I made a spreadsheet for reading War and Peace. The dates are when I expect to read each chapter, assuming one chapter a day. The first row at the bottom is what percentage I'll be at when I finish each part, then what percentage of the whole each part is, and then the average percentage each chapter in that part contributes to the whole. I enjoy spreadsheets, I find them relaxing. I also made a little calculator.
If I read one chapter per day, I won't be done until next March, but if I read 3, I'd be done by the end of August. I've still got a solid week of exams to go, but I'm thinking of reading a bit faster after that, especially since I'll get busy again in September. Anyway.
Chapter 10
It's dawn on the 16th of November, and Denisov's squadron, in which Nikolai serves, is marching out. Unfortunately, they remain in reserve and Nikolai is disappointed, especially when the Russian's win without his contribution. They've occupied Wischau and captured a whole French squadron.
He's also annoyed to have wasted all that time being worried and then not going into battle, which I get, because I spent last night revising pharmacogenetics and it didn't show up this morning's exam. Denisov suggests that they drink, and I'd forgotten about his lisp. He can't pronounce his Rs, which doesn't stop him from trying to buy a captured French horse. It used to belong to a young Alsation, which I guess means someone from Alsace. He speaks French with a German accent.
The Alsation has gone a bit mad, and thinks he's back in his own army. Rostov buys his horse, since he's now the richest officer, having received his mother's care-package two chapters ago. Then the emperor turns up, and Rostov forgets all his earlier disappointment and is "as happy as a lover" to be in the Emperor's presence. I'm beginning to understand why the Russian commentator for Eurovision 2018 thought he could explain away Ireland's gay love ballad as being about two really close male friends.
...the narration then describes the emperors face as being fully of gaiety, and honestly, I know it was a different time, and patriotism and male friendship and so on, but I'm still waiting for someone to say "no homo". A little later, Rostov sees the emperor shudder in response to a dying soldier, and it is this - sympathy for his beloved emperor - that finally prompts him to think that war is a terrible thing. It seems everyone is in agreement re their beloved Tyrant, judging by the response when Rostov proposes a toast to him that evening. Afterwards, Denisov finally says it; "As there's no one to fall in love with on campaign, he's fallen in love with the Tsar." I knew it wasn't just me. I am starting to wonder if Russian has more words for love than English does, because while it is a little romantic, in the sense of Rostov having big dramatic daydreams about dying for the Emperor, it's not sexual in any way - more a cross between agape and philia. The chapter ends by pointing out that 9/10s of the Russian army feel this way, though to a slightly less dramatic extent.
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