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.

Ooh, Baby - that sounds a strange version as what you're describing (Anna's soiree and the Name Day celebration) were all in the first few chapters of the versions we're all reading. Although it was Natasha's name day, not Helene's so perhaps there's another soiree as well? Yours definitely is a different version from the one I've got.. mine has a lovely lady on the cover and is clear on the translator... sorry, I know that's no help.

Natasha's name day was in the first few chapters of this one too - this is another party I think!
This edition is not abridged. It was part of a series of classics that were all sold for 99p! I made the most of it as an impoverished student and bought Nicolas Nickleby, nearly all the Bronte's works, several Rudyard Kipling books as well as this one. The quality of the paper isn't the best but the story is the same!

Then a competing series of classics came out, also for 99p - the Wordsworth popular classics. I finished my collection of Dickens, discovered Elizabeth Gaskell, and bought Vanity Fair in that series.

Now all I have to do is finish reading all those books I got so cheaply, 25 ish years ago!!!

Thanks everyone! Yes that makes sense, the naming day celebration. Is there an equivalent occasion in British culture? The tradition in Russia was linked to the Orthodox Church, and pretty much died down after the revolution. It’s incredible to think they celebrated naming days as we celebrate birthdays these days.

No, I don't think so. (I'm Irish and it's not a thing here).
In France, you celebrate the saint's feast day if you named after a saint, but I'm not sure how common that is any more since there are many more modern names and fewer traditional names than in previous times. (Open to correction as I don't live in France!)

Ah... sounds like you're just further ahead than we are. Maybe use the wonderful chapter summaries from Fuzzy and Desdemona to try and find us? I read ahead for the first part (as got a bit confused as not done this type of read-a-long before) and just stopped until I recognised the chapter that I had just finished. Might work, although sounds like your chapters are a bit all over the place?

Also, I did mention it somewhere in this chat but Vanity Fair is an absolute stonker of a book - cannot recommend it enough!

Chapter 13. Andrey sets off on the road to Krems.

Andrey wants to rejoin the army, find his commander-in-chief and his luggage. He soon discovers organised chaos. A long trail of wagons and supply vehicles is making slow progress along the road as far as the eye can see. Andrey looks on scornfully, inching ahead on his horse, trying to get ahead of the crowd and find his commander.

He comes across a woman who is a passenger in a make-shift carriage who pleads with him for help to get ahead and be reunited with her husband who is a doctor. She is being screamed at by the accompanying officer and is clearly distressed. Andrey takes a minute to consider how helping the woman might impact on his reputation (heavens forbid he might become a laughing stock), but he does rise to the occasion and orders the officer to let her through.

Continued...

Andrey reaches Krems and finds Nesvitsky who asks him if it's true that there is talk of surrender. Andrey is still shaken after his encounter with the woman and the screaming officer and moves on, saying that it's an absolute disaster.

He finds the house where Kutuzov is meeting with Bagration and Weierother. While waiting (impatiently), he learns from the clerk that there is no plan to surrender but that they will engage in battle. Andrey reports to Kutuzov, who doesn't seem as excited to see Andrey as Andrey might have hoped. Andrey asks to join Bagration's detachment, but Kutuzov asks him to stay by his side.

Kutuzov acknowledges the difficult task ahead of them and indicates that there will be major losses on their side. Andrey asks again about joining Bagration's detachment, but Kutuzov who must be feeling more than weary (and possibly trying to ignore Andrey's insistant demands), stays silent for a while and talks to Andrey about his meeting with the Emperor and other less taxing subjects.

I thought that the description of the army convoy trudging along the road was excellent. It really conveyed the absolute chaos and panic. That poor woman in the carriage. I wasn't sure if Andrey was going to help her. He doesn't seem a robust sort of character. Perhaps he has led a very sheltered life.

I think Andrei does have a sense of right and wrong though. Your summary made me laugh today Fuzzy, about Kutuzov not being that bothered about him.

He probably rolls his eyes and goes 'him again!'
Yes, I think he does too, but he also seems to care a lot about how others see him.

This isn't Kutuzov's first rodeo he's old, grizzled and war weary, to me he seems like a General who's lost his appetite for war. I think he said at one point he's known as; 'the General who doesn't like to fight', he seems more concerned with saving his men than winning battles, medals and honours.
I'm sure he looks at eager young bucks like Andrei with a mixture of amusement and despair. He's just told Andrei he'll be surprised if one tenth of Bagration's troops survive the military engagement due to take place the next day and not once but twice Andrei asks if he can join the doomed detachment.
With the arrogance of youth Andrei seems to think he's indestructible.

