Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 20

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

After Pierre leaves dinner, Natasha begs Mary to tell her what she and Pierre spoke about.

Mary sees a light, previously extinguished, reignite in Natasha's eyes, and tries to ignore the niggling feeling that Natasha has gotten over her brother too quickly.

Mary relates the conversation to Natasha and Natasha is upset that Pierre will go to Petersburg on the following day, and is both satisfied and agitated by the state of things.

-END OF BOOK 15-

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 19

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre continues to be in love with Natasha, but does not occupy himself with worries that he has said the wrong thing; he only worries that he may be dreaming. 

He feels pity for Prince Vasilí as he pays off his dead wife's debts.

Pierre has reached a point where he loves everyone with his whole heart before even knowing them, which is much changed from his previous approach.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 18

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre puts off his trip to Petersburg, and returns to Mary's house for dinner over several evenings.  He is infatuated with Natasha and he is overstaying his welcome with Mary, who seems tired of his long visits.

Eventually he gets to speak to Mary alone, and asks her if there is any chance for him and Natasha.  As Natasha is still in mourning black, Mary thinks it unwise for him to make any moves, but says that she will facilitate the union.  She tells Pierre to go to Petersburg the following day.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 17

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre stays for dinner, and Natasha and Mary insist on hearing about Pierre's experiences in the war. 

He relates them, and finishes just after 3am.   Mary sees that love is possible between Pierre and Natasha.

When Mary and Natasha go to bed, Natasha remarks on what an impressive man Pierre has become.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 16

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow


The three friends discuss the deaths of Petya Rostóv and Prince Andrew.  

Natasha leaves the room and Mary remarks that this is the first time that Natasha had spoken of the lead up to Prince Andrew's death.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 15

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre stays in the unburnt portion of his house in Moscow, and receives many visitors. 

He goes to visit Mary, and finds her in her apartments with a companion.  They begin to speak, and doesn't recognise that Mary's companion is Natasha.  Mary tells Pierre that her companion is Natasha, and Pierre suddenly recognises her as a thinner, much more solemn, kinder version of her former self.

Pierre is reminded that he is in love with her, and betrays himself by getting flushed and stuttery.  

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:


Location: 

Moscow


The Russians start returning to Moscow in droves, and plunder whatever the French didn't leave behind.  Within a week the police start to stop the peasants from doing so, and make them cart corpses out of town.

After the plundering has stopped, the rebuilding of Moscow begins.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
The Princess (?)
Count Willarski

Location: 

Orël


The people around Pierre notice the change in him, and find him more likeable.  He has long conversations with Willarski, though, does not speak very much, as opposed to letting Willarski speak upon all manner of things.

He lost quite a lot of money and real estate in the sacking of Moscow, and his wife is in a lot of debt.  His head steward suggests that if he ignores the debts, and doesn't rebuild, he would save almost three-quarters of his income. 

Pierre agrees, but upon requests from Prince Vasilí to pay his daughters debts, Pierre decides that the best path is to pay them, and to rebuild his houses in Moscow.  

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Orël

As soon as Pierre arrives in Orël, he gets what the doctors call "bilious fever" for three months.   Despite being treated with medicine and ointments and being bled a lot, Pierre recovers. 

He finds that he has lost his aim in life, as he now has a closer faith in God.  Previously, he had faith that God would reveal what his aim should be. Now, Pierre now feels that what he had been looking for through a telescope was actually at his feet the whole time.  

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Tsar Alexander
Kutúzov

Toll
Konovnítsyn
Ermólov

Location: 

Vílna


Despite being given the reward, Kutúzov remains unpopular with the Tsar.   Kutúzov does not, and will not understand why the war in 1812 must be carried on, since Russia has been saved, and its enemy made to flee.

The Tsar sees Europe in the bigger picture though, and decommissions Kutúzov on the grounds of poor health.  Toll, Konovnítsyn and Ermólov receive fresh appointments.

Kutúzov still not understanding what there is left for a Russian to do, dies.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Tsar Alexander
Kutúzov

Location: 

Berëzina and Vílna

It is said that the destruction of the bridge over the Berëzina was worse for the French than the Battle of Kräsnoe, but numbers show that Kräsnoe was worse.

Disapproval of Kutúzov continues, with people thinking him a crackpot for withholding men from battles.  

The Emperor comes to visit Kutúzov at Vílna and hugs him, causing Kutúzov to sob a bit.  The Emperor then complains about Kutúzov to the field-marshal after Kutúzov leaves the room.  The Emperor seems to approve of him by the end of the chapter though, as Kutúzov is awarded the Order of St George of the First Class.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Makéev
Jackdaw
the 5th Company

Ramballe
Morel

Location: 

At the edge of a forest, just out of Krásnoe


Makéev and Jackdaw go over to see the 5th Company, as there is a rumour that two starving Frenchmen have arrived.

The Frenchmen are Ramballe, an officer, and Morel, a  soldier.  Ramballe is quite ill, and needs help to walk.  They collapse near a fire, and the Russians rush to give them food and vodka.  Ramballe is taken to be warmed in an officer's hut, and Morel stays with the Russian soliders and they sing bawdy French songs.  The Russians soldiers comment that "they are men too."

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Makéev
Jackdaw
The 8th Company

Location: 

Just out of Krásnoe

Makéev and Jackdaw are gossiping over the campfire about the comings and goings of other soldiers.

The topic moves to some rumours heard about French corpses - that they apparently stay pure and white for weird lengths of time, where the Russians go maggoty and rotten.  They surmise that it is because the French eat like gentry, so it must preserve their bodies a bit.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Location: 

Just out of Krásnoe


It was the last day of the Battle of Krásnoe, and a severely reduced Russian infantry reach camp for the night.

Some officers come out to tell them that the huts are crowded with dying and sick French soldiers.  Men start to carry out the dead ones, so that they can use the huts.

The rest of camp is set off, and some men take off their trousers to steam the lice out of them.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 

Krásnoe

The battle of Krásnoe has been won, and Kutúzov goes around inspecting the state of things.  There are some French prisoners, disfigured, frost-bitten, and quite a few have red, weeping eyes.

He thanks the soldiers for their hard-work, then goes on to say that they didn't invite the French here, and calls them (probably, as it is censored) "bloody bastards".  The soldiers enjoy the swearing, and cheer. 

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 



In 1812 and 1813, Kutúzov is openly called a blunderer, a procrastinator and is generally out of favour with everyone for his decisions to not go into battle.

He stayed on his path though, and kept his motto "patience and time".  

Tolstoy thinks, contrary to history and the influential figures of that time, that Kutúzov was a great man.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 

Krásnoe


The Russian army reaches Krásnoe with 50,000 men.  They attack the French against Kutúzov's wishes, since the war is won, and capture 26,000 men. 

Napoleon has been recorded in history as being heroic and grand, whereas Kutúzov has been described as crafty and dissolute.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

Location: 

Yarosláv


Natasha is the only one able to attend to her mother effectively.

Princess Mary delays her trip to Moscow by three weeks, and during this time, she and Natasha become the best of friends, and are gradually able to forget about Andrew's death. 

After three weeks, Mary returns to Moscow, and Natasha goes with her.  She is to see doctors there, as she has become pale and thin.