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.

Apologies I was away and the wifi was rubbish I'd sorted all the chapters out by date, as you can see below but it was difficult to post and in the end I gave up, I think we're back up to date with these:

Saturday 25th June
Chapter 11
The tsar arrives at Bennigsen's quarters, and the debate over strategy begins. Prince Andrei is struck by the fact that all of the generals are more interested in themselves than in winning the war, except for one named Pfuell_. The next day, the tsar offers Andrei a high honor: a position in his own detachment. Andrei rejects it in favor of a job in the army.

Sunday 26th June
Chapter 12
Since we last saw him, Nikolai Rostovv has been with his hussar regiment. He writes Sonya and reiterates his promise that they will marry when he returns. His regiment retreats from Vilno. Nikolai takes on a young protegé named Ilyinn. They go to a tavern together.

Monday 27th June
Chapter 13
At the tavern, all the men flirt with Marya Genrikhovnaa_, a German woman who travels with the regiment alongside her doctor husband. Marya is gorgeous and seems to enjoy the attention, which stops when her jealous husband wakes up and sends the men away.

Yes, I agree about the flawed characters which makes you switch allegiance from one to another while reading. It's fascinating.

A little bit 😬 at all the fobger stirring - especially when it's made clear her hands are not all that clean. I'm no clean freak or germaphobe but that really made me feel quite ick!

Oh my god - FINGER, not whatever the hell that was!

😄 i know! 😨

I love how different Nikolay is as a soldier now.. how when before, he was terrified of the cannons and the musket fire, it now excites him. He was also quite paternal to little Illyin, very much seeing himself in him.

He's come a long way from the 'gun throwing' scared novice of the beginning of the book!

Chapter 14
At two in the morning, the Pavlogradsky regiment gets orders to go to Ostrovna, a small village near which they expect a battle. Nikolai is no longer afraid to fight. The battle begins and Nikolai participates courageously.

I've just caught up after falling behind when we started this volume. I also like the way the characters keep transforming. Andrei seemed to open himself up to emotion and joy, but now he has just shut down again. And Nikolai has transformed as well, as you say, SanFranBear. First he was a carefree lad, then the horror of war brought him down, and how he's his confident self again. His default state seems to be contentment, which is a contrast with Andrei and Pierre.

The picture of how war negotiations unfold behind the scenes in the halls of power seems very realistic to me.

I'm starting to think that the Gradesaver summaries were done by one person at the start and then at some point another writer took over, because the later ones seem much more error-ridden than the earlier ones!

I always enjoy your observations, Cassandre.

I agree about the Gradesaver summaries. They are useful bookmarks though! Thanks to Desdamona for putting them up every day :)* *

I'll swap over to Shmoop and see if that is more accurate. It's a bit more 'down with the kids' and tends to be longer summaries but maybe people will prefer it's lighthearted approach.
I can't comment on the Grade Saver accuracy because I've fallen behind again whilst I was away 😖

Aww thanks IsFuzzy, I feel the same about your posts!

Please don't think you need to switch from Gradesaver unless you want to, Desdemona. The summaries are useful even if they sometimes have imprecisions -- and spotting the imprecisions makes me feel clever. 😀 It's kind of you to post them in any case.

More character transformation for Nikolai today. I like the way Tolstoy emphasises that a truth has dawned on him, but he can't quite articulate it to himself in words.

Aw Cassandre 😊

From Shmoop:

Wednesday 29 June
Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 15

•	Nikolai immediately sees that the guys riding back are being followed by some French dragoons, who are all totally disorganized.
•	He realizes that he has a tiny window of time to attack these French soldiers and annihilate them.
•	Calling his men, he jumps out in front and runs to attack.
•	And the battle is on.
•	Nikolai chases one French soldier so fast that his horse slams into the other horse just as Nikolai slashes at him with his saber.  (Yes, a saber. No, not a lightsaber.)
•	The guy falls out of his saddle, but has a foot caught in it. Nikolai is about to kill him, when suddenly he is stuck by how human the enemy is. It’s just a guy, with a face. A second later, the French guy yells that he surrenders, so there’s no need to kill him anymore.
•	Nikolai is disturbed.
•	Still, his quick thinking made for a successful attack, and a higher-up guy tells Nikolai that the emperor would hear about his awesomeness and probably award him a medal.

Thursday 30 June
Volume 3, Part 1 Chapter 16
• Meanwhile, Natasha is so sick that even Countess Rostov comes to Moscow, and they all rent a house to wait for Natasha to get better.
• There are lots and lots of doctors. Each one prescribes some different medication.
• Shmoop aside: obviously, this is in the days before medicine became the evidence-based science that it is today. Back then “medicine” could be just about anything – often things we now consider harmful, like opium or cocaine.
• 

• The doctors seem to have an effect, mostly because Natasha feels taken care of. Since her problem is basically mental, she just needs some time and love to feel better.
• The family rallies around her and eventually she perks up and stops being so catatonic all the time.

