added anything much to the story. This might have been my fault as it didnt register with me at all and I just wanted it to end. The fictional mixed with facts account of the wars were very descriptive and truly portrayed the futility and horror of war for soldiers and civilians.
Right. The Rostovas. Old count and Countess were incredibly indulgent of their children, to the extent of being neglectful. They did not prepare their children for life at all. You could say that this was the way the aristocracy was, but the fact that when they come into contact with others of the same background, they also find them to be somewhat lacking in common sense shows they are particularly sheltered and pampered. When Petya goes to war, he has the same attitude as Nicholas has that it's all a big adventure and he can't be killed because he's so charming. I think it was Denisov who recalled his failure to follow instructions and gung ho attitude. It was what got him killed. The only child who gets out normally is Vera, the least loved of the children, until Nicholas steps upnto the plate after his father's death and years away from the family at war.
I haven't changed my opinion of Natasha that she is an incredibly addictive personality. For much of the book, she is led by her addiction to falling in love and being the centre of drama. She doesn't love Andre. How could she? She saw him briefly for a matter of weeks, had a year without contact before breaking off her engagement and then didn't see him again for years until he is mortally wounded and dying. It seems as if this is yet another drama in her life soap opera. Sonya also nurses the sick soldiers but Natasha gets to be the grieving widow who nursed her one true love. Her pleasure in seeing her thin body and the fuss everyone was making is evidence of this. Her quick and sudden love for Pierre, as the Princess thought also shows this.
When she is married, she just replaces one addiction for another. She becomes obsessed with having the perfect family. She has to completely hideaway from her beauty, her singing and dancing, just in case she attracts other men and breaks up her perfect family. She doesn't trust herself or anyone es
lse she or Pierre might come into contact with. She micro manages Pierre and doesnt dare have a thought in her head that is not her husbands. I believe this is as a result of her parents utter failure to protect her from herself and from the men who seemed bewitched by her at too young an age.
For all of the Old Prince Nicholas's faults, you get the feeling he wanted to protect his children. I got the feeling he would have stopped Mary marrying Anatoly and he stopped Andre marrying Natasha because he saw a very young flighty girl from a family that was on the brink of self made financial ruin. She would have had to be responsible for little Nicholas as well as a large estate. The Rostov's all seem to live in a fairytale. They did nothing to protect their children at all.
Sonya. Poor Sonya. I feel terrible for her. She's such a sweet girl. She just gets on with it, doing what's expected of her, being in love with Nicholas to the detriment of her own unhappiness. She is right to display envy of Natasha, who has had to do somlittle but gets so much love and attention. Natasha and Mary even virtually dehumanise her by calling her a 'sterile flower' to ease their own guilt, leaving her to care for the old Countess Rostova who also treats her with contempt while they are busy with their own children and lives.
Cor that was a long post! I just had to get it off my chest! I might be completely wrong about all of this. I might well have missed huge chunks of important plot points and nuanxes because it wascso bloodly long! I'm looking forward to seeing what the TV picks up!