In the novel itself, I am currently in Volume II, Part Three, Chapter XII. This book is a big one, but beautifully done. This post will have SPOILERS in it. Archiver, be warned. This post will be a long one as well.
This will be a recap of all the way up to where I currently am. I should have covered some of this in my first post, but I did not. My third post on this book will be much cleaner since I do not have to recap much of this, and I will actually talk more about the atmosphere and how I feel about the story, but you may be able to glean some of that through my writing of the recap.
Volume I, Part I: This section starts with a party, introducing Prince Andrei, who seeks glory through combat rather than nobility, and soon-to-be Count Pierre, whose father dies at the end of the section, leaving him one of the richest men in Russia but not the most popular. The Rostovs then enter the picture. The son who seeks to do his part and gain glory through the war, and the daughter who is all too happy with life. Lastly, there’s Boris, whose mother pushes for the best for him, becomes a member of the guard.
Part II: War. Prince Andrei is an aide to the commander-in-chief. They are preparing for a battle at Schongraben. The Prince explores the grounds before the struggle to inspect the situation and see what he would do to make their situation better. During the battle, the Russians are forced to retreat from the advancing French.
Nikolai Rostov is with his boss and friend Denisov. Rostov faces a moral and honor dilemma when he discovers an officer stealing Denisov’s money. In the battle at Schongarben, Rostov goes out on horseback, ready to meet glory. He is wounded and flees to hide among trees. He survives the battle and retreats with artillerymen.
Part III: Pierre is taken under the advisement of Prince Vassily, who cares only for his gain. Prince Vassily orchestrates for his daughter to marry Pierre.
Rostov sends a letter to his family informing them that he was worried but is fine and needs more money. Later, he meets Prince Andrei, whom he doesn’t like because of a bias, since the Prince is a staff officer, but he also has a modicum of respect for the Prince. In the battle of Austerlitz, Rostov volunteers to scout out the enemy and is later sent to bring a message to the Commander-in-Chief or the emperor. He finds the emperor but is disappointed in the humanity of the emperor, having lifted him so high in his mind that he decides to retreat with all the rest.
Prince Andrei meets with Boris for the first time, and this is where he encounters Rostov telling of his story at Schongarben, which Prince Andrei doesn’t care about. The Prince doesn’t care for Rostov but tries to be cordial with him. At the Battle of Austerlitz, the Prince rushes in, picking up a standard and facing the enemy. He becomes gravely wounded, has an existential crisis (starting his journey from atheism), and is captured by the enemy. He meets Napoleon, the Prince’s idol, but is unable to talk. The Prince is considered to be unworthy of further care and is left in village care. He is thought by all to have died in the battle.
Volume II, Part I: Rostov returns to his home. Enjoys the glory he receives and goes out partying instead of spending time with the woman, Sonya, he cares for and who loves him. Gets into debt with his “friend” Dolokhov. Dolokhov proposed to Sonya, and she rejected him. He knows it’s because of Rostov. The debt puts Rostov’s family in a bind.
Pierre attends a party at the Rostovs. He has been hearing a rumor about an affair between his wife and Dolokhov. After challenging Dolokhov to a duel and wounding, but not killing him, he returns home. Here, his wife says he is a fool for believing the rumor, and he angrily tells her to leave. He proceeds to go to Petersburg and leaves a considerable amount to his wife, but does not see her again for years.
Boris gets a better position with the help of Prince Andrei’s connections. He seeks to be in the same places as those of importance.
Prince Andrei yet lives. He comes home to his wife giving birth. She dies giving birth, but their son lives. He decides that he no longer wants glory from the battlefield and instead secludes himself in the countryside with his sister and son. He contrasts with his father, who now wishes to serve.
Part II: Pierre throws Prince Vassily out of his house and meets a freemason during his travels. He became a freemason himself, seeking to be better. Going to his countryside estate, he wants to do better for his servants. His aide “helps” him do this. The aide has his own agenda, and the good that can be seen of Pierre’s efforts is only on the surface. Later, he visits Prince Andrei and has a long talk about good and evil.
Prince Andrei’s baby becomes sick but makes it through it. The talk with Pierre does have an effect on him, but it will be realized at a later date.
Rostov meets back up with his regiment. His friend Denisov gets into trouble after taking food meant for another regiment to provide for his own. Denisov gets wounded, and Rostov goes to meet him. He then takes a letter to give to the emperor on behalf of Denisov, and this is where the two emperors, Russian and French, have their truce meeting.
Boris befriends Helene, the wife of Count Pierre.
Part III: (This is where I am in the story.)
It’s been two years, and Prince Andrei now seeks to serve again, although in a more administrative role. He encounters the lovely Natasha Rostov, who seems not to notice him. His feelings are mixed about her. Doesn’t care for her but is perplexed that she doesn’t seem to look his way. The Prince meets with a man named Sperankey, who was not born into nobility but who is making a name for himself.
Pierre becomes conflicted with his masonic journey. He believes in the teachings, but not all the Masons seem to be what they should be. He travels abroad to learn more masonic teachings and brings back his thoughts to his lodge in Petersburg. They don’t like his thoughts because they seem related to Illuminism. He begins to live with his wife again after she sent him a letter requesting they reconcile.
The Rostov family travels to Petersburg, and Berg proposes to the eldest daughter, Vera. The Rostovs’ financial situation is worsening.
Closing Remarks
One can definitely see the going back in forth from war and peace. The world feels so lived in and explores many matters such as: politics, morals, honors, good and evil, and so on.
The next post (four weeks from now) will be cleaner. I’ll talk about the lore and analyze it. I wanted to give a recap so that I am not just starting from nowhere. I wish I could explore this in greater detail, but that may be left to a future post or a YouTube video, should I eventually start one.
If you have read any of my other posts, please tell me what you think. Do you have any constructive criticism to help me improve The Digital Archive’s content?
Stay tuned for Thursday: Top 5 Worlds I’d Vacation in if I Could.
Digital Archiver signing off.
Leave a Reply