Halfway through the year and 53% through the book!

Those Schmoop summaries are great!

In my version I'm on 55% - so chuffed. I've been meaning to read this book for so long. Only another six months to go!!

Yay! 53 per cent read on the kindle!

I think Tolstoy wrote in a very tender way about Natasha's illness and recovery, particularly when he likens it to a child looking to its mother to rub a sore spot or where it hurts.

It seems that the Rostovs clocked up a fair few medical bills when what was really needed was a counsellor, if there had been counseling available during those days! It sounds like Natasha enjoyed the attention and as Tolstoy says, it was the loving care of her family that helped her get over this traumatic time rather than all the potions and pills that were prescribed.

Sorry - my anti-Natasha feelings took over and I couldn't help think that she was just adding to the Rostov's monetary woes with her selfishness. I won't say she wasn't depressed as she clearly was but it was a mess of her own making and she was absolutely lapping up the attention... a few good sessions with someone outside her 'adoring' family would've seen her right in short order.

Sorry - I know that's pretty cold and uncharitable and she was ill but gah.. she just annoys me 😆

I'm always impressed at how the Rostovs can drum up funds, all the same!

The family rallies around her and eventually she perks up and stops being so catatonic all the time.

I love this description.

Yes! 😅'Could you be like less catatonic dude?'

Schmoop is much more entertaining than Grade Saver.

Volume 3 Part 1 Chapter 17

•	Natasha is more animated, but she’s still pretty shell-shocked by what happened. She has a hard time enjoying anything or feeling pleasure, so she just avoids everything.
•	Mostly she tries not to be a burden to her family.
•	She also hangs out with Pierre, who is super nice to her. He never talks about his feelings for her, and she just assumes all that stuff about proposing was a way to make her feel better and doesn’t really mean anything. (Yeah, we all frequently ask people to marry us just to make them feel better.)
•	
•	Anyway, later in the summer Natasha gets really into church and starts preparing for communion the old-fashioned way – mass three times a day for a week.
•	Her mom thinks this is a good sign.
•	Listening to the service, Natasha doesn’t understand everything that is being said. (Russian Orthodox services are conducted in Church Slavonic, a language that is related to, but not the same as, Russian.) Still, it makes her happy to feel like God is guiding her.

Saturday 2nd July
Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 18
• In July all of Moscow knows that war is coming. Everyone is in a tizzy.

•	Alexander has issued some kind of proclamation, which Pierre promises to come and explain to the Rostovs at dinner.

•	Meanwhile, as Natasha is going to church she overhears people talking about her and the whole drama with Anatole. This makes her feel like crap, obviously, and she promises herself to be good from now on. She also suddenly realizes how horribly she’s been treating her family, including Sonya, and promises to be better.

•	Suddenly, in the middle of the church service – after the long prayer for peace and forgiveness to everyone, including enemies – a priest comes out with a special new prayer. It’s all about success for the military campaign, for killing as many French soldiers as possible, and for generally destroying everyone opposed to Russia.
•	Natasha is all, what the what?  How are we praying for soldiers to kill when we just prayed for love and forgiveness? She doesn’t say the new prayer and instead asks God again to forgive everyone.

Volume 3, Part 1, Chapter 19

•	Spoiler alert: Pierre’s totally in love with Natasha. Oh, wait, that wasn’t a spoiler – that was a newsflash from Captain Obvious.
•	He’s obsessing about her day and night, but since he can’t do too much about it, what with being married and all, he just lives like before: lots of partying, lots of booze.
•	Also, for some reason he has gotten really into numerology. 
•	

•	There was a weird fad back in the day where you could give numerical values to letters and then try to calculate the numerical meaning of words. If you did this with the words “l’empereur Napoleon,” you’d end up with the number 666, a.k.a. the mark of the beast of the Apocalypse.  Ooh, spooky.
•	In a really funny section, Pierre tries to do the same thing with his name. It doesn’t make sense – why does he want to have the number of the beast of the Apocalypse? But also, it’s hard to do with his name, and he keeps trying different variations, different spellings, until finally, he makes up a version of his name that’s both grammatically and orthographically wrong, but hey, it adds up to 666. Clearly Tolstoy thinks this is idiotic to the highest degree, so the whole thing is hilarious.
•	Pierre sends the Rostovs the info that Nikolai is getting promoted.
•	He thinks about going into the military himself but can’t because Freemasons are pacifists, and also because he now apparently thinks he might have the number of the beast.

I think l'russe besuhof has too much time on his hands 😄

That was funny. It reminded me of the kind of things you would do as a kid where you would add up the number of letters in your name and your crush’s name to see if you were compatible.