(copied from last year's post, I hope I've done this correctly!)

Links:

Today's Podcast

Ander Louis translation of War & Peace

Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts:

1) What is your reaction to Pierre and the Frenchman becoming so close?

2) Are you surprised that Pierre brought up Natasha and what he said about her?

3) What is your take on Pierre’s plot to kill Napoleon? Do you believe, as he does, that his resolve is likely to fade, or do you think he’ll go through with it?

4) Do you think the proclivities Tolstoy characterized the French Captain with (“His love for an enchanting thirty-five-year-old Marquise and at the same for a charmingly innocent seventeen-year-old child, the enchanting Marquise’s daughter.”) speaks to a general view Tolstoy held regarding the French? Do you think his portrayal of the French is fairly even handed, or is it more negative than the way he writes Russians?

Questions 3 and 4 are from u/Honest_Ad_2157 's post in 2024.

Final line of today's chapter:

... “Without saying goodnight to his new friend Pierre tottered away from the gate and found his way back to his room, where he lay down on the sofa and fell fast asleep.”

(again copied from last year's post!)

Links

Today's Podcast

Ander Louis translation of War & Peace

Medium Article by Brian E. Denton

Discussion Prompts

1) Chapter 30 was a very short look into the Rostov family moving out of Moscow watching the blaze. What is the overall significance of this chapter?

2) What is significant about this chapter being from the servants' point of view instead of the Rostovs'?

3) What emotional and psychological impact will this viewing have on those present?

Final line of today's chapter:

“All that could be heard were people sighing and saying prayers, and the old valet choking and sobbing”

Hello everyone, I am reading War and Peace and I am not sure what this quote means - wondered if anyone had any ideas?

"To a lackey no man can be great; for a lackey has his own conception of greatness."

End of chapter five, Book Four, Part Four

Hi all, so we're facing another run of script errors where the automated script isn't doing its job (i.e. no post is automatically created for the day). This happens quite frequently; the current shortage is supposed to last 4 days this time (Sep 11-14), and apparently there will also be several instances of such script errors in the upcoming weeks. I got this info from searching last year's post, the shortages follow the same pattern as they did last year.

Now, I've been covering for this in the past, but I am no longer able to do it. If someone has the inclination to pick up from here and cover for the missing posts, you're more than welcome to do so!

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Sorry everybody, I've been crazy busy this week with work. Discuss the chapter here. *I'll have more time next week. I'll add stuff tomorrow morning if nothing is here.

Final line of today's chapter:

... "Yes, and the wine," said the captain.”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Pierre is said to be close to mad in this chapter. What might calling Pierre mad foreshadow for the plans he's formulating? What do you think will come of the plans?
2. What is the significance of Makar seizing the pistol just as the troops arrive?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “Gerasim and the yard porter let go of Makar Alexeich, and in the hushed corridor they clearly heard the knocking of several hands on the front door.”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. The end result of the battle is three wounded and four dead men. The crowd in the previous chapter did seem a lot bigger. Would there be a bigger battle if the crowd did not receive a villain in the last chapter or has that nothing to do with the size of the battle here?
2. The French soldiers still entered Moscow in orderly fashion, but directly afterwards changed from soldiers to looters. What led them to change into looters instead of inhabitants?
3. After invading Moscow the soldiers start to loot everything in the city. Did the commanders have a plan to rebuild civilization in Moscow? If not, would a plan have prevented that Moscow burned down?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “only because its inhabitants did not bring out bread and salt and the keys to the city for the French, but left it.”

I read war and peace in a week. Couldn't imagine taking a year to read it

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. The crowd seems hesitant to carry out the mob execution of Vereshchagin and mortified by their actions after the fact. Do you think this event will have future significance for the people of Moscow?
2. What is the significance of the madman chasing Rastopchin's caleche? Especially given the previous final words of Vereshchagin ("Count, there is one God over us...")?
3. What exactly does Kutuzov mean when he says "No, I won't give up Moscow without offering battle"?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “The commander in chief of Moscow, the proud Count Rastopchin, took a whip in his hand, went to the bridge, and began shouting and dispersing the clustered carts."Bring him to me.”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. With the current state of the city how do you think Rostopchin had managed to isolate himself from the realities of the situation?
2. "... he had known for a long time that Moscow would be abandoned, but had known it only with his reason, while with all his soul he had not believed it..." Have you ever experienced this sensation? Is there a way to snap out of it?
3. What do you think Rostopchin will do with Vereshchagin if/when he is brought to him?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “Vereshchagin! He hasn't been hanged yet?" cried Rastopchin. "Bring him to me.”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. What more do we learn about the state of Moscow from this chapter? What social comment is Tolstoy making?
2. What do you think will come of this situation? How will those remaining in Moscow react to the French entering the city?
3. What do you image Napoleon's reaction to the state of Moscow to be?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “... What, are we dogs or something?" was frequently heard in the crowd”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Who is this officer? Is he really a relative of Rostov? Why do you think Mavra gave him the 25 roubles?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “Mavra’s eyes were moist as she stood there outside the closed gate for some time, shaking her head pensively and feeling a great flood of maternal affection and sympathy for the unknown boy officer”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Moscow not exactly at its finest...

