War and Peace readalong thread 2022 - thread 3

[VikingNorthUtsire]

Welcome to the third thread. Please see the OP in threads 1 or 2 for the full info.on the readalong, links to different editions and translations, blog posts, etc.

I think most of us are established now so for this post I'll just re-shsre the reading schedule

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

Am I the only one thinking 'Oh no, not again' as another of Natasha's fianceés heads off for an extended trip...? <cynic>

Um.... Was I the only one who felt a bit like I fell of a cliff at the end of chapter 20? It was very sudden and didn't feel at all ending-like to me!

Yes, I was very surprised when I turned the page and it was the epilogue!

I know 😂it took me by surprise too.
I wonder if Tolstoy took a break before writing the epilogues, if they were planned or tacked on later?

I mean, we all find her quite annoying so maybe they do too 😂

"Oh yes, Natasha, I do totally love you but I.. um... I have to go to St Petersburg for no reason for a while"

The epilogues are considerably longer that the chapters so I'll put the summary of the first here for people to read when they're ready.
It's split into 16 chapters but the summary takes it as a whole.
Do we want to set a date to discuss the first epilogue? Is Monday 5th too soon?

Spoiler alert! To be read after first epilogue:

Epilogue 1:

Tolstoy pauses for a long, essayistic critique of the ‘great men’ theory of history, which says that great individuals (usually rulers) determine the course of history. Tolstoy argues that broader circumstances, caused by infinite minute decisions, are actually responsible for major historical events. He tells Napoleonn_’s life story and explains how its events were driven not by Napoleon, but by external circumstances.

Count Rostov dies. Nikolai inherits the estate, along with a mountain of debts. He is poor for a few years, and tries to support his mother on a soldier’s salary. Natasha marries Pierre and becomes an extremely dedicated wife and mother. Nikolai resolves his debts through a combination of hard work and marriage to Princess Marya. He becomes a very successful farmer because he cares about his peasants’ needs. Sonya lives with Nikolai and Princess Marya, and works as a kind of servant. Marya and Nikolai’s children often become sources of discord between the married couple. Pierre remains active in the Freemasons.

I think according to the original post we’re still due to read the epilogues as a chapter I day. I don’t mind reading a bit quicker than that but I think Monday is a bit too soon!

Okay, the summary is there to go back to when everyone has finished, mid December-ish I presume.

But of course each chapter can be discussed individually - and there's quite a lot to unpick when we catch up with the main protagonists again.
Todays chapter 1 is basically more of the same - a discourse on historically famous characters with particular reference to Alexander I.

Been reading everyone’s posts about this section and nodding along - struggled through the war and all the ‘revisionist’ history that seemed to be talking me out of a view I never held in the first place - and was pleased to see Pierre, Natasha and Marya again, the last chapters were much more readable. It’s an odd place to draw the main ‘book’ to a close though and move on to epilogues, with Sonya, Nicholas and Marya’s fates unresolved.

About next year, is there anyone who’s also on the Women in White thread? Just wondering what suggestions for next year have been discussed on that thread. Is there going to be another Dickensalong?

There's no talk yet about it :)

Hello everyone, well done on finishing the book, Here are the final three illustrations from my books - enjoy 😊

Lovely, Mb76. Thank you!* *

Thanks @Mb76 for posting the last of the illustrations. It is really amazing how you can absolutely pinpoint what page of the book they relate to. Shows how good they are.
I see Pierre didn't manage to keep his POW weight off!

Prompted by our discussion here about next reads, it is being discussed. Looks like The Old Curiosity Shop most likely, though not 100% decided.

I’m still 11 hours from finishing or at least catching up. Dedicating what I can of the weekend to this.

I have finished reading the first epilogue.
Now onto the second!

I'm confused at where we're up to! Are we just reading through to the end now at our own pace?

According to the schedule in the OP it’s still a chapter a day, due to complete on Dec 21st (I think!). However I think some are reading a bit quicker now the end is in sight!

I think we’re still reading a chapter a day, but we’re a bit unmoored without @DesdamonasHandkerchief’s daily summaries - her sources seem to have all given up at this point. Also at this time of year people are even more likely to be reading when they can.

Thanks for the Dickens heads up @StColumbofNavron. Does anyone have any suggestions for a non-Dickens readalong? I know it’s already been established that Les Misérables has 365 chapters. Other books I’d be quite interested in would be Don Quixote or Ulysses, on the grounds that I’ll never read them without support, but I’ve no idea how suitable they are for dividing up like this, and others may not fancy them anyway.

It looks like it, rifling, that we are going at our own pace now. I'm going keep reading on and will finish up soon. I'd like if we discussed the first epilogue during December to talk about how things worked out for Pierre, Natasha and the others. Perhaps we should set a date for that? I don't think there will be much interest in the second one (more pontificating about the causes of war).

At a chapter a day first epilogue finishes on 18/12/22, but if everyone is happy to finish earlier we can discuss it earlier.

Oh gosh the second epilogue sounds fascinating 😳

I haven't quite finished the first one but i' happy for people to start talking about it. I think we're kind of past the "no spoilers" stage.

I'm finding the sudden switch from life-or-death drama to cosy domestic a bit jarring. Although it's lovely to see our characters with their own families.

I know it's hardly the focus but I do think Tolstoy writes married couples convincingly, even if his views about women are rather off-putting. Did anyone else see this?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4682697-new-doc-on-tolstoys-wife

I’ve just finished the first epilogue - the library want the book back so that might be the excuse I need not to read the second!

The first feels like part of the book proper with the marriages, and then as if by magic the men look round and see they have several children each! I liked this section though after all the war. The relationship dynamics especially the attitude to Nicholas are brilliantly drawn, glossing over the attitude to Natasha and particularly the treatment of Sonya the poor relation - Natasha’s rationalisation of this ‘she doesn’t feel it as you or I would’ is pretty much the definition of prejudice.

love the John crace digested read of W&P www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/11/war-and-peace-by-leo-tolstoy-digested-read.

Hi Cornish! I agree with your comments. I felt sorry for young Nicolai. He seemed a bit lost. I thought Marya would have had a better relationship with him. I was disappointed with her. She raised him from birth after all!

I thought Natasha came across rather badly in terms of being controlling in her marriage. She isn't easy to live with and I didn't like her attitude towards Sonya either. I agree with Viking that Tolstoy described the dynamics between married couples well and I thought that the description of Natasha as a young mother was relatable, that she lost herself somewhat, putting her children's needs before her own.

The library wants the book back. Ha! I'm working my way through the second epilogue, just grasping the main point of each chapter and moving on, because it's such a hoot not.

Thank you both for the links! I'll look at them now.