War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy

[Squid]

Book One: 1805

 

Chapter I

 

 

"Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the

Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war,

if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by

that Antichrist--I really believe he is Antichrist--I will have

nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer

my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see

I have frightened you--sit down and tell me all the news."

[Squid]

It was in July, 1805, and the speaker was the well-known Anna

Pavlovna Scherer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress Marya

Fedorovna. With these words she greeted Prince Vasili Kuragin, a man

of high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at her

reception. Anna Pavlovna had had a cough for some days. She was, as

she said, suffering from la grippe; grippe being then a new word in

St. Petersburg, used only by the elite.

[Squid]

All her invitations without exception, written in French, and

delivered by a scarlet-liveried footman that morning, ran as follows:

 

"If you have nothing better to do, Count [or Prince], and if the

prospect of spending an evening with a poor invalid is not too

terrible, I shall be very charmed to see you tonight between 7 and 10-

Annette Scherer."

[Squid]

"Heavens! what a virulent attack!" replied the prince, not in the

least disconcerted by this reception. He had just entered, wearing

an embroidered court uniform, knee breeches, and shoes, and had

stars on his breast and a serene expression on his flat face. He spoke

in that refined French in which our grandfathers not only spoke but

thought, and with the gentle, patronizing intonation natural to a

man of importance who had grown old in society and at court. He went

up to Anna Pavlovna, kissed her hand, presenting to her his bald,

scented, and shining head, and complacently seated himself on the

sofa.

[Squid]

"First of all, dear friend, tell me how you are. Set your friend's

mind at rest," said he without altering his tone, beneath the

politeness and affected sympathy of which indifference and even

irony could be discerned.

 

"Can one be well while suffering morally? Can one be calm in times

like these if one has any feeling?" said Anna Pavlovna. "You are

staying the whole evening, I hope?"

 

"And the fete at the English ambassador's? Today is Wednesday. I

must put in an appearance there," said the prince. "My daughter is

coming for me to take me there."

[klenke]

I have the 1968 Russian movie of the book on hold at the library. It's been on hold for about 9 months now. Still waiting.

 

The movie is 373 minutes (6 hours, 15 minutes) long and I'll have 3 weeks to watch it. Egads! Hope it doesn't come during climbing season. Oh wait, climbing season is all year for me.

[Squid]

"I thought today's fete had been canceled. I confess all these

festivities and fireworks are becoming wearisome."

 

"If they had known that you wished it, the entertainment would

have been put off," said the prince, who, like a wound-up clock, by

force of habit said things he did not even wish to be believed.

 

"Don't tease! Well, and what has been decided about Novosiltsev's

dispatch? You know everything."

 

"What can one say about it?" replied the prince in a cold,

listless tone. "What has been decided? They have decided that

Buonaparte has burnt his boats, and I believe that we are ready to

burn ours."

[foraker]

Squid, don't waste your time on this. It's a mind numbing tome. Rather, go read "Anna Karenina". Better yet, go read Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" if you are delving into Russian lit.

[foraker]

Now, if you're just looking for a interesting door-stop-sized read to keep you busy while minding the children at the gym, go for "Don Quixote". Make sure you don't get the abridged edition.

[Squid]

Prince Vasili always spoke languidly, like an actor repeating a

stale part. Anna Pavlovna Scherer on the contrary, despite her forty

years, overflowed with animation and impulsiveness. To be an

enthusiast had become her social vocation and, sometimes even when she

did not feel like it, she became enthusiastic in order not to

disappoint the expectations of those who knew her. The subdued smile

which, though it did not suit her faded features, always played

round her lips expressed, as in a spoiled child, a continual

consciousness of her charming defect, which she neither wished, nor

could, nor considered it necessary, to correct.

[Alpinfox]

 

Boosting your post count by quoting War and Peace paragraph by paragraph is aid!

 

[cj001f]

Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita"

[Squid]

In the midst of a conversation on political matters Anna Pavlovna

burst out:

 

"Oh, don't speak to me of Austria. Perhaps I don't understand

things, but Austria never has wished, and does not wish, for war.

She is betraying us! Russia alone must save Europe. Our gracious

sovereign recognizes his high vocation and will be true to it. That is

the one thing I have faith in! Our good and wonderful sovereign has to

perform the noblest role on earth, and he is so virtuous and noble

that God will not forsake him. He will fulfill his vocation and

crush the hydra of revolution, which has become more terrible than

ever in the person of this murderer and villain! We alone must

avenge the blood of the just one.... Whom, I ask you, can we rely

on?... England with her commercial spirit will not and cannot

understand the Emperor Alexander's loftiness of soul. She has

refused to evacuate Malta. She wanted to find, and still seeks, some

secret motive in our actions. What answer did Novosiltsev get? None.

The English have not understood and cannot understand the

self-abnegation of our Emperor who wants nothing for himself, but only

desires the good of mankind. And what have they promised? Nothing! And

what little they have promised they will not perform! Prussia has

always declared that Buonaparte is invincible, and that all Europe

is powerless before him.... And I don't believe a word that Hardenburg

says, or Haugwitz either. This famous Prussian neutrality is just a

trap. I have faith only in God and the lofty destiny of our adored

monarch. He will save Europe!"