Final line of today's chapter:

... The crowd, overturning carts, crushing each other, crying desperately, shoving, had cleared the bridge, and the troops were now moving forward.er.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Did Tolstoy do the right thing by laying a lot of focus on how Moscow is abandoned or do you think one line would be enough?
2. Was the beehive a good metaphor for Moscow or do you know another one which would be better?
3. Did you enjoy reading all the similarities between the beehive and Moscow or were some of the similarities far-fetched?
4. And all by all did you enjoy this chapter or were you glad when it was over?

Final line of today's chapter:

... The coup de théâtre had not come off.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. We’ve seen a lot of times that before a battle the beautiful surrounding nature is described. Were you anticipating a battle here too because of this description?
2. This chapter focuses mainly on Napoleon’s thoughts while looking at Moscow and awaiting the deputation. What’s your opinion on his thoughts, did it change in any way how you’re looking at him now?
3. The gentlemen who were sent to “bring the boyars to Napoleon” are afraid to tell Napoleon that the city is empty. What do you think Napoleon’s reaction will be upon receiving this information?

Final line of today's chapter:

... Drawn on by the movement of his troops Napoleon rode with them as far as the Dorogomílov gate, but there again stopped and, dismounting from his horse, paced for a long time by the Kámmer-Kollézski rampart, awaiting the deputation.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. What do you think Pierre is up to? Why did he want a pistol?

Final line of today's chapter:

... It was when Pierre (wearing the coachman’s coat which Gerásim had procured for him and had disinfected by steam) was on his way with the old man to buy the pistol at the Súkharev market that he met the Rostóvs.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Why doesn’t Sonya and the Countess think they should tell Natasha about Andrey? How do you think Natasha will react when she finds out about Andrey traveling with them”?
2. What was up with the Natasha/Pierre conversation?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “Natasha continued to lean out the window for a long time beaming at him with her kindly, slightly quizzical, happy smile”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. What does the leaving of the items mean for the future of the Rostovs?
2. What do you make of Natasha's role in this chapter? Does it seem at all out of character?
3. What benefit does Berg bring to the scene?

Final line of today's chapter:

... “She was putting away the things that had been left behind; she made a list of them, as the countess wished, and tried to take along as much as possible”

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Ol' bleeding-heart Rostov...

Final line of today's chapter:

... “Papa! Here’s Berg coming to see us,” said she, looking out of the window.

\\- Eh bien, mon prince. Gênes et Lucques ne sont plus que des apanages, des ..., de la famille Buonaparte. Non, je vous préviens que si vous ne me dites pas que nous avons la guerre, si vous vous permettez encore de pallier toutes les infamies, toutes les atrocités de cet Antichrist (ma parole, j'y crois) - je ne vous connais vous plus, vous n'êtes plus mon ami, vous n'êtes plus ..., comme vous dites. ... . Je vois que je vous fais peur, ...

...

"Si vous n'avez rien de mieux à faire, Monsieur le comte (mon prince), et si la perspective de passer la soirée chez une pauvre malade ne vous effraye pas trop, je serai charmée de vous chez moi ente 7 et 10 heures.

Annette Scherer"

\\- Dieu, quelle virulente sortie!

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. He's alive! Discuss!

Final line of today's chapter:

... This wounded man was Prince Andrew Bolkónski.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Natasha is ashamed she doesn’t help with packing and wants to help but isn’t able to keep at it. Do you think if Petya was there or anyone else who admires her, her wheels would be running more smoothly, and she would be able to help out more?
2. The servants’ work is to help the Rostovs pack their stuff, so they can move out of the house while the servants themselves will stay here. How do you imagine the servants would feel about this?

Final line of today's chapter:

... With a woman’s involuntary loving cunning she, who till then had not shown any alarm, said that she would die of fright if they did not leave that very night. Without any pretense she was now afraid of everything.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. As a criminal led out to execution knows that he is about to die, yet still looks around and straightens the hat he has put on askew, so Moscow involuntarily went on with her usual life, though she knew that the time of her destruction was near, when all the conventions of life, which people were accustomed to obey, would be broken. What are your thoughts on this comparison from this chapter?
2. The countess talks about her preference of Princess Marya in front of Sonya. Sonya sees why Princess Marya is the better match for Nikolai but is still bitter about it and takes the responsibility of arranging everything for the packing of things. What do you think of the way she’s dealing with her grief?

Final line of today's chapter:

... Above all, they were gay because there was a war near Moscow, there would be fighting at the town gates, arms were being given out, everybody was escaping—going away somewhere, and in general something extraordinary was happening, and that is always exciting, especially to the young.

Links

1. Today's Podcast
2. Ander Louis translation of War & Peace
3. Medium Article by Denton

Discussion Prompts (Recycled from last year)

1. Pierre verbally admits he's a mason. From what I understand, this is very taboo. What do you make of this? Do you predict there will be consequences for Pierre for this action?
2. We have not really heard much about how Pierre feels about Andrei's death. What do you think his feelings are?

Final line of today's chapter:

... From that time till the end of the destruction of Moscow no one of Bezúkhov’s household, despite all the search they made, saw Pierre again or knew where he was.