Book 1 - Maude Translation

[WildCityWoman]

In your own words, what was happening there?

The soiree, the introduction of the characters, Anna, Vasily, Helene, her brother, Anatole - Andrei and Lise . . . who else?

Oh yeah . . . Pierre!

[WildCityWoman]

How do you feel about the characters that are introduced in this book?

Anna . . . the 'society queen' there. No marriage for her, nothing of value in her life but this social hobby of hers, these parties.

The Aunt . . . is there ever a time in the book that the identity of this old aunt is revealed? Is she just 'Anna's aunt'? Does she have a name?

Vasily - the book opens with him and Anna conspiring together. About nothing really, but Vasily is 'courting' her social favours; it turns out he wants to marry off his kids to somebody with a decent amount of money.
Seems everything Vasily does has to do with getting money to come his way.

.....................

Now, I've booted it off - how about you readers here add to this thread?

Then after we've disected this Book, we can put a Book 2 thread up.

[EasyRead]

Are you still at it? if not how about having another go at it.

Start date Feb.1st

I started another thread but will use this one if need be.

How about it. Of course if you are quite a ways into it start adding to this thread and help us along.

[SandyBanks]

Hi all,

We are currently reading War And Peace at http://readinggroupguidesboard.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/7601020421, beginning in early December 2008. We are now up to Book IV, but the threads on the earlier books are still quite active.

I've read the whole book and would love to participate in the discusions here if I feel that I can make a contribution.:)

[Melisande]

Didn't Anna Pavlovna used to be married? How did she get her German last name otherwise? The source of her money isn't revealed, but there are only so many ways for a woman to have that kind of house. It isn't clear that she has a lot of money, indeed, she rarely has dinners - her guests aren't having much to eat. It's the privilege of being invited that matters.

Of all the widows with houses in Petersburg, then, she is the most elite. This doesn't happen by accident. It's an old tradition, we have historical notice of the existence of salons from the time of classical Greece. It was long one of the most important and powerful roles a woman could have in society - I suppose it may still exist in some fashion in the upper classes and in society towns like Washington DC, but I doubt it is nearly as important.

The woman had to be of a certain age, and had to have gone through life being asked smaller favors in order to be able to start calling them in and creating a salon that had obligated visitors. Alliances with people like the Kuragins, who constantly need introductions to those richer than themselves, have to be made. Anna Pavlovna is accordingly made godmother or put in some other such relationship to a child (as people constantly tried to do with Queen Elizabeth, who ran a kind of salon herself).

The salon is better organized than the Russian army's headquarters or gatherings in 1805. People are planning ahead and doing what they are supposed to do. The higher ranking are giving orders to the lower ranking, who pretty much obey them. It is very orderly.

Enter Pierre, who doesn't know the rules or care to know the rules - but everyone knows his father is dying and he's been requested to come out into society many times (just in case, wouldn't want a stray rich bachelor outside the scope of Anna Pavlovna's salons).

There are other salons and gatherings, of course, all competing - as it can be seen from people leaving Anna Pavlovna's early, and the really important gatherings (like the Grand Ball) take place later in the evening. With lots of food. However, when so many people are present, much less schmoozing gets done and fewer plans are laid. Two different social purposes.

So we meet the Kuragins first, and learn that Anna Pavlovna not only dislikes one of the children, but that the Tsar's mother has even heard of his bad behavior and disapproves.

And we learn that Anna Pavlovna knows way more about the political circumstances of Russia, Napoleon's intentions and what is about to happen than most of the other characters seem to. She is, in her own way, the News Aggregator of her day - and she editorializes as well. She's Huffington plus.