Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Location:

Petersburg

Years: 

1808-1809

While Prince Andrew Bolkónski conducted his business in Petersburg, Pierre found himself growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Freemasons. He found that a lot of the order did not take it very seriously, and that the Russian masons had lost their way.  

Pierre travels overseas, and learns the secrets of the higher echelons then returns to Russia in a higher position within the order, with the intention of steering the Russian masons into a better direction.

Pierre gives a speech about vice and virtue which causes quite a stir amongst the masons, and some start to believe that he has joined the Illuminati.   

Count Pierre is told by the Grand Master that his plans would not be allowed to come to fruition, and Count Pierre leaves that evening feeling dejected.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Michael Mikháylovich Speránski

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

Petersburg

Prince Andrew and Speránski become better friends, and due to Speránski's lower "breeding" Prince Andrew cannot see his weaknesses.  Instead, he feels the same strong passion and admiration for him as he once felt for Napoleon. 

They discuss Russian law quite a lot, and in addition to becoming a member of the Committee on Army Regulations, he also becomes a the chairman of the Committee for the revision of of the laws.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Count Kochubéy

Michael Mikháylovich Speránski (Secretary of State)

Location: 

Petersburg

Prince Andrew continues to prosper socially in Petersburg  - he has become rather popular after freeing some of his serfs; and his near death, combined with the death of his wife has made him a romantic figure amongst the women.

Prince Andrew meets with Count Kochubéy, who having heard about Prince Andrew's less than pleasant meeting with the Minister of War, sets up a meeting between Prince Andrew and the Secretary of State, Michael Mikháylovick Speránski. 

Prince Andrew finds that he greatly admires and envies Speránski, and the meeting goes well. Speránski invites Prince Andrew for dinner on the following Wednesday.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Count Arakchéev - Minister for War

Location:

Petersburg

Year: 1809

In 1909, court ranks were abolished, much to the agitation of society, and the whole constitution was reshuffled, resulting in a more liberal Russia.

Prince Andrew attends court with the Emperor twice, and is ignored on both occasions. The Emperor's aids tell him it is because he had not fought in the army since 1805. 

Prince Andrew develops a proposal for new military laws, and goes to see the Minister for War, Count Arakchéev, about them.  The Count is a cranky man and says that he has endorsed the proposal and passed it on to the Committee on Army Regulations, of which Prince Andrew is to become an non-salaried member.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

Bald Hill Estate

Prince Andrew leaves the Rostóv home, only bidding goodbye to Count Ilya Rostóv. 

On Prince Andrew's journey home he travels back through the forest where he saw the gnarled old oak.  It is six weeks since he passed though here, and he finds the oak restored to spring glory, and decides that 31 is too young for him to give up on life. 

Prince Andrew decides that the country and his former pursuits are boring and resolves to spend the spring in Petersburg.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 2

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Count Ilya Rostóv

Natasha Rostova

Location:

The Rostóv home

Prince Andrew Bolkónski goes to meet with Count Ilya Rostóv, who is the Marshal of Nobility for the district, in connection to the Ryazán estate.

On his journey up the driveway, Bolkónski spots a beautiful, playful happy girl, who turns out to be Natasta Rostova.

He watches her and her natural gaiety throughout his visit.  At bedtime, he stands at his open bedroom window, looking out into the night, and he hears her in a close-by room trying to convince Sonya Rostov to come to the window to look at the beautiful night.  He then starts to think youthful thoughts and wonder what the point of his life would be if Natasha did not exist.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 1

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

Bald Hill Estate

Andrew has spent the past two years in the country, achieving with his estates what Pierre  could not. On one of his estates, for example, 300 serfs were liberated to become free agricultural labourers; a midwife hired; and a priest was hired to educate peasant children.

Andrew goes for a ride to his son's inherited inherited estate, Ryazán, and his footman remark on the beauty of an early spring emerging in the forest.  Andrew sees a gnarled, giant, stern and ancient looking oak cynically resisting the oncoming spring, and finds a kindred spirit in the tree.


NB: The book numbers did not reset to "1" following the change in volume, thus Book 6 following on from Book 5 in Vol.1

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 22

Characters Mentioned

Tsar Alexander

Napoleon Bonaparte

Location:

Erfurt

Year: 

1808-1809

In 1808, Tsar Alexander goes to visit Napoleon in Efurt, and they develop their friendship so far as to arrange a marriage between their families. 

By 1809, the intimacy between the Emperors has grown so much that when Napoleon decides to go to war against Austria, Russia joins them, despite being former allies to the Austrians. 

End of Volume 1

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 21

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv

Tsar Alexander

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte

Location:

Tilsit

Nicholas Rostóv watches Tsar Alexander ride into the square and meet with Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who became an emperor in the peace that was established after the battle of Friedland. 

Alexander and Napoleon exchange a few words, then Napoleon asks Alexander if there are any Russian soldiers that he would like the Legion of Honor to be bestowed upon.

The Tsar looks about, and for a moment, Rostóv thinks that he will be named, until the Tsar recommends a soldier called Lázarev. 

It is noted that since the battle of Friedland, both emperors have doled out many an honour to their respective former-enemies.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 20

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv

Location:

Tilsit

Nicholas Rostóv feels so uncomfortable around Boris Drubetskóy that now he avoids him where possible.  

Rostóv makes the resolve to hand Denísov's letter directly to the Emperor, and goes to his home. 

Rostóv is ushered into an anteroom to wait for the Emperor, but is told by an officer to go away, and to get his commanding officer (Denísov) to hand in the petition.  Downcast, he goes to leave, but runs into a favourite of the Emperor who says that he will pass the petition for Denísov's pardon directly to the Emperor.

The Emperor returns and the officer discusses the case with him but the Emperor responds by saying that he can do nothing, as the law is stronger than he.