Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 15

Characters Present

Maria Ignatyevna Peronskaya

Natasha Rostova

Location:

The New Years Eve Ball, Petersburg

The Rostóv's finally arrive at the ball with the wealthy old socialite, Maria Ignatyevna Peronskaya, and are greeted equally by the hosts.

Though Natasha feels overwhelmed, this being her first ball, she calms down a bit when she realises that positive whispers are going around regarding to her appearance.

Peronskaya points out who-is-who to Natasha, who spots Prince Andrew Bolkónski across the room.  She is struck by his good looks, and appearance in general. Peronskaya says that she wouldn't waste her time on him, as he is rather proud, but Natasha disagrees.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:

The Rostóv family

Location: 

The Rostóv household, Petersburg

Date: 

December 31st, 1809

The Rostóv's have been invited to a socially important New Years Eve ball, to which the Emperor will attend.

The Rostóv women are all racing about trying to get dressed in order to arrive at the ball at 10.30pm.  After many a dress length adjustment, they eventually leave the house at 10.15pm in a carriage. 

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Countess Natalya Rostova

Natasha Rostova

 Location: 

The Rostóv home, Petersburg

It is bedtime and Natasha runs into her mothers bed and leaps in while her mother is saying her prayers.  The countess affects to be annoyed, but is in truth fond of these occurrences, which happen regularly while Count Rostóv is at his club.

They speak of Boris Drubetskóy and Natalya tells Natasha that she should stop Boris from visiting, as Natasha can not marry him due to his poor finances.  Natasha protests slightly but seems to accept it in good graces. 

The following day, the countess has a quiet word with Boris, who subsequently stops visiting.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova
Boris Drubetskóy

Location: 

Petersburg

Natasha celebrates her 16th birthday, and remembers that four years ago, her and Boris had made a childish engagement to be married after she turned 16.

Boris returns to Petersburg, and visits the Rostóvs out of politeness.  He cannot afford to marry Natasha due to her families financial woes and their subsequently low social standing, as it would ruin his career. He is also intending to marry a wealthy heiress, who is not named.

Despite Boris' determination to not resume any childish affections with Natasha, he discovers that she has grown into a beautiful young women and starts to spend more and more time at the Rostóv home.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Lieutenant Berg,
Count Ilya Rostov
Vera Rostova (eldest Rostov daughter)

Location:

Petersburg


Financial matters for the Rostóvs have worsened, and Count Rostóv takes the family to Petersburg, where he seems to take on some kind of administrative position.

Lieutenant Berg proposes to Vera Rostova and the Rostóv family agree, as she is 24 and has not had any proposals prior to this one, despite being relatively attractive.

Berg says that both the groom and bride must bring some money to the marriage, and finally gets sick of waiting to find out what Vera's dowry will be, so goes to ask about it two weeks before the wedding.  The count has been worrying about this for weeks, as most of Vera's dowry was mortgaged or sold. Unable to get out of answering Berg, who says he will have to break off the engagement if he won't tell, the count says that that Vera will have 80,000 Rubles.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Boris Drubetskóy

Location:

The Berzúkhov household, Petersburg

Pierre makes several entries in his diary, outlining his distaste for his wife Hélèn's friends and his hatred for Boris Drubetskóy who has also joined the Freemasons. 

Pierre goes on to describe his dreams, which indicate that he feels he is not serving God as well as he could.  

Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev (his original sponsor in joining the masons) comes to him in another dream, and tells him that he should be intimate with his wife, as it is wrong to withhold husbandly affections from her.  The next day he receives a letter  from Bazdéev saying that Pierre should have some conjugal visits with his wife.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Countess Hélène Bezukhova (nee Kuragina)

Location:

The Berzúkhov household, Petersburg

Hélène's exceptional social skills have resulted in the Berzúkhovs becoming highly regarded in the largest social circle in Petersburg - the French circle of Napoleonic alliance.

Pierre notes that Hélène has grown even more beautiful in the two years that they were apart.

He feels anxious about attending Hélène's soirees, which often feature lively conversations around politics and philosophy, as he is worried that her stupidity will be exposed.

Volume 2: Book 6 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev

Hélène Kuragina

Pierre Bezukhov

Location:

Petersburg/Moscow

After his failed speech, Pierre descends into depression.  He also receives word that his wife, Hélène, would like to restore their marriage. 

Pierre goes to visit his mentor Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev in Moscow for advice, and Pierre is advised to look back to the basic structure of the Masons, and to both forgive his wife and ask for her forgiveness.  Alexéevich also advises Pierre to take a more humble role in the Petersburg Masons, and to quietly guide them away from pride into humility.

Pierre returns to Petersburg, and his wife, Hélène moves back in.

