War and Peace Readalong thread 2022

[VikingNorthUtsire]

Interest thread for the 2022 War and Peace readalong

THIS OP WAS UPDATED on 4/1 BY MNHQ (THANK YOU) TO ADD MORE DETAIL TO THE READING SCHEDULE AND UPDATE THE AMAZON LINKS

"The finest novel ever written on this planet"
"Here is a novel that is worth whatever time one gives to it. There is more life between its cover than in any other existent fictional narrative"

This is a really helpful blog post by someone who has done the challenge: nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/announcing-the-2020-war-and-peace-chapter-a-day-read-along

1. Translations

The main complication seems to be which edition to choose. The blog post above contains some commentary of the different tranlsations that are available and their merits. There's also a pretty comprehensive guide here including samples from some of the best-known translations: welovetranslations.com/2021/08/31/whats-the-best-translation-of-war-and-peace-by-tolstoy/

The main differences that I can see are:

• some editions (including the free download on Project Gutenburg) have a different chapter structure. I think/hope we would manage to find one another if some are reading versions with more or fewer chapters but I have based the readalong on the versions with 361 chapters.

• there's quite a lot of French in at least some parts of the book. Some editions translate it into English, others keep it in French but use footnotes

• some translators have chosen to anglicise the characters' names. I guess its personal preference whether you prefer Mary, Andrew and Basil or a more Russian version.

Looking at the editions recommended and reviewed in the above blog:

The Vintage Classics edition, translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky: ]]

NB also this link for the kindle version: ]]

The Signet Classics edition, translated by Anne Dunnigan: ]]

The Penguin Classics edition, translated by Anthony Briggs: ]]

As a general rule I would definitely recommend downloading a sample of any kindle edition before buying, so you can be sure that you are happy with it.

Obviously, some people will prefer to avoid Amazon! Feel free to use the weeks in the run-up to Day 1 to share any tips on what you are buying and where from. Can I suggest though that we stick where possible to the editions with 361 chapters otherwise we will all get very confused!

1. Reading timeline

Nick, of the blog post, has very helpfully done the calculations for which chapters fall on which days, except he did it in 2020 which was a Leap Year. So feel free to take a look at nicksenger.com/onecatholiclife/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Nicks-2020-War-and-Peace-Chapter-a-Day-Reading-Schedule.pdf but see below the schedule for the Mumsnet Readalong.

Again, different editions name and number their chapters differently - some refer to four books divided into parts (as below), others refer to fifteen books although it's essentially the same structure just with different numbering. Hopefully there's enough info below to keep us all in sync, and always happy to let anyone know via PM what's happening in today's chapter so we can keep together.

Book 1: 1805
Book 1 Part One (25 chapters): 1/1 - 25/1
Book 1 Part Two (21 chapters): 26/1 - 15/2
Book 1 Part Three (19 chapters): 16/2 - 6/3
DAY OFF: 7/3
Book 2: 1806-1812
Book 2 Part One (16 chapters): 8/3 - 23/3
Book 2 Part Two (21 chapters): 24/3 - 13/4
Book 2 Part Three (26 chapters): 14/4 - 9/5
Book 2 Part Four (13 chapters): 10/5 - 22/5
Book 2 Part Five (22 chapters): 23/5 - 13/6
DAY OFF: 14/6
Book 3: 1812
Book Three Part One (23 chapters): 15/6 - 7/7
Book Three Part Two (39 chapters): 8/7 - 15/8
Book Three Part Three (34 chapters): 16/8 - 18/9
DAY OFF: 19/9
Book 4: 1812-13
Book Four Part One (16 chapters): 20/9 - 5/10
Book Four Part Two (19 chapters): 6/10 - 24/10
Book Four Part Three (19 chapters): 25/10 - 12/11
Book Four Part Four (20 chapters): 13/11 - 2/12
DAY OFF: 3/12
Epilogue One 1812-20 (16 chapters): 3/12 - 19/12
Epilogue Two (12 chapters): 20/12 - 31/12

Phew!

I would suggest that we meet at the end of each section (so 17 times over the course of the year) to discuss what we've read, but with (non-spoilerish) chatter welcome at any time in between. According to my guru, Nick, each chapter is around 4 pages long, so it should be do-able.

