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.

Could it be an almost automatic thing if you’re a cadet? Once you’ve been in battle, you become a proper officer?

I'm happy to cut and paste the summaries from GradeSaver for the war chapters unless you want to pick up the baton again Fuzzy? I do think it helps to know what chapter we're on, on what day.

Anna Mikhaylovna felt rather like Mrs Norris from Mansfield Park in this chapter - I could just imagine Aunt Norris making an entire range of mountains out of a molehill in exactly that way. (Though I expect Sir Thomas would have at least tried to suppress her, probably unsuccessfully.)
I wonder whether Nikolay will ever get his money?

I assumed Nikolai's promotion had more to do with the bridge burning episode, he didn't remember to bring any straw to help with setting it alight 🙄 and felt he was a coward, but he was in the thick of the action and who would know who actually did what in the heat of battle? And as SanFranBear said there's probably a lot of 'dead mens shoes' promotion - quite literally in a war situation.

@DesdamonasHandkerchief

I'm happy to cut and paste the summaries from GradeSaver for the war chapters unless you want to pick up the baton again Fuzzy? I do think it helps to know what chapter we're on, on what day.

Yes, please Desdemona, if you don't mind. It would be easier. I agree that it's helpful to have a place-mark in the form of a summary.

Good old Anna M. I liked the mention about her fortunes being improved, looks like Pierre came through. I felt sorry again for Vera, the rest of them giving her evils because she (right,y) points out that they should be happy. Not sure it's a good sign for Nicolay that he's mentioning Dholokov lots, he's a bad influence that one.

In the Briggs translation it's Denisov Nikolai references in his letter MamaNewtNewt, Nikolai's commander.

From Gradesaver:
Volume 1 Part III Chapter 7

Chapter 7 shifts back to Kutuzov's army, stationed now near Olmütz.
Nikolai Rostovv visits his friend Boris, who has the letter and money for him from the Rostovs. The Rostovs have included a letter of recommendation to hopefully secure him a position working for Prince Bagrationn, but Nikolai believes such a lackey position is beneath him. Boris is talking to Lieutenant Bergg_ when Nikolai arrives, and Nikolai bluntly asks Berg to leave so he can catch up with his old friend. Berg is offended, but gamely returns after he has been invited back. He then tells Boris and Nikolai all about his regiment’s recent combat triumphs. Prince Andrei enters, and he and Nikolai bicker about what happened at the battle of Schöngraben (which was described in Part 2). Nikolai insinuates that Andrei does not know what the action was truly like since he is a higher-ranked officer, and though Andrei takes offense, he encourages the younger man not to hold a grudge before leaving.

When I was reading chapter 7 I was wracking my brain as to who Nikolai reminded me of in this scene and then it came to me - Flashheart from Blackadder. Woof!

And Nikolai is so incredibly rude to his sister Vera's fiancé Berg (much as Flashheart is to Percy) I know he's self obsessed but there are limits!

At least the money arrived in one piece!

@DesdamonasHandkerchief

In the Briggs translation it's Denisov Nikolai references in his letter MamaNewtNewt, Nikolai's commander.

It is in mine too! I got the two mixed up, this is what comes of reading my chapter so late

I had forgotten who Berg was. He's the lad who likes to drone on about himself, isn't he?

That's actually very funny Desdemona, the similarity is spot on!!

What has happened to Nicolai? Has the promotion gone to his head?! He's very rude to Berg. His immaturity comes across in his exaggerated retelling of the battle and his attitude towards Andrei. I think there is going to be some hero worship here.

Yes it's Berg that's self obsessed!

Ugh, Nikolay was awful there, wasn't he? I really cringed at how rude he was to Berg and how full of himself he's become. What has happened - he was quite a sweet boy before although he's obviously a battle-hardened man now

I liked that Andrey appeared - and the fact he genuinely seems to like helping those who are 'beneath him' with a view to help them improve their station.. he really wanted to catch up with Boris. Andrey also came across as a lot less tense and frustrated - I quite liked him before, well liked to hate him, but really liked him here!

@DesdamonasHandkerchief yes he's totally like Flasheart! Oh dear Nicolay did not come out of this chapter looking good. I think the issue is one of maturity, rather than poor character, Boris seemed pretty embarrassed by him.

From Gradesaver:
Volume 1 Part III Chapter 8
The next day, the emperors of Austria and Russia inspect Kutuzov’s troops. The presence of the Russian Tsar Alexander II_ inspires deep passion and patriotism among the men. (Particularly Nikolai Rostov)

Wasn't Nikolay rather hot tempered and gobby even when we saw him with his family? And then he got into that row about the stolen purse and got told off. This latest rudeness to Andrei seems quite in character to me.

Have to admit I'm a bit disappointed to be back with the men and all the military paraphernalia after those interesting chapters in Bald Hills.

I’m still reading but don’t have much to add to the discussion! I’m also disappointed we’re back in the war so soon, I was hoping for more peace chapters!

It seems bizarre to me that Nikolai is still pondering whether or not he should challenge Andrei to a dual, and Andrei wouldn't be surprised if he did.
There must have been a lot of young men killed or injured over trifles in the Napoleonic era.

I like the war chapters better so happy to be back there. I was wondering how realistic the passion and patriotism portrayed is - I can see it among the officers/gentry, but I can't help suspecting the ranks might feel a bit differently about it all.

I would have liked a few more peace chapters too. It seems a little soon to return to war.

That was a nice bit of scene-setting in this chapter. It's hard to imagine the scale of eighty thousand men, but Tolstoy conveys it well.

Pah. I’m a republican.

@ChannelLightVessel

Pah. I’m a republican.

Me too :)

It was interesting to see the patriotic fervour and love for the Tsar, especially as we are only just over 100 years from the Russian revolution and I don't think anyone can doubt that WWI was one of the contributing factors there. I wonder if they.l feel differently if the war goes on for a while. I think the chapter was quite realistic, as even when the Russians had grievances they never thought it was the fault of the Tsar, instead blaming his ministers. They saw the Tsar as the father of the nation who would right all wrongs, if only his Ministers weren't keeping the public from their Little Father (I seem to remember something along these lines was one of the names used for the Tsar).