Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 31

Characters Present:

The Rostóv family
Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location: 

Mytíshchi, about 14 miles from Moscow


Natasha has been quiet all day, since learning that the wounded Prince Andrew is with travelling with them. She is not even interested in Moscow burning down.

After everyone goes to sleep, she sneaks out to visit Prince Andrew.  She finds him feverish, but he smiles and holds out his hand for her to take.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 30

Characters Present:

The Rostóv family and servants

Location: 

Mytíshchi, about 14 miles from Moscow


The Rostov party have made it to Mytíshchi, and are bedding down for the night.

They can see Moscow, and it is on fire.  They worry that there is no-one there to put it out.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 29

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Makár Alexéevich
Captain Ramballe of the 13th Light Regiment

Location: 

Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev's former home, Moscow

Pierre and Captain Ramballe have dinner together, then start to drink wine.  

Pierre starts to like the man quite a lot, but then feels troubled, as he is not sure that he can any longer assassinate Napoleon upon his arrival in Moscow on the morrow. 

They get drunker and discuss love, and Pierre tells Captain Ramballe the story of his life, including his forbidden love for Natasha. 

They try to go out, but Pierre gets dizzy, and goes to have a lay down. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 28

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Makár Alexéevich
M. Ramballe, the captain of the 13th Light Regiment

Location: 

Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev's former home, Moscow

It turns out to be the French knocking on the door. Pierre tries to stay out of view, but the drunken Makár staggers into the hall waving a pistol about, and fires it into the ceiling. 

Pierre subdues him, and M. Ramballe insists that Pierre must be French, for he saved his life.  M. Ramballe then spares Makár's life, on Pierre's request.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 27

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Makár Alexéevich

Location: 

Joseph Alexéevich Bazdéev's former home, Moscow

Pierre is bordering on insanity, and doesn't really remember the past, and is only just coping with the present by going through Joseph's masonic papers, looking for grounding and wisdom.

He starts to formulate a plot to assassinate Napoleon, and has accepted that if caught, he will be killed. 

Makár Alexéevich stumbles drunkenly into the room, shouting about Napoleon. 

There is a knock at the door.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 26

Characters Present:

The French Army

Location: 

Moscow

The French army have arrived in Moscow, but it quickly ceases to be an army as the troops realise that Moscow has been abandoned.  The men disperse quickly over the city, appropriating valuables and claiming new homes.  Many of them come to their doom, after leaving the city a few weeks later, trying to carry their stolen goods, much like a monkey with its fist full of nuts in an narrow necked jar. 

Moscow, being mostly built of wood, eventually gets burnt down.  It is debated as to whether it was to be attributed to Rostopchín being vengeful, or to the carelessness of the soldiers living in a city that didn't really belong to them.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 25

Characters Present:

Count Rostopchín
Vereshchágin

Location: 

Moscow


Count Rostopchín is feeling like his efforts to save Moscow have ignored and belittled by the orders of Kutúzov. 

He hears a mob at the front of his house, and the traitor, Vereshchágin is dragged into the yard.

Rostopchín goes out, and commands the crowd and the troops to tear him apart, to kill him.  At first they are reluctant, but they soon get over this and kill the poor, fragile, starved man. 

Rostopchín feels mildly bad about it later, and calls the crowd animals.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 24

Characters Present:

Count Rostopchín

Location: 

Moscow

Count Rostopchín has a meeting with Kutúzov and is offended when he is not invited to the subsequent war council.  Kutúzov has ignored his offer to help defend Moscow, since Kutúzov's plan was to abandon Moscow.

He has instead been asked to provide police officers to help escort some troops through the city. 

Rostopchín gets sulky, and won't give any orders.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 23

Characters Present:

A young blonde man who would be handsome if not for his gloomy eyes and grim mouth
Some drunken people

Location: 

A pub, Moscow

A young blonde man, who would be handsome if not for his gloomy eyes and grim mouth, is in a pub, seeming to think himself above the rest of the patrons.  The patrons are laboriously singing baudy songs, while the man repeatedly and carefully rolls up his grubby shirt sleeve.

He calls out for everyone to stop singing, for there has been a fight. Apparently a smith has beaten someone, possibly a thief, to death. 

Chaos ensues between the public and whatever authorities are around.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 22

Characters Present:

Mávra Kuzmínichna
Ignát, the yard porter
Míshka, a page boy

Location: 

The Rostóv's home, Moscow

Moscow is deserted, except for some servants left over at the Rostóvs home.

Ignát and Miska are in the drawing room, and Mishka dares to play a few keys on the clavicord until Mávra, his aunt, catches him, and tells him off.

