In Which We Discuss War and Peace: Book 2, Chapters 6 and 7

I forgot to mention; I hit 12% halfway through the last chapter!

Chapter 6

We now zoom out a little, to learn more about how the war is going more generally.  The army is falling back towards Vienna.  We join them as they are walking through Enns, looking over the Danube.  I must therefore insist that you play the following as you read this post.

I looked it up; Enns is East-South-East of Linz.  The soldiers - none of whom I recognise - are having a picnic there.  Prince Nesvitski has pies and real Doppelkummel to share.  Doppelkummel is alcohol, and apparently there is/was regional disagreement on how it should be made.

The officers are enjoying sightseeing.  They saw deer!  This is a very civilised day trip.  There's even entertainment laid on; they're watching the troops fighting and talking about raiding a nearby nunnery.  I feel like I'm watching Carry On Up the Danube.

The infantry don't appear to be following orders correctly, so Nesvitski is sent to investigate.  He jokes about going to see the nuns instead, certain that they will be pleased to see him, a la Terry of Herland.  The officers settle down to carry on watching the show.

Chapter 7

Nesvitski is stuck on the bridge with a crowd of soldiers.  There is still very much a day-out feel, even though cannons are being fired at them (it hit the Danube).  Denisov - whose first name is Vaska - starts shouting to be let through; he wants to talk to Nesvitski.  He eventually gets through, while all the men gape at the only woman in the vicinity and offer to buy her.  This is very unpleasant.  We end the chapter with the filthy infantry and shiny clean hussars having a bit of banter.  Now I feel like I'm at a football match.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace: Part 2, Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It is now evening and there is a ruckus ("animated discussion") occurring in Denisov's quarters.  A staff captain named Kirsten - who has been twice demoted for affairs of honour and then promoted again, so there is hope for Denisov yet - is demanding that Nikolai Rostov must apologise to the commander.  I am unclear as to what for.

Oh, apparently he was wrong to accuse an officer of stealing in front of officers.  I think, after confronting Telyanin, he repeated the accusation to the colonel, Bogdanich, who then called him a liar, which is what Rostov is annoyed about.  I would be too.  Telling the truth about Telyanin's behaviour - in front of officers, no less - means that they have to either do something about it and look bad.

It's like how we call the Spanish Flu the Spanish Flu, not because Spain was hit worse, or because it originated the virus, but because they were the first country to openly talk about the problem.  It's also like all those college campuses who can't talk about their sexual assault problem because no one else is.  You have to talk about problems and acknowledge them to have a hope in hell of fixing them.  Why is it better to live with a problem no one knows about than to just solve it?  I do not like this.

Rostov doesn't like being called a liar but also doesn't feel as strongly as me, so he decides to let things be smoothed over.  Get it together, Little Nicky (that is his name now).