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.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 19

Characters Present:

Boris Drubetskóy

Nicholas Rostóv

Location:

Tilsit

Nicholas Rostóv goes to see Boris Drubetskóy, who has risen very quickly through the ranks.  

Drubetskóy greets him indifferently and listens to Rostóv's appeal to get Denísov's letter to the Emperor with the same attitude with which one might listen to their subordinate.  

Drubetskóy tells Rostóv that the Emperor tends to dole out severe punishments for such actions, and that Rostóv would be better appealing to the commander of the corps.

Rostóv loses his temper and says that Drubetskóy doesn't actually want to help them at all.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 18

Characters Present:

Vaska Denísov

Nicholas Rostóv

Captain Tushín

Location:

The officer's ward in the field hospital

Rostóv enters the officer's ward and notices that it does not smell as bad as the soldier's ward. He finds Denísov asleep in bed, despite it being close to noon.  Denísov's immediate neighbour is Captail Tushín, who has had an arm amputated.

Tushín tries to convince Denísov to write to the Emperor to ask for a pardon for stealing the goods wagons, but Tushín refuses to beg forgiveness for doing what he felt was the right thing. 

Denísov ends up handing such a document to Rostóv before he leaves, to give to the Emperor. 

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 17

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv

Some doctors

Location: 

A field hospital in a small Prussian town

The battle of Friedland was fought, but without Nicholas Rostóv's regiment.   Nicholas goes to visit Denísov, who was shot in the foot, and opted to go to hospital rather than be court marshalled.

When Nicholas arrives at the hospital, he is warned that five doctors and countless patients have died of typhus. He asks to see his friend and though the doctors suspect that he has died, they offer a tour of the ward just in case.

Nicholas is hit by a wall of stink upon entering the ward and sees pale, skeletal and amputated men sitting in their various fluids and states of decay.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 16

Characters Present:

Vaska Denísov

Nicholas Rostóv

Location: 

A dug-out at a distant outpost.

The regiment are still starving, and Denísov storms in to tell the quartermaster off, who was supposed to stop the men from eating Máska's root. 

Denísov then goes away and returns, with infantry-men on his heels - he has stolen two of their transport carts for their food to feed his men.  He tells them to bugger off, because his men have not eaten in two weeks.

Denísov is called away again, and when he returns he is speaking jibberish, and eventually Rostóv manages to glean that Denísov will be court-marshalled and tried for robbery.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 15

Characters Present:

Nicholas Rostóv

Vaska Denísov

Location:

Near a ruined and deserted German village

Nicholas returns to his regiment, and is greeted warmly by Denísov, and he feels the same warmth as he does returning home.  They become rather close.

The winter is mostly over, and the thaw comes, making everything too soggy for supplies to get through for the men or horses.  Many of the men take to eating a root called "Máska's sweet root" which turns out to be toxic and makes the limbs and face swell up.  The doctors insist that they stop eating it, but they don't as their rations are tiny. 

 .
 

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

Old Prince Nicholas Bolkónski

Location:

Bald Hill Estate

Prince Andrew, Princess Mary and Count Pierre all leave the religious people to finish their tea.  Princess Mary asks Count Pierre to encourage Prince Andrew to go abroad for his general health, and tells him that she sees him as a brother.

Old Prince Nicholas arrives back, and likes Count Pierre straight away, even though they have an argument over whether there will be wars in the future.

Count Pierre leaves the estate feeling very close to everyone, and the Bolkónski family all discuss him warmly.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

2 peasants

Location:

Bald Hill Estate

Andrew and Pierre arrive back at Bald Hill Estate and seek Mary out.  They find her in a prayer session with two peasants from the village.

One of the peasants tells Pierre about a local statue of the Virgin Mary weeping, and a tale of how it restored a general's sight.  Pierre says that is must be trick, as the church takes advantage of people, and the peasant gets upset and tries to leave.  Pierre makes out that he was joking, and the peasant remains.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Location:

On the way back to Bald Hill Estate

Pierre attempts to convince Andrew of the merits of joining the Freemasons. Andrew is doubtful at first, and then starts to agree with the ideologies of the the brotherhood.  Pierre notes that Andrew seems to be happier.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Location:

Prince Andrew's new house in Boguchárovo

Pierre goes to visit Andrew in his new home and finds him looking older, thinner and rather manly.

At first their conversation is awkward  but they then get into a debate about morality, and looking after oneself versus looking after others.

Andrew argues that there is no point in building hospitals for serfs, as if they had to go, they would be crippled and unable to toil.  They are happy like animals, and live to toil, and would only grow fat if they stopped. Andrew says it is better to look after ones self and family, and to try not to hurt anyone else.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Bezukhov's chief steward

Location:

Pierre's various estates

Of the 500,000 rubles per year that Pierre's estates earn, all but 100,000 gets spent on upkeep and so on.  Pierre is unable to manage his own accounts, so takes a false interest while his chief steward does the job.