There is a knock at the door, and it is a young, tattered looking officer, asking for Count Rostóv.  The young officer says that he is a nephew, and that he had come to borrow a small amount of money. Mávra gives him 25 rubles, and the young officer runs off to rejoin his regiment. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 21

Characters Present:

The Russian army

Location: 

Moscow

The Russian army are passing through Moscow to evacuate any citizens who have remained.

One of the groups of soldiers is escorting a group of men, released from prison.

Everything is a bit chaotic, as some of the soldiers are running away, and some of the prisoners seem to be trying to loot a shop.

A few shop owners try to bribe soldiers to stay with their business, or to have it protected, because of looting.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 20

Characters Present:

Bees
Napoleon

Location: 

Moscow 

When a beehive loses its queen, the hive goes into chaos.

Napoleon found the same in empty Moscow. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 19

Characters Present:

Napoleon
General/Prince Kutuzhóv

Location: 

Moscow 

Kutuzhóv gives the order to leave Moscow in the evening of the 1st of September, and the city is emptied by the next day.

Meanwhile, Napoleon looks down at the lights in Moscow, thinking magnanimous thoughts, such as how the Tsar and his own nobility could mingle in the Kremlin; and, how he could donate his riches to the charities of Moscow.  He has decided that he respects Moscow too much to destroy it. 

Napoleon's officers have discovered that Moscow is empty, but they are nervous about telling Napoleon, should he be embarrassed, furious or both.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 18

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukov
Gerásim

Location:

Moscow 

Pierre is confused after being told to leave Moscow by Count Rostopchín, and his confusion is later compounded by the news that his wife is marrying someone else.

He drifts over to his now deceased benefactor, Joseph Bazdéev's home, and asks for access to his library where Pierre spends some time reading old masonic tomes and manuscripts.

The housekeeper, Gerásim, asks if he can help with anything, and Pierre asks if him if he is aware that there will be a battle on the morrow, and sends him out to procure some peasants clothes.

Pierre begs Gerásim not to reveal his identity, and they go to the market to buy a pistol, which is where Pierre meets with the Rostóv family.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 17

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukov

Countess Natalya Rostova
Sonya Rostova
Natasha Rostova
Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

Moscow 

Sonya discovers that one of the wounded officers is Prince Andrew, who is mortally wounded.  She tells the family, who are saddened by the news, but none of them tell Natasha the news when she asks. 

The Rostóv's are finally ready to leave, and join the procession of carts leaving the city.  Natasha keeps an eye on the cart carrying Prince Andrew, even though she doesn't know that it carries him. 

Natasha spots Pierre, who  seems to be disguised as a commoner, and when they speak, he is despondent. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 16

Characters Present:

Berg

Countess Natalya Rostova
Sonya Rostova
Natasha Rostova
Count Ilya Rostóv
Petya Rostóv

Location:

Moscow 

Berg, who is the Rostóv's son-in-law by virtue of being married to their daughter Vera, takes leave from the army and visits the Rostóv home.  

Berg asks for a set of drawers that is on one of the carts, to give to Vera, and Ilya goes off in a temper.  Natasha explains to Petya and Berg that their parents are fighting as Ilya wants to carry wounded soldiers, but Natalya wants to carry belongings.

Natasha goes and shouts at her mother, and it is agreed that all of their belongings shall be unloaded and put in storage, so that no wounded soldiers get left behind.

The servants approach this task with renewed energy, but Sonya tries to make sure that some belongings are brought along.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 15

Characters Present:

Countess Natalya Rostova
Madame Schoss
Natasha Rostova
Count Ilya Rostóv

Location:

Moscow 

The value of paper money in Moscow has dropped rapidly, while the value of supplies like cloth and horses have increased.

Ilya wakes from his sleep, and finds some wounded officers in the hall who ask him if they can go on one of his carts to escape Moscow.  The count consents, and orders some of the luggage to be unpacked from the carts to make room.

Natalya summons her husband after hearing complaints from Madame Schoss, and tells her husband that their belongings will be their only wealth, and that he must have them put back on the carts.

Natasha overhears, and asks why her mother objects.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:

Countess Natalya Rostova
Madame Schoss
Natasha Rostova
Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

Moscow 

Madame Schoss returns from town, and frightens Natalya with news of rioting in the streets.

Natasha decides to get involved in the packing, and finally convinces everyone that she is not annoying by fitting some carpets and crockery into boxes that nobody else had success packing. She does this by abandoning all of the cheap wares.

The first of the wounded soldiers is brought into the house. To everyone's shock, it is Prince Andrew.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Countess Natalya Rostova
Mávra Kuzmínichna
Petya Rostóv
Natasha Rostova

Location:

Moscow

Natasha is sitting in her room, being nostalgic, looking at her ball dresses and bows.  She had tried to help pack the house, but kept getting in the way.