1. Chapter "meditations"

This looks like another really interesting blog post from someone who has done it, with thoughts and meditations on each chapter: brianedenton.medium.com/a-year-of-war-and-peace-cc66540d9619#.yabefbbgz

Come and join me! This time next year we will almost have finished reading the finest novel ever written on the planet.

PS Some may feel that each day off deserves a shot of vodka or two. I couldn't possibly comment.

I do remember looking at the ‘time left in chapter’ on my kindle and I think the longest was 12 mins which I think is as you say Desdemona. That’s what makes it readable in my view, short snappy chapters.

Thanks for the summary @DesdamonasHandkerchief. They really help me keep track of the characters. Never having read or watched it, I have no idea who will be important later.

I was tempted to go on to the next chapter after this short one. It's quite a different way of writing, breaking up one occasion into several chapters.

A bit late to the soirée but I’d love to join if I may.

I was a prolific reader - I worked in publishing for many years so used to read a lot for/at work as well as for pleasure - but have lost a little of my reading spark over the last couple of years. I feel it’s been reignited lately and it’s definitely a case of the more I read the more I want to read. I’d just let the habit lapse. I think this read along will really help keep the momentum going, especially on days when I don’t have a chance to really get stuck into whatever other book I’ve been reading.

War and Peace is a novel I’ve considered starting several times but have always been daunted by it’s length and it’s reputation as a difficult read.

I’m on chapter 12 of the Penguin Classics version on kindle and so far loving it. Like a few other posters I watched and loved the BBC adaptation but how did I not notice that Andrei is such an arse to his wife? Was my head turned by Jeremy Norton? Possibly. I’m certainly finding it hard to picture him as short with small hands - and Tolstoy really makes a point of mentioning those small hands a lot it seems!

Anyway, hope you’re happy to have me along and thanks to all of you for your contributions, especially Viking for starting this great thread and Desdamona for the hugely enjoyable and helpful chapter summaries.

Hi FlouncingBabooshka ! Welcome!

Yes, a very short chapter. I agree with your summary, Desdemona. Also, I think that we can say with confidence that Boris knows how to enter a drawing room. 'Boris, by contrast, was immediately at his ease; he talked fluently and amusingly about Mimi, the doll...'

My Kindle says that I have read five per cent of the book :) It hasn't been hard work so far, whatever lies ahead!

I want to thank this thread just for getting me started on a novel I've always wanted to read but was never top of my list and probably wouldn't of made it there either...

I am reading slightly ahead as I can't help myself but also my baby is due so I'm aware there will be a whole I probably won't even be able to hold this beast of a book 😂 but I've got into the firm habit of reading it everyday! I am reading something else alongside it but I make sure I read at least a chapter (often 3) before I then read my other book for ages.

The satisfaction of pulling the ribbon book mark down further along each day in my new clothbound edition is peak satisfaction for me 👌🏼

Very embarrassing to declare myself as a former publishing professional whilst allowing a rogue apostrophe into my post

That clothbound edition is beautiful sociallydistanced. I must not buy any more books this month (strangely, even during my reading hiatus I couldn’t stop buying them!) but if I’m keeping up with the read-along by about mid February I might treat myself.

Thanks Stokey. Welcome Flouncing.The more the merrier! I think we all cut Andrei more slack than he's due because of seeing him as James Norton. (Rubs hands on thighs in manner of Vic Reeves) but also I don't think the character was quite such an arse in the adaptation, I don't think we had the speech about all women being 'selfish, vain, stupid, vacuous' for example, and Lise was portrayed as being clingy and ever so slightly irritating so it was easy to see why she was pushing his buttons.

Reading War and Peace so slowly is working really well for me. I've read it twice before but as it's so huge my memory is of ploughing on determinedly, and I'm sure I didn't take time to really enjoy all the subtle, sometimes amusing, moments.

Thanks all (esp Viking and Desdemona)

Enjoying following the thread, love the summaries Desdemona .

I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying the Peace. Don’t know quite what I’d expected of the book but had never contemplated trying it before, Hardy and George Eliot were enough to put me off canon/classics beyond Austen and the Brontes for life. The drawing room jockeying is positively enjoyable to read, who’da thunk?

My Kindle says that I have read five per cent of the book smile It hasn't been hard work so far, whatever lies ahead!
I think that's probably because there's sn introduction. I don't think we are actually 5% in! My dh has just bought a "real" copy (I am on the Kindle) and it looks huge!

