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.

Ha ha, thanks Highlandcoo, I think I just got carried away! Definitely more interested in the soap opera plot than the big philosophical debates! I'll be pretty mute on those chapters.
This is the Briggs translation link £2.99 well spent!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Penguin-Popular-Classics-ebook/dp/B0033805UG/ref=tmmkinnswatch0??encoding=UTF8&qid=1641129502&sr=8-1

Does anyone know how French translations handle the French? I wonder if they generally have the whole book in French, or if the original French sections get translated into something else to try and maintain the effect.

@BakeOffRewatch this is the Pevear Vintage Classics edition on Kindle: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Vintage-Classic-Russians-ebook/dp/B005CUS9AG/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I'd ask for your 75p back as well and let them know that they have incorrectly linked the kindle and print versions together - hopefully if a few people report it they will fix it

Purchase. Yes refunded the 75p one, and went back to the listing and clicked “Report an issue”, said it’s “incorrectly described as Pevear Vintage Classics edition and the listings for Kindle and Print versions incorrectly linked”.

Oh I didn't know you could do that - I will do the same.

Thanks so much @DesdamonasHandkerchief - shows how much Tolstoy packs into a gossipy first chapter.

As for today's chapter - I believe Pierre is one of our main protagonists so keep an eye on him. What impression has he made? He's not as well established socially as the other characters. His manners are less polished (he fails to be polite to the elderly aunt) but he's passionate about politics - again forgetting his manners when he talks to (at?) his hostess for far too long on the topic. He's clever - I wonder what else we will find out about him as we get to know him better.

Hello everyone - I’ve been thinking I should probably read W&P for over 20 years , so hopefully 2022 is the year when I finally will.

Russian interest started during A Level history when we did 20th century stuff, then spent 5 months of my gap yah living with a Russian family in Russia (where I met English now-DH). Been back once in the 2000s, would love to go back.

Thanks to @VikingNorthUtsire for the impetus to start - read chapter 1&2 yesterday, about to read a bit more today.

I appear to have a translation no one else does (the version DH read whilst in actual Russia!) - original translation appears to be from 1904. So far seems readable!

Re new words - I know what a samovar is, but line 3 used “palliate” which I had to look up (then realised I know “palliative” and could have probably figured it out…).

Other photo to my post attached is a helpful list of the main characters at the start of my edition - have already been referring to it to try to remember who’s who!

So far there has been barely any French - is that because my edition translates it all? Or because in chapter 1 & 2 there isn’t much?

French so far which is still in French - la grippe, des imbeciles, ma tante, soirée, chere Helene (and fortunately my French is good enough to understand that amount).

[quote VikingNorthUtsire]@BakeOffRewatch this is the Pevear Vintage Classics edition on Kindle: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Vintage-Classic-Russians-ebook/dp/B005CUS9AG/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I'd ask for your 75p back as well and let them know that they have incorrectly linked the kindle and print versions together - hopefully if a few people report it they will fix it[/quote]

Thank you, I've just downloaded this version and can already see from a cursory glance that it's better than the 75p version. I like that there are passages in French and that there is a list of characters at the beginning.

My edition had LOTS of French in the first chapter.

Mine didn't which I'm grateful for!

If the French isn't translated then the whole of the first paragraph is in French.

Wigeon - your photo contains spoilers!!

Thanks Viking, Tolstoy packed so much into four pages. It's so dense though and impossible to tell what and who we need to keep an eye on at that stage.

Chapter 2 in which we meet lovely Pierre out in society for the first time. He's the illegitimate son of a dying but still wealthy and influential man, Count Bezukov.
In my minds eye I see Pierre as a huge, young Russian Bear lumbering around excitedly, upsetting things and literally and metaphorically stepping on people's toes. Eager to join in the political discussion but unaware of the social mores he is breaking as he charges around ignoring his elders and detaining the hostess who is becoming increasingly alarmed by his behaviour.

We also catch our first glimpse of Vassily's daughter Hélène who, again, is described only in terms of her striking dress and physical beauty.

Also introduced is Princess Bolkonsky, this is Lise, the sister in law of poor lonely Maria Bolkonsky who Pavlovna and Vassily were plotting to marry off to his wastrel son in chapter one. Tolstoy is at pains to describe her as a great beauty but his description of a downy upper lip, that doesn't quite cover her white teeth brings to mind a pregnant chipmunk! 🐿

@rifling

Wigeon - your photo contains spoilers!!

Whoops, sorry! Note to others not to look if you want to avoid…

Also introduced is Princess Bolkonsky, this is Lise, the sister in law of poor lonely Maria Bolkonsky who Pavlovna and Vassily were plotting to marry off to his wastrel son in chapter one.

Ooh thank you for explaining that. I'd assumed they must be sisters or sisters in law.

@DesdamonasHandkerchief loving your recaps.

@VikingNorthUtsire I already have an opinion on Pierre having read it before but if I try to just think about what I have read then I imagine him rather as Desdemona describes him. Trying too hard but estranged from society (due to his illegitimacy?) so not really knowing how to manage polite society.

I enjoy the descriptions of Lise, because I definitely possess some down on my lip and had no idea it was so becoming.

Finding the translation chat really interesting. Does anyone know if later ones will have been much informed by earlier ones or would that be plagiarism and not done (or not admitted to!)?

My Maude edition has had only a few words of French so far - shame as I can actually read some French. Funnily enough the English of the first paragraph that would have been all French is less felicitous I would say than most of the text.

If I had a kindle I’d buy the Briggs too I think, but I don’t, and don’t want to risk a single hard copy volume that is harder to handle than the one I have.

What's wrong with the original 75p one apart from it not being what it said it was?

I enjoy the descriptions of Lise, because I definitely possess some down on my lip and had no idea it was so becoming.

@Cherrypi

What's wrong with the original 75p one apart from it not being what it said it was?

Nothing really. It didn't seem to have any additional material like footnotes, introduction etc - for me those are worth the extra £1.24!

I think I am reverting back to my Kindle Briggs for the spurious reason that I cannot find my three volume version to log on Goodreads.

Just finished chapter 2 and there's not really any French in my version (Penguin clothbound classic), there just a note at various points that they are speaking French. I remember from university (history) that French was considered to be the language of culture in Russia, the fact that Tolstoy described it as the aristocracy's language of though suggests it is their first language rather than a social affection. It will be interesting to see if war with France has any impact on this.

I'm really enjoying the book so far, I remember that when I first read it I found the 'war' sections really dull so will be interesting to see if I feel differently this time round.

I remember enough from my earlier read, and the BBC series to have an early impression of certain characters that's based on that broader knowledge, rather than on the info I have just read.

Result! I managed to get the Oxford University Press version that Fourseasons linked to earlier. It wasn't available on Amazon Italia as the page had a dud link but I wrote to them and they have corrected it. (Should have gifted me a free copy for pointing out the error . Btw has anyone noticed how hard it is to buy classics on Kindle? So many terrible texts - I guess people find them out of copyright and just try and make a quick buck. I bought an Oliver Twist that had no resemblance to the original text!)