War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy

[Squid]

"And why are children born to such men as you? If you were not a

father there would be nothing I could reproach you with," said Anna

Pavlovna, looking up pensively.

 

"I am your faithful slave and to you alone I can confess that my

children are the bane of my life. It is the cross I have to bear. That

is how I explain it to myself. It can't be helped!"

 

He said no more, but expressed his resignation to cruel fate by a

gesture. Anna Pavlovna meditated.

[olyclimber]

I hate to ruin it for you Squid, but in the end of that book, Brad and Jen get back together and have a couple of cute little puppies together.

[mec]

but what happens with angelina?

[olyclimber]

She dumps Brad for Olyclimber.

[olyclimber]

But then she finds out Olyclimber is married, so she commits ritual suicide. Its sad, but poetic.

[olyclimber]

a bit boring too, I might add.

[foraker]

most russian lit can be summarized by the phrase: "you die, she dies, everybody dies". so, olyclimber, you aren't far off. ;-)

[Alpinfox]

But then she finds out Olyclimber is married...

 

OLYMPIA CLIMBER IS MARRIED!??!?

 

[Squid]

"Have you never thought of marrying your prodigal son Anatole?"

she asked. "They say old maids have a mania for matchmaking, and

though I don't feel that weakness in myself as yet, I know a little

person who is very unhappy with her father. She is a relation of

yours, Princess Mary Bolkonskaya."

 

Prince Vasili did not reply, though, with the quickness of memory

and perception befitting a man of the world, he indicated by a

movement of the head that he was considering this information.

 

"Do you know," he said at last, evidently unable to check the sad

current of his thoughts, "that Anatole is costing me forty thousand

rubles a year? And," he went on after a pause, "what will it be in

five years, if he goes on like this?" Presently he added: "That's what

we fathers have to put up with.... Is this princess of yours rich?"

 

"Her father is very rich and stingy. He lives in the country. He

is the well-known Prince Bolkonski who had to retire from the army

under the late Emperor, and was nicknamed 'the King of Prussia.' He is

very clever but eccentric, and a bore. The poor girl is very

unhappy. She has a brother; I think you know him, he married Lise

Meinen lately. He is an aide-de-camp of Kutuzov's and will be here

tonight."

[Squid]

"Listen, dear Annette," said the prince, suddenly taking Anna

Pavlovna's hand and for some reason drawing it downwards. "Arrange

that affair for me and I shall always be your most devoted slave-

slafe wigh an f, as a village elder of mine writes in his reports.

She is rich and of good family and that's all I want."

 

And with the familiarity and easy grace peculiar to him, he raised

the maid of honor's hand to his lips, kissed it, and swung it to and

fro as he lay back in his armchair, looking in another direction.

 

"Attendez," said Anna Pavlovna, reflecting, "I'll speak to Lise,

young Bolkonski's wife, this very evening, and perhaps the thing can

be arranged. It shall be on your family's behalf that I'll start my

apprenticeship as old maid."

[olyclimber]

In chapter 14, they eat calamari. Do you know what that is?

[Squid]

Anna Pavlovna's drawing room was gradually filling. The highest

Petersburg society was assembled there: people differing widely in age

and character but alike in the social circle to which they belonged.

Prince Vasili's daughter, the beautiful Helene, came to take her

father to the ambassador's entertainment; she wore a ball dress and

her badge as maid of honor. The youthful little Princess

Bolkonskaya, known as la femme la plus seduisante de Petersbourg,* was

also there. She had been married during the previous winter, and being

pregnant did not go to any large gatherings, but only to small

receptions. Prince Vasili's son, Hippolyte, had come with Mortemart,

whom he introduced. The Abbe Morio and many others had also come.

[olyclimber]

inane

[Squid]

*The most fascinating woman in Petersburg.

 

 

To each new arrival Anna Pavlovna said, "You have not yet seen my

aunt," or "You do not know my aunt?" and very gravely conducted him or

her to a little old lady, wearing large bows of ribbon in her cap, who

had come sailing in from another room as soon as the guests began to

arrive; and slowly turning her eyes from the visitor to her aunt, Anna

Pavlovna mentioned each one's name and then left them.

 

Each visitor performed the ceremony of greeting this old aunt whom

not one of them knew, not one of them wanted to know, and not one of

them cared about; Anna Pavlovna observed these greetings with mournful

and solemn interest and silent approval. The aunt spoke to each of

them in the same words, about their health and her own, and the health

of Her Majesty, "who, thank God, was better today." And each

visitor, though politeness prevented his showing impatience, left

the old woman with a sense of relief at having performed a vexatious

duty and did not return to her the whole evening.

[Dechristo]

inanity insanity

[minx]

inanity insanity

 

inanity inanity

[Dechristo]

Squid the Scribner

 

Squidner?

[Squid]

The young Princess Bolkonskaya had brought some work in a

gold-embroidered velvet bag. Her pretty little upper lip, on which a

delicate dark down was just perceptible, was too short for her

teeth, but it lifted all the more sweetly, and was especially charming

when she occasionally drew it down to meet the lower lip. As is always

the case with a thoroughly attractive woman, her defect--the shortness

of her upper lip and her half-open mouth--seemed to be her own special

and peculiar form of beauty. Everyone brightened at the sight of

this pretty young woman, so soon to become a mother, so full of life

and health, and carrying her burden so lightly. Old men and dull

dispirited young ones who looked at her, after being in her company

and talking to her a little while, felt as if they too were

becoming, like her, full of life and health. All who talked to her,

and at each word saw her bright smile and the constant gleam of her

white teeth, thought that they were in a specially amiable mood that

day.

 

The little princess went round the table with quick, short,

swaying steps, her workbag on her arm, and gaily spreading out her

dress sat down on a sofa near the silver samovar, as if all she was

doing was a pleasure to herself and to all around her. "I have brought

my work," said she in French, displaying her bag and addressing all

present. "Mind, Annette, I hope you have not played a wicked trick

on me," she added, turning to her hostess. "You wrote that it was to

be quite a small reception, and just see how badly I am dressed."

And she spread out her arms to show her short-waisted, lace-trimmed,

dainty gray dress, girdled with a broad ribbon just below the breast.

[olyclimber]

can we skip to the naughty bits?

[Squid]

"Soyez tranquille, Lise, you will always be prettier than anyone

else," replied Anna Pavlovna.

[minx]

can we skip to the naughty bits?

girdled with a broad ribbon just below the breast.

 

 

i think that is the naughty bit

[Squid]

"You know," said the princess in the same tone of voice and still in

French, turning to a general, "my husband is deserting me? He is going

to get himself killed. Tell me what this wretched war is for?" she

added, addressing Prince Vasili, and without waiting for an answer she

turned to speak to his daughter, the beautiful Helene.

 

"What a delightful woman this little princess is!" said Prince

Vasili to Anna Pavlovna.

[olyclimber]

you spent your last dollar on seven shotgun shells

[Dechristo]

War and piece. Listenin' to "All Day Music" while makin' love.

 

What a delightful thread.

[Ireneo_Funes]

last long dollar