War and Peace

I just finished “War and Peace”. I started it last year, but I’m not working so much right now, so I had time to read. It to suit my “all-or-nothing” way of doin’ things. It’s classified as historical fiction....

(A note about the second epilogue: yes I only skimmed the second part of the epilogue. This much I gathered: Tolstoy was mistrustful of historians. The history books, to him, devote/d a lot undeserved time to the “heroes”, “villains” and “geniuses” of the past (oh how many times did he refer to Napoleon as a ”genius”? Like, a lot), and ignore the

other players – the rest of humanity. And as these historians look for reasons behind events, they underestimate the role of luck, chance, coincidence. Tolstoy really thought Napoleon was a Mr. Poopy Pants. “Loud and clear, Tolstoy”. At one part, I flipped to the back to read a summary of Volume IV, Part II, Chapter 10. It was as if the editor just gave up: “Napoleon failed in militarism, diplomacy, justice, religion, AND EVERYTHING ELSE”. (Well, he didn’t use all caps, but you get it now). No, Napoleon was not a “genius” – he came to power not through a master plan of his own but via some good luck. And France was chased away not because Napoleon made mistakes or had a bad cold but because Russia was better than France and knew the backroads and could handle the cold better. And then there’s the rest of humanity….)

The book was maybe the most satisfying book I’ve ever read…..I’d complain to my friends with my own catch phrase (I’m the first one to use it, I’m sure): “Heheheee, the war parts are a little boring but the peace parts are AWESOME!”. Really erudite, I know. I did get sleepy during a lot of the action sequences (it’s 1,358 pages, small font, and there are no wizards…give me a break) “I get sleepy during action scenes in movies so you can imagine what it’s like READING them IN BED! Hehehe!” I’d say.

But that was about as bad as it got. The war parts were not all action sequences, not at all. And the war parts are where you’ll get to really know my – and many people’s – most beloved character, Prince Andrey. He's a part of me now. It’s as if I’ve come across him in my own life and he's part of my personal history, part of my future nostalgia. Many of them, but in particular, this Prince Andrey

!!!!!!THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IS A SPOILER ALERT!!!!! (The exclamation points were in celebration of Spain’s victory):

( I forsee a mutt in my future who shall bear Prince Andrey's name...his death for me is the most salient part of this book...perhaps a lavender-grey dog with a bandy leg. There is such one in the script).

OK…you’re safe to read on now. Because there are lots of players - Tolstoy doesn’t change voices in the narrative or anything, but everyone gets a chance in the forefront and you see the world through a different set of eyes. And he gives you the subtext right away – which, as an a

ctor, I really appreciated. I was in on it all. I understood everyone – well, as much as I u

nderstand myself…

I latched on to certain characters. Of course my husband gave me a heads-up: “Most of the people you meet are going to die”, or “oh Liza? She’s a ninny”, or “Pierre is awesome”, or “I love Natasha. She reminds me of you.” So, I knew who kind of to invest in and who was indeed a twerp.

The book is also satisfying because of its resolution. I usually prefer open-ended novels/films, but after 1,358 pages, I found myself so thankful for the closure. It speaks of the good in people, and anyone going through an existential crises (aren’t we all) will identity with… reap worlds from…War and Peace.

But don’t take it from me! Here are some excerpts…Let them speak for themselves! I highly recommend the translation by Anthony Briggs:

“Natasha was indeed having the happiest time of her life. She was at the very peak of happiness, when a person is transformed into someone completely good and kind, and rejects the slightest possibility of evil, misery, and grief”.

“’A man can be the master of nothing while ever he fears death. And the man that fears not death possesses everything. Without suffering a man would know not his limits, would know not himself.’”

“’Get rid of this lot’, said the officer, pointing to the beams and the dead bodies. The French soldiers finishes off the wounded, and threw the dead bodies over the parapet. Who these men were nobdy knew. They were dismissed in a few words, ‘Get rid of this lot’, thrown down below and later cleared away to avoid a stink."

“’I suppose you mean the way to Warsaw!,’ said Prince Hippolyte in a very loud voice, much to everyone’s surprise. All eyes turned to him, no one knew what he meant. Prince Hippolyte stared around as well in breezy bemusement. He had no more idea than anyone else what his words were supposed to mean. He had often noticed in his career as a diplomat that an off-the-cuff remark like that was considered very witty, so he had blurted out the first words that came into his head, just in case. ‘It might come out all right,’ he had thought, ‘and if it doesn’t, they’ll know what to do with it.”

‎"Pierre saw the absence of suffering and the satisfaction of our basic needs, followed by the freedom to choose an occupation, or lifestyle, as the highest and most dependable form of human happiness...the enjoyment of eating when you are hungry, drinking when you are thirsty, sleeping when you are tired, keeping warm when it is cold and talking to a fellow creature when you feel like talking"

“’It’s not my fault I’m still alive and I want to live, and the same applies to you.’”

“’Marie, do you know something?...He’s different, sort of clean and smooth and fresh. It’s as if he’s just come out of the bath-house. Do you know what I mean? A moral bath-house.’”