She decides to go for a walk, and sees the family's former housekeeper, Mávra Kuzmínichna, talking to an officer at the gate.  Mávra says that they would be more comfortable staying at the Rostóv home, since the family were leaving.  Natasha agrees, and gets permission from her parents for wounded soldiers to stay at the house in their absence. 

Natalya is upset and trying to get the family to leave as soon as possible, to prevent young Petya from joining the battle at Three Hills on the morrow.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Countess Natalya Rostova
Count Ilya Rostóv
Petya Rostóv
Natasha Rostova

Location:

Moscow


Natalya has spent months in a panic, as both of her sons, Nicholas and Petya have been away fighting.  She is, however, happy about Nicholas wanting to marry Princess Mary, as it could help the Rostov family financially.

Ilya finds a way to calm her by having Petya transferred for further training in Moscow, and by arranging other posts which don't actually involve fighting.

Since Petya has been home, he and Natasha have become silly.  They run up and down the halls of the house laughing, despite the household having to pack up because the French are coming.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Count Rostopchín

Location:

Moscow

Pierre meets with Rostopchín, who asks him in a friendly, yet menacing way if Pierre is a Mason.  Pierre says he is, and Rostopchín starts ranting about whether he is a Mason, or a Mason, and that if Pierre is a Mason... well, he had better be careful, as he had already had some other Masons deported, as they had been circulating Napoleon's proclamation.

Pierre says nothing, and Rostopchín goes on, alternating between being civil and shouting, and he tells Pierre to leave Moscow, and to not get in contact with Mr. Klyucharëv, who Pierre had previously lent his carriage to. 

Pierre goes to his house, and among dozens of other letters and petitions, he finds Hélène's letter, saying that she is off to get married.

He goes to bed and passes out with his clothes on, his head in a spin. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Count Rostopchín's adjutant

Location:

Moscow


Upon his arrival in Moscow, Pierre is immediately summoned by Count Rostopchín.

While waiting to see him, he reads an article in the newspaper by Tsar Alexander, saying that Moscow will be defended to the end, which is against everyone else's understanding that Moscow cannot be defended.

Pierre also hears gossip the his wife will travel abroad.  He greets this news with an absent-minded shrug.

We learn that Count Rostopchín has a nasty temper.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location:

Borodíno, on the way to Moscow

Pierre, asleep in his carriage, has several nightmares which twist his time in the Masonic Lodge together with the horrors he has seen in battle. 

His driver wakes him, and tells him that it is time to go, and Pierre is frustrated that he doesn't know what his dreams were trying to tell him. 

On the way to Moscow, Pierre gives a ride to a wounded general, who tells him of Prince Anatole Kurágin's death, and also, of Prince Andrew Bolkónski's death. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location:

Borodíno

It is the end of the Battle of Borodíno, and Pierre feels that he has seen all he needed to, and is exhausted by the battle.  He walks away, and meets three soldiers on the road, who ask his name, as a condition of sharing their food with him.

Pierre wishes to conceal his nobility, and tells them that his name is Peter Kirílych, and that he is a militia officer, and that he has lost his men.

They begin to accompany him to Mozháysk, and passing by the inn that he was staying in, Pierre is recognised by some of his men, which is slightly awkward, as they call him "Your Excellency". He considers giving a coin to the soldiers, but decides against it, then goes for a lay-down in his carriage.  

A Christmas Treat

Here is a great reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, as read by a giant squid.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Countess Hélène Berzúkhova
Marya Dmítrievna Akhrosimova
Prince Vasilí
Bilíbin
Princess Kurágina (Hélène's mother) 

Location:

Petersburg

Hélène wants to distract society gossip from the fact that she already has a husband, so puts emphasis on the problem of having to choose between two suitors.

Marya tells her at a social function that the same (having two affairs, plus a husband) is already done in brothels, but Marya does not carry much social influence in Petersburg, so nobody pays much attention.

Prince Vasilí says that she should make up her own mind, and Bilíbin, Hélèn's friend, suggests that she marry the old count first, so that when he dies, she will get his money, and then she can marry the young Spanish prince.

Hélèn's mother worries that she won't be able to get a divorce, because of the bible.

Hèléne writes a letter to Pierre at his home, even though he is still at Borodíno, asking for a divorce. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Countess Hélène Berzúkhova

Location:

Petersburg


Hélène has been having an affair with two men, a young Spanish prince, and an older French gentleman.

She is put in an awkward position when she discovers that they are both in Petersburg, but rather than try to conceal that they both exist to one another, she admits it, and convinces the younger one to marry her.  The prince notes that she is still technically married to Pierre, and she says that he was never a husband to her.

While he is off getting advice from the a church, she goes to her country house, and sees her other lover, Monsieur de Jobert who convinces her to convert to Catholicism, which goes nicely with her plans. 

