The War & Peace Readalong: THE END!

While we technically finished the book last week, this week's readalong covers the two epilogues. The main story ended off at an odd place, so the epilogue works to tie up the two biggest loose ends I was concerned with:

The Marya/Nikolai Rostov storyline

Count Rostov dies and leaves Nikolai an enormous amount of debt, so Nikolai works for the government so that his mother and Sonya can continue living their blissfully lavish and ignorant lives. Luckily for Nikolai, Marya is loaded ($$$!!) - and in love. Countess Rostova says "get it, son". So they get married, Nikolai pays off his debts, and Marya gets the husband and child she's always wanted.  The relationship seems very utilitarian, but it works.

The Pierre Bezukhov/Natasha Rostova storyline

Pierre and Natasha marry, and 7 years later, Natasha is a humble and serene mother of four children. Andrei's kid Nikolay worships the ground Pierre walks on and wants to be a military hero - like father, like son.  Pierre, who has learned from his mistakes and is now much wiser, counsels Nikolay so he's does not end up as foolhardy as Pierre, nor as coldly ambitious like his father Andrei during the War. Pierre has come a long way and like I said in last week's review, he finally has his peace after being at war with his selfish, foolish, and pretentious desires.

The Read-a-long's Final Prompts!

1. Was War & Peace what you expected or did it surprise you?

War and Peace surprised me because the goal of reading and finishing all those volumes seemed like a lofty and unattainable goal.  However, the evergreen nature of humanity makes this book relatable.  It sometimes felt like a history book (albeit skewed in favor of Russia)... but at other times it reads like a telenovela, complete with affairs, swooning, dastardly men, duels, and soirees to make it all better.

2. What was your favourite part?

The ending, of course! I saw the end in sight and it was the quickest I've ever read. There's always that tough balance between wanting to savor the happy ending you've been waiting for and reading with urgency for a triumphant finish. 

3. Least favourite part?

Books Ten and Eleven were ROUGH.  To quote my review from Week 8:  I had asked Tolstoy for more Peace and less War, please and thank you.  However, based on [the] reading, it was as if he responded with "War and Peace, Now With 25% More War".  It was difficult to carry on reading about the devastation of Moscow and the toll of War, as well as reaching the apex of Pierre's and self-destructive arrogance.

4. Have you learned anything from War & Peace? Either Russian history, or in a more abstract, how-to-read-big-books way?

I did learn a different perspective on the War of 1812 and Napoleon's leadership, due to Tolstoy's bias for Russia.  He does try to keep it objective in the second epilogue with a call-out to the "all-is-one and one-is-all" philosophy of power and people.  When the Russians fled Moscow, they took "Russia" with them, unified in their national pride and proving that Russian power is with the people, not with the Capitol.  Conversely, it was the French armies that made Napoleon the Great Man, but when he deserted them, they were lost and scattered to the slums of Russia. 

In addition to the war, Tolstoy beautifully wrote about the nature of humans during the transition between peace and war, and then the rebuilding of relationships during the return from war to peace.

Tolstoy reminded me 

...that even the most selfish men can redeem themselves (Dolokhov)

...that foolish people can learn and grow from their mistakes (Pierre)

...that achieving one's ambitions does not always equate to happiness if you forsake others along the way (Andrei)

...to not take those who love you for granted (Natasha)

...that one is constantly at war with oneself, walking the balance between obligation and desire (Marya)

... those who manipulate others for self-gain will fall to ruin (Anatole, Helene, and Vassily Kuragin)

... and that budgeting and living within your means works wonders for your mental health (the Rostov family)!

5. Be honest, how close did you come to giving up?

Pretty darn close after reading Book Eleven.  I have had it up to here *raises hand over head* with Tolstoy and the countless deaths, bias in discrediting Napoleon of any strategic victories, and trivializing the role of women in his storytelling.  However, I knew that Napoleon would eventually leave the picture and I also wanted to see what would happen to Pierre.

6. How did it feel when you FINALLY finished?

7. What's the first book you're going to pick up without Tolstoy-induced guilt?

I need something light and fluffy like a cloud to counter the mental and physical brick of a book I've been reading for the past 3 months! So I'm going to read THIS.

8. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Would you reread it? 

Would highly recommend! (see life lessons above in #4)  However, I'm not sure if I can spend another 3 months of my life reading it with complete integrity.  If I do end up re-reading it, I know that I would just end up skimming over a lot of it, which would not do Tolstoy justice.  I'm glad that I will always have these readalong posts to refresh my memory, but this book is definitely memorable on its own!

1440 pages and 12 weeks later, I'm high-fiving Hanna, Jen, and Charlotte because they stuck it out with me these past 3 months!!!  I'm really hoping that Hanna hosts another readalong, because she's done a spectacular job keeping us all in check and cheering us on to the very last page.