The War and Peace Project

Volume 1 - Part 1: Chapters 1 - 3

2008-07-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

After deciding to do this project I suddenly found myself reluctant to actually get started on the reading. I think my preconceived ideas about the novel were holding me back. I expected a tough, dense and not really pleasurable reading experience. It seems, now that I've started, I was very much wrong.

Chapter 1 throws the reader straight into the midst of a soiree being held by Anna Pavlovna Scherer. It's a fairly breathless beginning - a lot of information (and a lot of characters) are introduced quickly but somehow it's not overwhelming.

I found myself really enjoying the descriptions. This is what Tolstoy has to say about Anna:

To be an enthusiast had become her special role in society, and she would sometimes wax enthusiastic when she didn't feel like it, so as not to frustrate the expectations of those who knew her. (p. 6)

It's a succinct way of delivering a great deal of detail about Anna. She's clearly going to be an interesting character.

In Chatper 2 the party continues. The various characters are introduced rapidly and the reader's attention is whirled from one to the next in a manner that reflects the kaleidoscopic nature of the party. The mysterious Pierre is introduced but it's not immediately clear why Anna is so worried about him.

At this point it still isn't clear to me exactly what's going on and which characters are the ones to be paying attention to. Everyone seems to be potentially important. But from reading the Introduction I know not to really expect a conventional narrative.

The cast of characters continues to grow in Chapter 3 - and the relationships between them is a bit confusing. At this point I'm just trying to go with the flow. The mystery of Anna's interest in Pierre continues.

"There's nothing more important for a young man than the company of intelligent women." - Prince Vasily (p. 17)

Technorati Tags: War and Peace,Leo Tolstoy

The Introduction

2008-07-10T23:28:00.001-07:00

Right then...unfortunately I've had The Killer Cold From HELL for the last week or two which means I haven't really done any reading apart from the Introduction.

I'm reading the Penguin Classics 2007 edition - the Introduction to which isn't attributed to anyone but I assume it's by the Translator, Anthony Briggs.

Anyone coming to this novel for the first time can be assured of one thing: you are going to enjoy some very good stories.

p. xiii

Well I certainly hope so!

Technorati Tags: War and Peace,Leo Tolstoy

The Project

2008-06-30T23:12:00.001-07:00

One of my philosophy professors recently told me that all anyone needed to know about philosophy and art could be found in War and Peace. Tolstoy, according to this teacher, was the greatest of philosophers.

Naturally this intrigued me...not the least because I'd just completed my English Literature Degree without reading a single Russian novelist. So I decided I'd tackle this behemoth of a book and see what all the fuss was about.

This blog is intended to be a free-form record of my thoughts as I read the novel. It's not going to be academic at all...it's not going to be a review. It's just going to be me coming to grips with Tolstoy.

Technorati Tags: War and Peace,Leo Tolstoy