War and Peace Readalong thread 2022 - thread 2

[VikingNorthUtsire]

"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: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Vintage-Classics-Tolstoy/dp/0099512246/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

NB also this link for the kindle version: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Vintage-Classic-Russians-ebook/dp/B005CUS9AG/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

The Signet Classics edition, translated by Anne Dunnigan: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Signet-Classics-Tolstoy-ebook/dp/B001RWQVXA/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

The Penguin Classics edition, translated by Anthony Briggs: www.amazon.co.uk/War-Peace-Penguin-Popular-Classics-ebook/dp/B0033805UG/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

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 like how Tolstoy enlivens and personalises what could be quite dry and uninteresting (the delivery of a letter).

Chapter 5
Balashov arrives at Napoleon’s residence. The French continue to treat him rudely. After four days, Napoleon agrees to see him, at the very house in Vilno from which Alexander had sent Balashov off.

I've been able to start plotting some new destinations on our War and Peace Tour... so we're deep into Lithuania at the moment which makes a nice change!

Napoleon is a canny one, isn't he - dragging poor Balshev around just so he can make the point around their advance not stopping, even though he must be aware of the contents of the letter! Will be interesting to see how their meeting goes...

Chapter 6
Balashov meets with Napoleon and is so intimidated by the emperor that he does a poor job of representing Alexander’s interests. Although both emperors insist that they don’t want a war, they also insist that they other country started the conflict.

Napoleon came across quite unhinged here.. which I guess was the idea but given how he's been lauded up to this point (admittedly without much personal interaction with him) it felt a bit odd. I thought Balashev actually did pretty well!

From a modern perspective, I was struck by the way places were being parcelled out without any consideration of the wishes of the people who actually lived there.

Tuesday 21st June
Chapter 7
Balashov represents Russia so badly that Napoleon begins to consider him an ally. He gives him a letter to Alexander that notes his refusal to withdraw his troops. War begins.

Balashov represents Russia so badly that Napoleon begins to consider him an ally

Now I don't think that's fair - poor Balashev is getting a raw deal here... I think it's quite clear that he's feeling restricted by protocol (and probably fear for his life) and Napoleon is so egocentric he can't imagine why he's not an ally and treats him accordingly. I actually quite like the sly digs Balashev was getting in ie Spain.

Agreed @SanFranBear. I thought the portrayal of Napoleon was very well drawn and Balashev did his best. I don't really know much about Napoleon apart from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures

That was a great portrait of Napoleon from his physical quirks to his egomania. It was an enjoyable few chapters.

I also think Balashev did well. He held his own and delivered his message except for that one line when he faltered. Napoleon wasn't going to take any notice of him anyway! The ear-tweaking was strange :)

Chapter 8
Back in Moscow, Prince Andrei wishes to duel with Anatole Kuraginn, but the their military assignments prevent them from meeting. Andrei takes leave to Bald Hills and confronts his father about his bad treatment of Princess Marya. He further warns Prince Nikolai that Mlle Bouriennee, with whom the elderly prince continues to flirt to the point of considering marriage, is of bad character. The elder Prince Nikolai doesn’t listen. Princess Marya urges her brother to forgive their father.

I think someone earlier in the thread said they wondered how often Gradesaver has tripped up a student... if I was teaching this, I'd obviously know the text well and I think I'd pick up on the slight discrepancies pretty quickly.

Either that or maybe I'm misinterpreting but I got the impression it was Anatole was purposefully getting away from Andrey and it wasn't the luck of his assignments. I guess that's hard to manage in an army structure but it definitely felt planned... I just got the impression that certain officers were afforded a bit more leeway than the proles?

Also - I don't think old Count Bolkonsky is seriously considering marriage?

I think you’re right on both points @SanFranBear

Chapter 9
Back at military general headquarters, Prince Andrei observes eight factions within the Russian officers, all of which have their own ideas about the best military strategy. Prince Andrei advises the tsar to leave the army for his own safety.

I enjoyed hearing about all the different groups and how they felt about the war although again, it wasn't Prince Andrey - even he doesn't have that sort of power - it was the Secretary of State (Shishkov) who wrote to the Tsar.

Whoever though, I do think they're right. Noone 'performs' well with their boss right on their shoulder... although he does inspire his troops and was a positive at Austerlitz, despite the trouncing!

I must catch up with chapters nine and ten. In the meantime, I found this interesting post on Twitter including photographs of French and Russian uniforms. The long tassel off the helmet must have been annoying :)

I found the bit about the self-assurance of different nationalities fascinating and prescient.

Chapter 10
Prince Andrei visits Count Bennigsenn_ in the latter's quarters to discuss strategy with him, the tsar, and a few other generals.

I’m all caught up. I must get back into the habit of reading a chapter a day. I really enjoyed Andrei standing up to his father. I really like Andrei’s conflicted character and the insight we get into that. I was all ‘go Andrei’ with his father and then we saw what he was feeling towards his son and I was all ‘no! Andrei!’.

It’s interesting to see people disliking Helene more now. She elicited a lot of sympathy early on. I think that’s an incredible testament to Tolstoy’s writing (and the translators) that she is a slow burn. More Pierre love beginning to come through as well.

I don't love any of the characters completely and as a reader, I think that's very appealing. They are human; they have flaws. They aren't perfect, like people aren't in the real world.

Totally agree with this... no-one is black and white, we're all shades of grey and this comes across really well.

Just checking - am I reading a chapter ahead as I read Chapter 11 (back to Nikolay?) last night and not sure how I've managed that, if so?

I think we should be on chapter 12 today!

Thanks Fuzzy... think I'm in the right place then 😃

Yes, SanFran, it's chapter 13 today!
An awkward scene with Nikolay, various colleagues, Marya the doctor's wife (another Marya!) and the doctor.

Way back in the first book, there was a woman in the convoy trying to reach her husband, the doctor. That's probably coincidental.