In response to Shannon's observation about the lack of footnotes in "War, part 1", as I like to call it: I really think it just because there is less conversation, and most of what conversation there is deals with battle, how scared everyone is or is not, who is dead or bleeding, and what the officers are wearing that day. We get back to the footnotes once we return to salons where occupants are gossiping about current affairs, where we need to know more background about the topics of the day.
I know that there is the handy-dandy character list at the beginning of the novel, but man, is anyone else finding it hard to follow who is who? Also, does anyone find that some of jokes just don't translate well? I think its more of a cultural thing than a linguistics things, but they are just not funny. Except when Prince Andrei's father plays on the German love of combining 18 words into one (i.e. Hofkriegswrath) along with some old national sterotypes, coming up with Hofs-kriegs-wurst-schnapps-rath. Too good! (FYI: This example was taken from Vol 1, Part 1).
Also, does anyone else notice how negatively the high society is portrayed, ESPECIALLY women? I'm not too happy about that, Tolstoy. Like, all they want to do is chat about nothing or play other people like pawns, or get married to rich men if they have titles, or titled men if they are rich. I don't know, maybe that's all they were interested in.
This blog follows a group of friends as they read 'War and Peace' over the course of a year. It is more exciting than it sounds, but don't take our word for it: pick up a copy and join in.
I notice that there were less foot notes in the second part as well.
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