 

She suddenly paused, smiling at her own impetuosity.

[Squid]

"I think," said the prince with a smile, "that if you had been

sent instead of our dear Wintzingerode you would have captured the

King of Prussia's consent by assault. You are so eloquent. Will you

give me a cup of tea?"

 

"In a moment. A propos," she added, becoming calm again, "I am

expecting two very interesting men tonight, le Vicomte de Mortemart,

who is connected with the Montmorencys through the Rohans, one of

the best French families. He is one of the genuine emigres, the good

ones. And also the Abbe Morio. Do you know that profound thinker? He

has been received by the Emperor. Had you heard?"

 

"I shall be delighted to meet them," said the prince. "But tell me,"

he added with studied carelessness as if it had only just occurred

to him, though the question he was about to ask was the chief motive

of his visit, "is it true that the Dowager Empress wants Baron Funke

to be appointed first secretary at Vienna? The baron by all accounts

is a poor creature."

[Norman_Clyde]

Woody Allen speed-read War and Peace in one night. His summary: "It concerns Russia."

Edited August 10, 2005 by Norman_Clyde

[olyclimber]

History controls everything we do, so there is no point in observing individual actions. Let's examine the individual actions of over 500 characters at great length. The end.

[archenemy]

I have the 1968 Russian movie of the book on hold at the library. It's been on hold for about 9 months now. Still waiting.

 

The movie is 373 minutes (6 hours, 15 minutes) long and I'll have 3 weeks to watch it. Egads! Hope it doesn't come during climbing season. Oh wait, climbing season is all year for me.

The same person has been watching it these past nine months.

[olyclimber]

i'm memorizing all the lines.

[Ireneo_Funes]

Now, if you're just looking for a interesting door-stop-sized read to keep you busy while minding the children at the gym, go for "Don Quixote". Make sure you don't get the abridged edition.

 

"Don Quixote" is worthwhile reading. The book is wildly different from the Quixote mythology that has developed in the popular consciousness. If you think it's going to be about a kind-hearted impossible-dreamer, the book will surprise you; it's really quite dark.

 

After the Quixote, Nabakov's "Lectures on Don Quixote" is of course required reading*.

 

*bold-face to emphasize the objective truth of this statement.

[Dechristo]

I rented the cliff notes version, "Man of La Mancha" sung by Robert Goulet.

[Squid]

Prince Vasili wished to obtain this post for his son, but others

were trying through the Dowager Empress Marya Fedorovna to secure it

for the baron.

 

Anna Pavlovna almost closed her eyes to indicate that neither she

nor anyone else had a right to criticize what the Empress desired or

was pleased with.

 

"Baron Funke has been recommended to the Dowager Empress by her

sister," was all she said, in a dry and mournful tone.

 

As she named the Empress, Anna Pavlovna's face suddenly assumed an

expression of profound and sincere devotion and respect mingled with

sadness, and this occurred every time she mentioned her illustrious

patroness. She added that Her Majesty had deigned to show Baron

Funke beaucoup d'estime, and again her face clouded over with sadness.

[olyclimber]

[Squid]

The prince was silent and looked indifferent. But, with the

womanly and courtierlike quickness and tact habitual to her, Anna

Pavlovna wished both to rebuke him (for daring to speak he had done of

a man recommended to the Empress) and at the same time to console him,

so she said:

 

"Now about your family. Do you know that since your daughter came

out everyone has been enraptured by her? They say she is amazingly

beautiful."

 

The prince bowed to signify his respect and gratitude.

 

"I often think," she continued after a short pause, drawing nearer

to the prince and smiling amiably at him as if to show that

political and social topics were ended and the time had come for

intimate conversation--"I often think how unfairly sometimes the

joys of life are distributed. Why has fate given you two such splendid

children? I don't speak of Anatole, your youngest. I don't like

him," she added in a tone admitting of no rejoinder and raising her

eyebrows. "Two such charming children. And really you appreciate

them less than anyone, and so you don't deserve to have them."

 

And she smiled her ecstatic smile.

[Squid]

"I can't help it," said the prince. "Lavater would have said I

lack the bump of paternity.

[Squid]

"Don't joke; I mean to have a serious talk with you. Do you know I

am dissatisfied with your younger son? Between ourselves" (and her

face assumed its melancholy expression), "he was mentioned at Her

Majesty's and you were pitied...."

 

The prince answered nothing, but she looked at him significantly,

awaiting a reply. He frowned.

 

"What would you have me do?" he said at last. "You know I did all

a father could for their education, and they have both turned out

fools. Hippolyte is at least a quiet fool, but Anatole is an active

one. That is the only difference between them." He said this smiling

in a way more natural and animated than usual, so that the wrinkles

round his mouth very clearly revealed something unexpectedly coarse

and unpleasant.