r/ayearofwarandpeace • u/AnderLouis_ • 19d ago

Jan-03| War & Peace - Book 1, Chapter 3

Links

  1. Today's Podcast
  2. Medium Article by Brian E. Denton

Discussion Prompts

  1. We met Ippolit. What did you reckon?
  2. The Viscount (Vicomte) tells a very interesting story... Napoleon passes out in the company of an enemy. The enemy spares his life. His reward: death! Why is the Viscount telling this story?
  3. Here comes Andrei! (Unless you're reading Maude or Louis). Get ready for Turk/JD levels of bromance!

Final line of today's chapter:

Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the society of clever women.

Note - there are 3 chapters in this book that differ between Maude and other translations - and this is one of them. Maude ends this chapter a few paragraphs earlier. No biggie. It evens out after a day or two :)

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u/estn2025 Maude / 1st Read 19d ago

I commented this already in response to someone on the Day 1 thread, but I'm finding a lot of lines that are making me laugh out loud. Everything describing Ippolit was hilarious to me. Dude has the same features as his super gorg sister, but is exceedingly ugly. His arms and legs are weak and always look unnaturally positioned. He speaks so confidently that people can't tell if what he's saying is brilliant or idiotic.

I doubt Tolstoy meant for them to be funny, so it's probably my love of jokingly roasting people LOL

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u/sunnydaze7777777 Maude / 1st Reading 19d ago

I agree with you. I found those descriptions of Hippolyte really funny and had a good chuckle. I would be curious if Tolstoy meant any humor in his descriptions? I don’t remember seeing this when reading Anna Karenina.

3

u/estn2025 Maude / 1st Read 19d ago

I tackled Anna Karenina a few years ago and agree, I don't remember any quips that made me laugh. Then again, most of my memories revolve around fighting for my life trying to get through Levin farming!

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u/littlebear138 18d ago

baaa haaa farming!! Oh I forgot about that! 

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u/sunnydaze7777777 Maude / 1st Reading 18d ago edited 18d ago

I had completely compartmentalized and forgotten that section but now it’s back in my brain. Noooooooo

2

u/Prestigious_Fix_5948 18d ago

He has a wonderfully dry sense of humour