War and Peace : An Introduction

[Marie]

Set against the sweeping panoply of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, War and Peace—presented here in the first new English translation in forty years—is often considered the greatest novel ever written. As Tolstoy follows the changing fortunes of his characters, he crafts a view of humanity that is both epic and intimate and that continues to define fiction at its most resplendent.

At a lavish party in St Petersburg in 1805, amid the glittering crystal and chandeliers, the room buzzes with talk of the prospect of war. Soon battle and terror will engulf the country, and the destinies of its people will be changed forever. War and Peace has as its backdrop Napoleon's invasion of Russia and at its heart three of literature's most memorable characters : Pierre Bezukhov, a Quixote young man in search of life's meaning; Prince Andrey Bolkonksky, a cynical intellectual transformed by suffering in war; and the bewitching Natasha Rostov, whose impulsiveness threatens to destroy her happiness. As they seek fulfillment, fall in love, make mistakes, and become scarred by conflict in different ways, these chharacters and their stories become interweaved with those of a huge cast, from aristocrats to peasants, from soldiers to Napoleon himself. Battles, love affairs, births, deaths, changing family fortunes, unforgettable scenes of wolf hunts, Russian dancing, starlit troika rides, the great comet of 1812 - the entire spectrum of human life is here in all its grandeur and imperfection.

New readers and rereaders alike will discover not just an exciting story but also a deeply rewarding meditation on the tension between free will and fate as the forces of history move inexorably forward. Epic and intimate, compassionate and engrossing, this is the must-read War and Peace.

*from the penguin classics deluxe edition

Character Guide

the Bezukhovs
Count Kirill Bezukhov
Pierre Bezukhov (Pyotr Kirillovich) : his son
Katerina (Katishe), Olga, and Sofya : Pierre's cousins, the Mamontov sisters

the Bolkonkskys
Prince Nikolay Bolkonksky
Prince Andrey Bolkonksky : his son
Princess Marya : his daughter
Prince Nikolay Bolkonksky : Andrey's son

the Rostovs
Count Ilya Rostov
Countess Natalya : his wife
Count Nikolay Rostov : their eldest son
Count Pyotr Rostov (Petya) : their younger son
Countess Vera : their eldest daughter
Countess Natalya (Natasha) : their youngest daughter
Sofya (Sonya) : cousin raised by the family

the Kuragins
Prince Vasily Kuragin
Prince Anatole : his eldest son
Prince Hyppolyte : his youngest son
Princess Yelena (Helene) :his daughter

the Drubetskoys
Princess Anna Mikhaylovna
Boris : her son

Reading Schedule for January - March 2016

Week of January 1: Volume I, Part I : Chapter 1 -22

Week of January 8: Volume I, Part I : Chapter 23 - Volume I, Part II : Chapter 18

Week of January 15: Volume I, Part II : Chapter 19 - Volume I, Part III : Chapter 14

Week of January 22: Volume I, Part III : Chapter 15 - Volume II, Part II : Chapter 3

Week of January 29: Volume II, Part II : Chapter 4 - Volume II, Part III : Chapter 11

Week of February 5: Volume II, Part III : Chapter 12 - Volume II, Part IV : Chapter 11

Week of February 12: Volume II, Part IV : Chapter 12 - Volume III, Part I : Chapter 4

Week of February 19: Volume III, Part I : Chapter 5 - Volume III, Part II : Chapter 4

Week of February 26: Volume III, Part II : Chapter 5 - Volume III, Part II : Chapter 29

Week of March 4: Volume III, Part II : Chapter 30 - Volume III, Part III : Chapter 19

Week of March 11: Volume III, Part III : Chapter 20 - Volume IV, Part I : Chapter 9

Week of March 18: Volume IV, Part I : Chapter 10 - Volume IV, Part III : Chapter 7

Week of March 25: Volume IV, Part III : Chapter 8 - Epilogue, Part I : Chapter 1

Week of March 31: Epilogue, Part I : Chapter 2 - Epilogue, Part II : Chapter 12

Note : While looking over my schedule in the upcoming months, and knowing there are others in the group who have been dealing with illness, I felt it better to go ahead and schedule for three months. That will keep things more laid back for people getting back into the swing of things after the holidays, and other reading plans you may have already scheduled. I noticed some of the digital editions work on a different chapter set up than my copy. It works out to about one hundred print pages a week, and I'll be posting a spoiler tag with the last line you should have read in the section at the end of each chapter summary. If there is any confusion, please let me know. I also posted a beginning character guide. These are the main characters, there are about twenty other secondary characters, as well as some historical figures... Like I said, it's the characters that get you in this one ;) My copy has about one hundred and fifty pages of character guides, battle summaries, discussions, etc. If there are ever any questions, we'll get them figured out. Hope everyone has a fantastic New Year!

