War and Peace (Oxford World's Classics)

Highlights

Page 90

We can already glimpse the future author of War and Peace in the first paragraph of ‘The Raid’, where he writes that he is ‘more interested to know in what way and under the influence of what feeling one soldier kills another than to know how the armies were arranged at Austerlitz and Borodino’.

Page 189

High society throughout Europe on the eve of the Napoleonic wars preferred to converse in French rather than their native languages. Russian high society especially, following the reigns of francophiles Elizabeth and Catherine, had adopted French manners, fashions, and cuisine and constantly spoke French at social gatherings. When anti-French sentiment and a spirit of patriotism reached a crescendo during the Napoleonic period and Russian aristocrats began to affect their native tongue, they frequently found it necessary to hire Russian tutors to help them acquire the grammar. The French passages in War and Peace far exceed any exigencies of verisimilitude, however, comprising roughly 2 per cent of the massive work, and thus constituting a linguistic invasion unprecedented in world literature. The contrast is heightened by the fact that Russian is written in a non-Latin, Cyrillic alphabet, so that French words and names strike the eye as visibly alien when appearing on a page of Cyrillic text.

Note: Fascinating. I didn’t know French influence was this prevalent.

Page 275

The meandering and improvisatory character of the work, with its infinitude of details, is compatible with Tolstoy’s philosophical challenge to historical narrative and his insistence on the fallacy of the idea of the great or legendary historical figure, or that any single person or event could be designated as a historical, causal force: ‘All historical events’, writes Tolstoy, ‘result from an infinite number of reasons.’ His presentation of this idea succeeds in belittling Napoleon, just as it exalts the spirit of a nation, the meaningfulness of individual lives and the apparently insignificant choices of unknown people. In expressing this view, Tolstoy set the theme for many subsequent works of historical prose, from Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage to Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago and Evelyn Waugh’s Sword of Honour trilogy.

Note: I wonder if there were previous critiques of the Great Man theory.

Page 461

The Patronymic The polite form of Russian address employs the first name and the patronymic—a middle name meaning ‘son of’ (-ovich, -evich) or ‘daughter of’ (-ovna, -evna), e.g. Nikolai Andréevich, Anna Mikháilovna. The first name with patronymic is used preferentially to the last name, or the first and last name together. The first name alone would be used only in intimate circles.

Page 901

Influence in society, however, is capital which has to be economized if it is to last. Prince Vasili knew this, and having once realized that if he asked on behalf of all who begged of him, he would soon be unable to ask for himself, he became chary of using his influence. But in Princess Drubetskaya’s case he felt, after her second appeal, something like qualms of conscience. She had reminded him of what was quite true; he had been indebted to her father for the first steps in his career. Moreover, he could see by her manner that she was one of those women—mostly mothers—who having once made up their minds, will not rest until they have gained their end, and are prepared if necessary to go on insisting day after day and hour after hour, and even to make scenes. This last consideration moved him. ‘Chère Anna Mikhailovna,’ said he with his usual familiarity and weariness of tone, ‘it is almost impossible for me to do what you ask; but to prove my devotion to you and how I respect your father’s memory, I will do the impossible—your son shall be transferred to the Guards. Here is my hand on it. Are you satisfied?’ ‘My dear benefactor! This is what I expected from you—I knew your kindness!’ He turned to go.

Page 963

Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry — all forms of fear — are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence. Most people find it difficult to believe that a state of consciousness totally free of all negativity is possible. And yet this is the liberated state to which all spiritual teachings point. It is the promise of salvation, not in an illusory future but right here and now.

Page 009

And Prince Ippolit began to tell his story in such Russian as a Frenchman would speak after spending about a year in Russia.

Note: The author’s contempt for such people is palpable.

Page 077

‘That is all nonsense,’ Prince Andrei again interrupted him, ‘let us talk business. Have you been to the Horse Guards?’ ‘No, I have not: but this is what I have been thinking and wanted to tell you. There is a war now against Napoleon. If it were a war for freedom I could understand it and should be the first to enter the army; but to help England and Austria against the greatest man in the world is not right.’ Prince Andrei only shrugged his shoulders at Pierre’s childish words. He put on the air of one who finds it impossible to reply to such nonsense, but it would in fact have been difficult to give any other answer than the one Prince Andrei gave to this naive question. ‘If no one fought except on his own conviction, there would be no wars,’ he said. ‘And that would be splendid,’ said Pierre.

Note: Just get the feeling that 1000 pages later Pierre is going to feel a bit differently

Page 304

As soon as he had seen a visitor off he returned to one of those who were still in the drawing-room, drew a chair towards him or her, and jauntily spreading out his legs and putting his hands on his knees with the air of a man who enjoys life and knows how to live, he swayed to and fro with dignity, offered surmises about the weather, or touched on questions of health, sometimes in Russian and sometimes in very bad but self-confident French; then again, like a man weary but unflinching in the fulfilment of duty, he rose to see some visitors off, and stroking his scanty grey hairs over his bald patch, also asked them to dinner.