@DesdamonasHandkerchief I haven’t caught up with you guys yet, but I think Andrei doesn’t think he’s indestructible. From what I remember- we studied his character in great depth, - he is quite unhappy and doesn’t seem to have found himself or his purpose in life. He’s not happy in his marriage to Lise and goes to war to escape all that. I think he wants to join the doomed detachment because he feels like he has nothing to loose. I think he’s probably in a state of depression. He just doesn’t care if he lives or dies at this point.

Another couple of illustrations :)

'And what if there isn't anything left but to die?' he thought. 'Well if I must-I will do it as well as the next man!'

It sounds to me that he wants to prove himself in life or in death.

Thank you for posting these illustrations, Mb76.
They are excellent.

Yes I was going to put that he didn't care if he lived or died, but actually he seems to have more purpose and zest for life in the army than he did with Lise in St Petersburg.

@DesdamonasHandkerchief

Yes I was going to put that he didn't care if he lived or died, but actually he seems to have more purpose and zest for life in the army than he did with Lise in St Petersburg.

Definitely!

I think Andrey just wants to be someone that gets noticed - he admires Napolean so much, he'll do anything to get promoted, even staying in a doomed regiment so he can prove his mettle.. or that's how I read it anyway!

I thought the description of the chaos and carnage of an army in retreat was wonderfully imagined.. I was actually surprised Andrey stopped to step in as he was pretty single-minded at that point and there was no benefit to him. Sorry, I'm not a fan and actually like thats he's so unlikeable, iykwim

And that first illustration is quite haunting, Mb76...

I agree I think Andrey is desperate to achieve something and to be noticed and lauded for it. I'm just not sure this debacle is going to provide him with the opportunity he's looking for. I was glad to see him help the women though.

Chapter 14. Mission Impossible.

Kutuzov has received an intelligence report that puts his army in a very difficult situation. The French are advancing rapidly and will soon reach the Russian reinforcements coming down to meet Kutuzov. The Russians are at risk of being outnumbered and cut off on two fronts. They must reach Zaim before the French or they risk a repeat of Ulm. They might even be out-macked! It looks like Mission Impossible to get the whole army to Zaim on time. Kutuzov sends down the indefatigable Bagration ahead of him with his detachment of 4,000 men. They must hold their position for twenty-four hours before Kutuzov and his troops join them.

Continued. Le Grand Bluff.

It looks impossible. However, luck is on the Russians' side. Encouraged by the success of the trick at Tabor Bridge, Murat decides to use a similar ploy to outwit Kutuzov too.

Murat mistakes Bagration's small detachment for the whole Russian army and figures that he can defeat them in one fell swoop if he has more time to gather his troops. He proposes a three-day truce. No-one is to change position or make any move.

Bagration is suspicious and sends an adjutant to Kutuzov with a report of the French proposal. Kutuzov, the wily general, realises that he can use this to his advantage to buy time and get the army to Zaim. He sends an adjutant back with terms of surrender.

In the meantime, Napoleon hears of this proposed truce and is furious. He sees immediately how this delay is benefitting the Russians and he writes a stinker of a letter to Murat. Highly miffed, he orders him to break the truce and march on the enemy; '...you are falling for a trick played on you by one of the Emperor's adjutants'. No longer trusting Murat, he takes matters into his own hands and moves to the battlefields.

While this is going on, Bagration and his detachment makes the most of this time to rest and recharge their their batteries before the battle.

Makes=make

I enjoyed Napoleon's entry in this chapter :)

I enjoyed Napoleon's entry in this chapter smile
Me too - and quite proud of myself for not needing to read the translation this time!

I had a bit of the Andrei/Pierre awe for Napoleon in this chapter. Friggin stupid arse Murat, though keep it up Kutuzov!

In my normal life I am obsessed with Russia(n) and France so my loyalties are divided.

I did like this one - and liked that ole Bagration, despite being basically sent to the slaughter, is still standing... well, sitting comfortably round his campfire, drying off and regaining his strength.

Napoleon was no dummy, was he! I don't know much about him other than he wasn't actually that short (for the time) but he clearly knew what he was doing on the battlefield.. daft Murat, eh!

I can picture Napoleon stamping his foot, waving his hands in the air saying, 'Zut alors! C'est un imbécile!'