I'm still loving your summaries too, Desdemona. Ch. 6 did reveal Andrei as shockingly sexist. But at the same time he's clearly unhappy with himself and his life, so women and marriage are a convenient scapegoat. Instead of reflecting on himself he can just blame women

This novel is fab so far. I like the fact there's so much dialogue; it makes the characters emerge very vividly and in that sense I can see the story lending itself well to a screenplay, even though I haven't seen the BBC adaptation yet. I think you can pay to watch the episodes on Amazon Prime, so I will do that but maybe I'll wait to start watching until I've got a bit further into the novel.

I'm also struck by how important conversation/gossip/the salon are in the novel. Our own perspective on characters is partly determined by what other people are saying ABOUT them. It's a nice twist that we find out the end of the bear episode not by watching it unfold in real time in the narrative, but by hearing Anna Mikhailovna's account to it to the Rostovs, who think it's hilarious. And there are a few characters we haven't met yet, but Tolstoy has built up suspense about them because they've come up in other people's conversations: Andrei's grumpy father Prince Bolkonsky, Pierre's dying father Count Bezukhov. They're still off-scene at the moment, but we're aware that they wield a lot of power.

I'm notoriously bad at sticking to reading projects once my uni term starts, because my timetable suddenly goes crazy, but these chapters are so short that I think I will be able to manage it -- I hope so! I can always skip some weekdays and catch up on the weekends.

Oh god it's not just Anna M. who tells the bear story to the Rostovs, it's the Karagin lady who is a big gossip as Desdemona said. I already can't keep the characters straight...

But I don't really think you need to know all the finer details though cassandra, I think you can just read it, and let it flow over you, and slowly who's who starts to make sense as you go along, and the unimportant characters drop out of your consciousness, that's a nice way to experience it too.
This time, at such a slow pace, I am enjoying going over it with a fine tooth comb and getting all the characters and nuances straight in my head. But I do think if I'd never read it before I wouldn't be able to stop myself reading ahead because it is a ripping yarn!

I hadn't realised Natasha is so young at this point, especially considering the age of the other main characters. Yes they love the gossip, but I guess when you are so rich you don't have to work, what else are you gonna do?

If you have a player the DVD of W&P is under £8 on Amazon cassandra, or from £6 second hand. I've just treated myself as I'd like a physical copy and it has a 'making of' and deleted scenes extras.
Although I agree it's better to read more of the book first and then watch what you've read brought to life if you have the will power. Which I don't.

I think someone early on suggested that the four days of the year left once we have finished will be perfect for BBC adaptation.

In my head to make everything easier for me to digest I am upping all female ages by two years.

I went looking to see if there is an introduction to the Briggs version on my Kindle, but only found a translator's note at the start and footnotes after the last chapter. That's the disadvantage with the Kindle; you can't flick through the pages.

@MamaNewtNewt

I hadn't realised Natasha is so young at this point, especially considering the age of the other main characters. Yes they love the gossip, but I guess when you are so rich you don't have to work, what else are you gonna do?

They all seen to be terribly young - thinking of Nikolai and his bum fluff (bless).

There's also the thing which also appears in Dickens (and I think is just a sign of the times) of segueing veeeery quickly between the sweet-young-girl-with-doll stage and the ooh-a-wife stage. My modern sensibility is a bit uncomfortable with 13yo Natasha, who is "not quite a woman", playing with her doll and coming into a room in front of company with her skirt hitched up and her bodice falling down.

Oh yes I'd be up for a 'watch along' at the end of the year Columbo 🤗

Yes it does sexualise her doesn't it Viking now you mention it. All a bit Lolita! And there's mention of her 'big' mouth (bee stung lips perhaps) and slender bare legs.

Under £8 is a great price, thanks for the heads-up!

I'd also like to rewatch the version with Antony Hopkins as Pierre. I have very hazy memories of my parents watching it as a young child. I wonder if it's stood the test of time though?

I may have ordered that too HighlandCoo for the princely sum of £5.32 inc p&p second hand!

Oh interesting! I might do the same

@rifling

My Kindle says that I have read five per cent of the book smile It hasn't been hard work so far, whatever lies ahead! I think that's probably because there's sn introduction. I don't think we are actually 5% in! My dh has just bought a "real" copy (I am on the Kindle) and it looks huge!

I got to part II last night and that's like 113 pages in and updated on goodreads and it's 8% so I expect 5% isn't too off!

I'll take 5 per cent