An abbot is brought to Hélène, and after she confesses, she starts to get around wearing virginal white, though it still sounds like she is showing her bosom off a bit. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Count Rostopchín

Location:

Moscow


People are beginning to leave Moscow, as to not be ruled by the French.  The rich are leaving with their belongings, and the poor are staying behind to burn things down, to make sure the French don't get any use out of it.

Count Rostopchín keeps calling the people that are leaving Moscow cowards in his broadsheet publication.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Bennigsen

Kutúzov

Ermólov

Kaysárov
Andrew Savostyánov
Malásha (Savostyánov's 6 year old grand daughter)
Toll
Dokhtúrov

Location:

A Council of War in Andrew Savostyánov's hut.


Malásha watches the council with shy delight, and is happy when she sees Kutúzhov, who she in her mind, calls Granddad, even though her actual grandfather is Andrew.

They debate on whether to retreat from Moscow.  Kutúzov eventually decides to issue the command to retreat to beyond Moscow.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Bennigsen

Kutúzov

Ermólov

Count Rostopchín

Location:

Poklómy Hill


Ermólov returns from inspecting the lines, and tells Kutúzov that the army will need to retreat to beyond Moscow. 

Kutúzov goes to Poklómy Hill, where he gets out of his carriage and sits on a bench. He is instantly surrounded by officers, and they have a serious discussion about whether or not to enact the retreat.

Kutúzov cannot bring himself to give the order, and decides that he must only trust his own judgement. 

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 2

Characters Present:

Russian Army
French Army


Location:

Russia

The French forced the Russian army back 80 miles, past Moscow.  

Then, the French sat in Moscow, not doing anything in particular for five weeks.  After five weeks, without warning,  they went away, to beyond Vilna.

Volume 3: Book 11 - Chapter 1

Characters Present:


Location:

Tolstoy discusses the interconnectedness of all things.

Volume 2: Book 10 - Chapter 39

Characters Present:

French Army
Russian Army

Location:

Borodíno

Troops are laying dead or wounded as the battle goes on.  It begins to rain, washing away blood and dirt, and each of the men start to question for whom they are killing.

They battle on though - the Russian army continue to block the road to Moscow, and the French half-heartedly continue to attack.  If their morale hadn't been so low, they probably could have won the battle, as the Russians had lost half of their army, and the French, only quarter. 

END OF BOOK 10

&

END OF VOLUME 2

Volume 2: Book 10 - Chapter 38

Characters Present:

Napoleon Bonaparte

Location:

Shevárdino Redoubt


Napoleon feels terrible because of his cold, but also, because of a flicker of remaining humanity, which tells him that he is to blame for all of the death on the battlefield.

Volume 2: Book 10 - Chapter 37

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

In a medical tent in Borodíno


Andrew finds himself in a make-shift theatre with three operating tables. There are two other men being operated on, and Andrew thinks he recognises the one having his leg amputated.

A doctor comes and orders Andrew to be undressed. Andrew passes out from the pain in his abdomin but awakes with his leg bandaged.  He looks closely at the man that he recognised, who is sobbing and frightened, and begging to be allowed to look at his leg. 

Andrew realises it is Anatole Kurágin, who he had despised for so long, but feels sudden empathy, love and forgiveness in the aftermath of his near-death experience.

Volume 2: Book 10 - Chapter 36

Characters Present:

Prince Andrew Bolkónski

Location:

Between the Knoll Battery and Semënovsk


For a time, Andrew's regiment is kept in reserve, behind Semënovsk, and then moved up to be in between the Knoll Battery and Semënovsk.

After several hours of pacing with nervous energy, he asks his adjutant to get the men to fall back into a close formation, and before anything can be done, they come under fire. The adjutant tells Andrew to lie down, but he doesn't, and gets wounded in the stomach.

As Andrew is lying on the grass, he suddenly feels a rush of passion for the meadow, the grass, the times he had fallen in love, and life in general.  He wonders about this when he is waiting to be seen by a doctor at the hospital tent, and he decides that there is something about life that he doesn't understand.

Volume 2: Book 10 - Chapter 35

Characters Present:

His Serene Highness Kutúzov

Wolzogen

Raévski

Location:

Górki


Kutúzov is sitting quietly, giving permission to give orders, and hearing reports, in which he learns that General Bagratión has been wounded, which saddens him.

He is under the impression that their side is winning, but he is approached by the Wolzogen, who has been sent by Barclay de Tolley, to smugly declare that they are losing, and that they should retreat. Kutúzov reacts angrily, and is then approached by Raévski, who has spent all day at the Knoll Battery, and says that the French are no longer attacking.

Kutúzov asks Raévski if he thinks that they should retreat, like some others do, and then he sends out an order to ready the army to attack on the morrow.