Pierre, in his new piousness, also wants to release the serfs from serfdom and each estate goes about building schools and alms houses to satisfy him before he arrives.  What he doesn't know is that he is only shown the happiest, richest of the villagers when he visits, and the rest of the families are forced into further poverty by having to build the schools and so on. Worse, the serfs have lost the help of the children, who have now been forced into schools.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski 

Prince Nicholas Andréevich (Bolkónski's baby son)

A letter from Bilíbin

Location:

Bald Hills Estate

Sketch Map III. 1807 Campaign [1]

Prince Andrew receives a letter from Bilíbin, in which Bilíbin rants on and on about all the things that the Russian army is doing wrong.  Prince Andrew reads it and then feels happy when he realises that he doesn't care.

He goes into the nursery to check on his son, and sees the nurse looking unhappy.  Prince Andrew races over to the cot, thinking that his son must be dead, and finds him asleep but a bit sweaty.  Prince Andrew is relieved as this is the most important thing that he has left now.

[1] Tolstoy L, 1993, War and Peace, Wordsworth Editions Ltd, Hertfordshire, p.295

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

Old Prince Nicholas Bolkónski

Baby Prince Nicholas Andréevich

Location:

Bald Hill Estate

Old Prince Nicholas has been made one of eight commanders in chief, and has gone to war, which has been escalating.

Prince Andrew has withdrawn from active service, now working under his father, and is caring for Baby Prince Nicholas who has a terrible fever.  He argues with Princess Mary as to whether to wake the baby to administer medication.

During the argument, a letter from Old Prince Nicholas arrives, saying that Bonaparte was defeated by the German, Bennigsen, at Eylau.  Old Prince Nicholas asks Prince Andrew to go to Kórchevo to carry out instructions, but Prince Andrew refuses to leave until Baby Prince Nicholas is well again.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Anna Pávlovna

Boris Drubetskóy

Prince Hippolyte Kurágin

Countess Hélène Kuragina

Location: 

Anna Pávlovna's house in Petersburg/Countess Hélène's house

The soiree goes on and Prince Hippolyte holds everyone's attention with a series of jokes about Prussia.

The evening ends and Hélène insists that Boris Drubetskóy go around to see her on the coming Tuesday.  He goes, and doesn't understand why he was invited, as she barely speaks to him.  

Hélène then requests that he go to see her again for dinner the following evening, and the book then describes Boris as becoming an "intimate" in the countess's house.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Anna Pávlovna

Boris Drubetskóy

Prince Vasíli Kuragin

Location:

Anna Pávlovna's house, Petersburg

Anna Pávlovna is holding another soiree with the cream of Russian society.  They gossip mostly about Pierre, and how he has once again fallen out of favour.   

Boris is the star of the moment, having risen through the ranks despite his lack of money, and Anna Pávlovna steers the conversation so that he becomes the centre of it.  He speaks well, and the people enjoy the novelty of it all.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Prince Vasíli Kuragin

Location:

Pierre's place in Petersburg

Vasíli goes to see Pierre to convince him to make amends with Hélèna.  Pierre stays silent for a time then firmly demands that Vasíli leaves.

Pierre takes leave of his new mason friends and everyone else he knows, and goes to visit his country estates. 

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Freemasons

Location:

Petersburg

Pierre finishes the Masonic rituals.  He feels able to leave his old life of dodgy-ness behind him.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Count Willarski

Location:

Petersburg

Count Willarski visits Pierre in Petersburg, and asks if Pierre would like his sponsorship to become a mason.

Pierre agrees and they go to the temple. Pierre begins the ritual to become a mason.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 2

Characters Present:

Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev (Strange old man)
Count Pierre Bezukhov
Location: 

Moscow

The strange old man turns out to be Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev, who is a prominent mason, thus the ring.  He invites Pierre to sit with him.

Pierre says that he has an life opposite to that of the masons, and the old man asks if he has found god.  Pierre replies that he is completely opposed to such notions, and Bazdéev looks piteously at him.

Bazdéev then goes on about god for ages, and Pierre starts to feel better about his life, and asks the old man for help and he is handed a letter to take to Count Willarski in Petersburg.

Volume 1: Book 5 - Chapter 1

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov

Hélène Bezukhov

Strange Old Man

Location:

Moscow

Pierre finishes having a meeting with his wife Hélèna, and goes to the station to await a carriage to Petersburg. 

He is depressed and having some kind of existential crisis, and though he is unable to get a carriage straight away, he doesn't care if it arrives now or ever.   

Pierre moves to the waiting room and lays down on one of the leather couches. A strange old man wearing a deaths-head ring enters the room and sits opposite him.  Pierre is fascinated by his bright eyes.