Note: Bad French, so he must be a good guy

Page 416

‘Schubert, the colonel of the Pavlograd Hussars, is dining with us today. He has been here on leave and is taking Nikolai back with him. It can’t be helped!’ said the count, shrugging his shoulders and speaking playfully of a matter that evidently distressed him. ‘I have already told you, Papenka,’ said his son, ‘that if you don’t wish to let me go, I’ll stay. But I know I am no use anywhere except in the army; I am not a diplomat nor a government clerk.—I don’t know how to hide what I feel.’ As he spoke he kept glancing with the flirtatiousness of a handsome youth at Sonya and the young lady visitor.

Note: Only 3 possible professions, seems like?

Page 436

‘Yes, you’re quite right,’ continued the countess. ‘Till now I have always, thank God, been my children’s friend and had their full confidence,’ said she, repeating the mistake of so many parents who imagine that their children have no secrets from them. ‘I know I shall always be my daughters’ first confidente, and that if Nikolenka, with his impulsive nature, does get into mischief (a boy can’t help it) he will all the same never be like those Petersburg young men.’

Note: Delusional, as the author correctly points out.

Page 690

‘Moscow has nothing else to do but gossip,’ Boris went on. ‘Everybody is wondering to whom the count will leave his fortune, though he may perhaps outlive us all, as I sincerely hope he will …’ ‘Yes, it is all very horrid,’ interrupted Pierre, ‘very horrid.’ Pierre was still afraid that this officer might inadvertently say something disconcerting to himself. ‘And it must seem to you,’ said Boris flushing slightly, but not changing his tone or attitude, ‘it must seem to you that everyone is trying to get something out of the rich man?’ ‘So it does,’ thought Pierre. ‘But I just wish to say, to avoid misunderstandings, that you are quite mistaken if you reckon me or my mother among such people. We are very poor, but for my own part at any rate, for the very reason that your father is rich I don’t regard myself as a relation of his, and neither I nor my mother would ever ask or take anything from him.’ For a long time Pierre could not understand, but when he did, he jumped up from the sofa, seized Boris under the elbow in his quick, clumsy way, and blushing far more than Boris, began to speak with a feeling of mingled shame and vexation. ‘Well, this is strange! Do you suppose I … who could think? … I know very well …’ But Boris again interrupted him. ‘I am glad I have spoken out fully. Perhaps you did not like it? You must excuse me,’ said he, putting Pierre at ease instead of being put at ease by him, ‘but I hope I have not offended you. I always make it a rule to speak out … Well, what answer am I to take? Will you come to dinner at the Rostovs?’ And Boris, having apparently relieved himself of an onerous duty and extricated himself from an awkward situation and placed another in it, became quite pleasant again.

Note: Good thing Pierre understood because I sure as fuck don’t. And it’s especially puzzling because his mother really is here to beg for money.

Page 204

But Pierre thought it necessary to ask: ‘How is …’ and hesitated, not knowing whether it would be proper to call the dying man ‘the count’, yet ashamed to call him ‘father’.

Page 684

The prince again laughed his frigid laugh. ‘Buonaparte was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He has got splendid soldiers. Besides he began by attacking Germans. And only idlers have failed to beat the Germans. Since the world began everybody has beaten the Germans. They beat no one—except one another. He made his reputation fighting them.’

Note: This is such cope. Not even true, he got his start fighting Italians.

Page 732

As Sterne* says: “We don’t love people so much for the good they have done us, as for the good we have done them.”

Page 716

He was one of those who, liking work, knew how to do it, and despite his indolence would sometimes spend a whole night at his writing-table. He worked equally well whatever the import of his work. It was not the question ‘What for?’ but the question ‘How?’ that interested him. What the diplomatic matter might be he did not care, but it gave him great pleasure to prepare a circular, memorandum, or report, skilfully, pointedly and elegantly. Bilibin’s services were valued not only for what he wrote, but also for his skill in dealing and conversing with those in the highest spheres.

Note: A likeable chap.

Page 294

Prince Andrei listened attentively to Bagration’s colloquies with the commanding officers and the orders he gave them, and to his surprise found that no orders were really given but that Prince Bagration tried to make it appear that everything done by necessity, by accident, or by the will of subordinate commanders, was done, if not by his direct command at least in accord with his intentions. Prince Andrei noticed however that though what happened was due to chance and was independent of the commander’s will, owing to the tact Bagration showed, his presence was very valuable. Officers who approached him with disturbed countenances became calm; soldiers and officers greeted him gaily, grew more cheerful in his presence, and were evidently anxious to display their courage before him.

Page 485

Tushin’s battery had been forgotten and only at the very end of the action did Prince Bagration, still hearing the cannonade in the centre, send his orderly staff-officer and later Prince Andrei also, to order the battery to retire as quickly as possible. When the supports attached to Tushin’s battery had been moved away in the middle of the action by someone’s order, the battery had continued firing and was only not captured by the French because the enemy could not surmise that anyone could have the effrontery to continue firing from four quite undefended guns. On the contrary, the energetic action of that battery led the French to suppose that here—in the centre—the main Russian forces were concentrated. Twice they had attempted to attack this point, but on each occasion had been driven back by grape-shot from the four isolated guns on the hillock.

Note: Be so confident that you make the enemy think you’re stronger than you are.

Page 750

a diplomatist fresh from Berlin with the very latest details of the Emperor Alexander’s visit to Potsdam, and of how the two august friends had pledged themselves in an indissoluble alliance to uphold the cause of justice against the enemy of the human race.

Note: Did they actually think this?? Did Tolstoy? Did anyone else?

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