Yes! So for the first time this year I've actually met one of the reading deadlines! I'm all caught up now.
I felt like a lot happened in this section, especially concerning the character's love lives. I liked all the different ways that the characters perceptions of themselves and each other changed, from Pierre falling in 'love' with Helene and getting engaged through no real effort on his part to Rostov's over-the-top worship of 'the sovereign.' The last one is nicely mirrored by Prince Andrei's own feelings towards Napoleon. When he first went off to war, his feelings toward old Boney were similar to Rostov's crush on the Alexander (only a lot more toned down and a lot less hilarious). Even though Bonaparte was the leader of the enemy, Andrei still revered him as a great military strategist and held him in high (if grudging) respect. But then Andrei actually goes to war and sees all kinds of horrible stuff, so much that everything that seemed important before seems small and insignificant, including his admiration for Napoleon. When we last left Andrei, he was going through a major mental break down. Unfortunately for the poor guy, he was also going through a major physical break down at the same time, having been severely wounded while acting all brave and stuff. C'mon Andrei, according to the character sheet your wife is going to have a baby boy! You have to pull through to meet little (checks sheet) Nikolai!
I like the parallels between Rostov/Alexander and Andrei/Napoleon because I think it's part of the many ways Tolstoy contrasts the two characters. While Rostov is blindly, madly in love with his leader, Andrei's admiration for Napoleon fades once he actually experiences war. To me this is a way of showing how Andrei is a much more level headed character than Rostov, who is an idiot. Another fine example of this is when the two of them have their little face-off in the bar, in which Andrei acts coolly while Rostov is once again, an idiot.
Also, speaking of relationships, did anyone else breath a sigh of relief when Marya didn't marry whatshisface? God, what a douche! Still, it was a troubling chapter in that none of the woman seemed to catch on to what a jackass the guy was: they were all just giddy just to have a man around. Blargh.
I feel like the book is really gearing up now. I'm curious to see if the book can keep up this kind of twistyness for the next thousand pages.
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.
Shannon, read on, girl! I can't speak for the next 1000 pages, but the next 50+ are twisty as all get out.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see whether the fates of Anatole (aka the dashing whatshisface) and Madame Bourienne entwine (officially, that is. Like in marriage, not bodies). Can you imagine going to woo your potential wife and playing footsies with her companion in the same room. The gall! Mmm, I think it makes him even edgier and more sexy.
If I haven't already written about this, I do think that Tolstoy portrays women in a terrible light. The woman bashing just does not stop, and the female characters are either stupid, sluts, good little Christian girls, or Natasha. Not that Natasha is an amazing role model, but she acts like a typical young girl. The other characters though... they make me doubt whether I should be persuing a career. How did I make it though school? As a woman (by Tolstoy's standards) I should either be miserable or shallow and leotarded.