Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Platón Karatáev
23 soldiers
3 officers
2 officials

Location: 

Moscow 

Pierre remains in confinement in the shed for four weeks.

In this time, he comes to admire Platón as the epitome of simpleness and truth.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Platón Karatáev

Location: 

Moscow 

Pierre is taken to a dark shed, where he is confined with a number of Russian soldiers.  Pierre has lost all sense of order in the universe since witnessing the murders by men who didn't want to commit them, and has even lost hope in God.

He is befriended by Platón Karatáev, who has such a kindly voice that it makes Pierre want to weep.   Platón tells Pierre his life story, and gives Pierre some potatoes and salt to eat.

When Platón falls asleep, Pierre listens to the man's snoring, and begins to discover a new beauty in the universe.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Moscow 

Pierre is sixth in line in a queue of prisoners waiting to get executed, and the French commanding officer says that they will be shot in pairs.

Pierre is unable to look at the first two pairs who are shot and pushed into a pit. He realises as the fifth in line is led away alone, that he and the remaining prisoners had been brought along to watch, as a kind of warning. 

He makes himself watch the young man get executed, and tries to be close to him as they start throwing soil into the pit, but is ushered away by French soldiers, keen to cover up their crime. 

Pierre overhears one of them trying to justify the murders by saying that they shouldn't have lit fires, but upon looking at who said it, realises that the soldier feels dreadful about it.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Duke of Eckmühl - Marshal Davoût


Location: 

Moscow - Prince Shcherbátov's former house, Virgin's Field


Pierre is taken for an interview with Davoût, who looks like he is about to summon an shred of humanity and not have Pierre executed.  However, before this happens, Davoût is interrupted by an adjutant, and orders Pierre to be taken away.

Pierre doesn't know where he is to be taken, but feels like the system is killing him, rather than people in particular. 

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Moscow

Though Pierre was intitially treated with respect by the first soldiers that arrested him, he is treated like a common prisoner by the change of the guard.  He is moved into a prison cell with several Russian plebs, who avoid him, and make fun of him for being a gentleman. 

He is taken to court to explain himself, and is unable to give any satisfactory answer. 

When the fires of Moscow begin to overwhelm the city, he feels upset.  He is not coping well leading up to his second court hearing, which is sometime around September 8th.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Sonya Rostova
Countess Natalya Rostova
Natasha Rostova
Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location: 

Tróitsa Monastery

Sonya has been asked by Natalya to break off her engagement with Nicholas, as the family really could do with the money that will be gained if he marries Princess Mary instead.

Sonya refuses to promise, and after witnessing Natasha and Andrew being thrown back together, decides that God will somehow prevent Princess Mary and Nicholas getting married.  So, with a serene confidence that God will aid her marriage to Nicholas, she sends him a letter, breaking off the engagement. 

Natasha spends all of her time with Prince Andrew, who seems to be getting better.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

Location: 

A church


Nicholas goes to church, and sees Mary praying with her whole being, and feels more in love with her than before.

Mary has heard that her brother, Prince Andrew, has been wounded, and is about to set off to be with him.

Nicholas is depressed as he continues to stand by his childhood promise to marry his cousin, Sonja Rostova, and prays to god to release him from the promise.  God works super quickly on this one, and Nicholas receives a letter from Sonya about ten minutes after his prayer.  Sonya has released him from his promise.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv
Anna Ignátyevna Malvínyseva
Catherine Petróvna
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

Location: 

Anna Ignátyevna Malvínyseva's house


The setting up of Mary and Nicholas has begun, and Nicholas visits Mary.  Mary blossoms into a beautiful woman upon meeting Nicholas again.  

As Mary's father died so recently, it is inappropriate for them to become betrothed, but Catherine and Anna keep relaying romantic information between the two of them. 

Nicholas is struggling, as even though he is in love with her, and doesn't think about her in the same terms as the targets of his flirtations, he also is unable to think of Mary as his wife.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv
Nikíta Ivánich and his wife
Anna Ignátyevna Malvínyseva
Catherine Petróvna

Location: 

Provincial Russia, Catherine Petróvna's house

Nicholas is called away from his shameless flirting to speak with Anna Ignátyevna Malvínyseva, who happens to be an aunt of Princess Mary Bolkonskaya. It also happens that Princess Mary is travelling with her aunt.

Nicholas and Anna speak briefly, and he is quickly dismissed.  Catherine Pretróvna calls Nicholas aside, and asks if he would like to be set up with Princess Mary.   Nicholas explains the complication of Sonya to her, but then concurs that he does like Princess Mary very much. 

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv
Catherine Petróvna

Location: 

Provincial Russia, Catherine Petróvna's house

Nicholas is released from the camps and fighting, and is sent to inspect provincial Russia, where he inspects local militias and buys horses. 

He is invited to Catherine Petróvna's house, and he arrives late, and finds that is an impromptu ball in progress. 

All of the women want his attention, but he ends up flirting with a plump blonde woman who is married.  Her husband is not pleased.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Tsar Alexander
A messenger, M. Michaud

Location: 

Petersburg


Nine days after the abandonment of Moscow, M. Michaud, French, but with unbreakable Russian loyalties, arrives to confirm the news to Tsar Alexander.

Alexander is saddened by the news, but confirms that he will never sign Russia over to Napoleon.

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 2

Characters Present:

Anna Pávlovna
Prince Vasilí Kurágin
others

Location: 

Anna Pávlovna's house, Petersburg


Anna returns from the Emperor's birthday celebrations with news of Kutúzov's resistance against the French.  Rumours are swirling that Napoleon has been captured and that the French have surrendered.  News that Moscow has been given up unsettles everyone. 

News also arrives late in the evening that Countess Hélène Berzúkhova committed suicide by taking too many pills given to her by the Queen of Spain's physician, to treat her angina. Apparently, she had become paranoid that the old count that had married knew that she had written a letter to her other husband, Pierre. 

Volume 3: Book 12 - Chapter 1

Characters Present:

Anna Pávlovna
Bilíbin
Prince Vasilí Kurágin
others

Location: 

A soiree at Anna Pávlovna's house, Petersburg


High society in Petersburg has carried on much as before, but with more tension than usual between some key social circles. 

Gossip ensues at Anna's house, including news that Countess Hélène Berzúkhova has angina, due to the stress of having two husbands.

It is the Emperor's birthday on the morrow, and Anna has received an invitation. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 34

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre staggers back to the place where the little girls family were last seen, but they are gone.  

Some nearby people recognise Pierre's description of the little girl's family and point him towards their new location.  Before Pierre can leave, he notices some Armenians being assaulted by some rough looking French soldiers.  He goes to their rescue, and is eventually arrested for having a dagger upon his person.  

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 33

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre wakes up rather hungover and ashamed of the events of the previous evening.

However, he is determined to follow through on his quest to kill Napoleon. He realises that he cannot conceal his gun well enough, so despite his misgivings about using one, he takes a dagger.

On his way, he passes a weeping woman who thinks her daughter has been burnt to death in a house-fire.  He goes to investigate, and finds the girl in the back garden.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 32

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski
Timókhin
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Mytíshchi, about 14 miles from Moscow


Prince Andrew is inspected by a doctor, who makes unhappy sounds at the appearance and smell of Andrews mortifying flesh. 

Andrew is in a kind of delirium, and is experiencing some kind of hyper-sensitivity.  

Natasha enters, and he thinks it is another hallucination, but is pleased that it is actually her, so that he can share his new god-given-love for her.  Andrew suddenly feels a great empathy, and feels bad for his harsh rejection of her.  When she begs his forgiveness, he tells her there is nothing to forgive.