[Angela]

Marie! I'm so excited to read this with you guys. I started it about 4-5 years ago and loved it but somehow lost track and didn't finish it. I adore Tolstoy and reading Anna Karenina was pivotal for me. I can not wait to read, contribute and finish this. I ordered a copy of the Penguin Hardcover cloth classics, I collect, and may also listen to an audiobook. Does anyone have a good Audiobook suggestion for supplementing reading? Is one of the Libravox recordings with listening to?

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

I'm going to lurk rather than read.

I read this several times when I was a teenager (weird? Right?) many years ago. Then I read this again soon after I joined GR in spring of 2013.

[Angela]

I wondered if any of you have seen the trailer for the new War and Peace BBC One television show that debuts tomorrow night? I'm not sure where it will be available for streaming (I don't have cable) but I'd love to watch it and see how it compares with the book. http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/02/bbcs-wa...

[``Laurie]

Angela wrote: "I wondered if any of you have seen the trailer for the new War and Peace BBC One television show that debuts tomorrow night? I'm not sure where it will be available for streaming (I don't have cabl..."

Thanks for reminding me of this Angela, I plan on watching too.

[Marie]

So glad you're joing us for the read, Angela. Tolstoy is a favorite of mine too.

And Yes!! I have been stalking this miniseries since they announced filming last year. It airs here in the States on January 18, on HISTORY, A&E, and Lifetime. I know History usually streams episodes of Vikings online after the episode airs and keeps them up for about a week. They're good about posting their miniseries, too. Sons of Liberty was up for the full week the show was on last year. You might try there if you want to watch online. If anyone has Amazon Prime, it becomes available on January 26.

[Nikki]

I can't wait to watch the mini-series as well! It looks great.

I ended up getting a print copy of Pevear's translation...I figured it might be easier to be able to flip to the notes as needed rather than try to read on my phone. Already began reading...and I'm hooked.

[Angela]

Loving this! I'm on the 10th chapter. I ended up watching the first episode of the BBC One mini-series, and I'm so glad I did! (it's technically not airing here in the US until the 18th of this month but I watched it on the BBC iPlayer with a free trial of UnoTelly, a universal IP router that allows you to watch other country's tv- I'm a bit impatient) it is already helping me place the faces with the characters and I am having an easier time reading it now.

[Sara]

I am into Part IV and I am now very involved in these people and their stories. I am anxious to see the mini-series as well. Great timing.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Angela, thanks for notice about W&P Mini series from BBC. I just sent a text to sister to demand she record it.

I don't have my any Telly, cable, DVD player etc bec all I do is read ! Shocking!

[Angela]

Andrea, you're welcome! And I watched it on my phone!

[Marie]

Nobody say anything! I'm kidding... sort of. ;)

I actually have an expat shield on my computer that reroutes your ip address, thats how I've watched Downton on ITV the last few years, and a lot of other shows. But I'm impatiently trying to wait for this one on television. Because Aneurin Barnard... I've adored him since the White Queen, so I want to see this one a larger screen than a laptop.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, because I love War and Peace and I know it will never be the book, but I'm excited.

Also, if you guys want to chat about it, I'll be posting a discussion here on the group as soon as it airs.

I'm so glad you're enjoying it, Sara!

[Angela]

Tolstoy's description of his characters mesmerizes me. I feel like I see their faces, their actions, as if they are happening in front of me. I love Natasha and her naive sweetness. I also adore her father, the Count Ilya. He is jovial and devoted to his children. I am sad for Lise and feel like she is so much like a modern day, hormonal pregnant woman- the idea of her going to be put up with strange family members while her husband goes off to war would be so difficult for anyone!! I'm only up to chapter 13 and have some more reading to do tonight, but I love how the story is progressing.

[Marie]

Angela wrote: "Tolstoy's description of his characters mesmerizes me. I feel like I see their faces, their actions, as if they are happening in front of me. I love Natasha and her naive sweetness. I also adore he..."

It's one of the things I love most about Tolstoy, his characters speak to their time, but they're timeless. Also, there are so many parallels in their society and politics to ours today. I try not to get political in groups like this - though everyone is welcome to freely state any opinion as long as everyone remains respectful to differences - but it's impossible to read his books without seeing so many similarities.

[Nikki]

I agree, Angela and Marie. His character descriptions are amazing. At times I feel like they are quite modern...and very relatable. That has surprised me over and over as he introduces each character. I've found that I'm already very partial to many of them!

[Sara]

He might be the proof that no matter how much things change, they are always the same. He is a master at painting the society and still maintaining the individual personalities, so that you are always saying "I know someone just like that."

[Nikki]

Yes - I love the way you said that Sara! Totally agree.

[``Laurie]

Looking forward to the chat.