Princess Anna and her son, Darling Bory, are heading back to the household of Count Cyril Vladimirovich Bezukhov (aka Uncle Moneybags). Anna urges Darling Bory to be kind to his lovely, wonderful, generous uncle Cyril. Darling Bory thinks only humiliation will come of this sucking up, but is willing to give it a go. The butler won't let them in; Darling Bory is inclined to give up, but Anna begs to speak to Prince Vasili instead. As they walk in, she reminds Darling Bory that he has promised to be a good little beggar.
Prince Vasili is saying goodbye to Lorrain, a doctor from St Petersburg. I'm fairly sure he's a new character at this point. Prince Vasili looks at Anna with an expression I would describe as "what the fuck are you doing here?". Tolstoy calls it a "look of inquiry" that causes "an expression of profound sorrow" to pass across Anna's face.
Still, she presses on. Darling Bory needs money. Uncle Cyril is dying, but Prince Vasili doesn't want to dwell on that, so he asks Bory about his living arrangments. Anna soon turns the conversation back to money, reminding Vasili that Darling Bory is Uncle Cyril's godson. She is desperate to get in, not to make sure Cyril has written his will - although that is so important, for his own peace of mind - but because she loves her darling uncle Cyril so. And also, it is her Christian duty.
Anna finally manages to Vasili to let her into the count's rooms, despite another neice wandering in to give her a dirty look. Darling Bory is sent to take Pierre to a party, to get him out of Vasili's hair. I hope there will be another bear at this one.
Chapter XIII
We're back with Nataly, who only ran to the conservatory before stopping and waiting for Darling Bory. She hides when he arrives and watches him preening in a convenient mirror. He leaves and Sonya walks in. Nataly's still spying. She's such a youngest.
Nikolai comes in and makes up with Sonya. She's jealous of Julie, but doesn't want Nikolai to declare his love for her either. That's not confusing at all.
Nataly calls darling Bory back and demands a kiss first for her doll, and then for himself. He is understandably creeped out, but reminds her that he has promised to marry her in four years, when she turns sixteen. I am uncomfortable.
Chapter XIV
The countess has thrown everyone out, but has decided she'd like to talk to princess Anna Mikhaylovna some more. Vera is still her, but her mother kicks her out as well. Vera seems testy. She walks into the conservatory where Nikolai is copying out his very first poems for Sonya and darling Bory and Nataly and whispering together. Presumably, they are planning the table settings. Vera is pissed off, claims her inkwell back from Nikolai, and tells Darling Bory and Nataly that their having secrets at Nataly's age is "nonsense". I am fond of Vera.
Nataly threatens to tell their mama about 'Berg', whoever Berg is, and Vera dares her to go ahead; their mother will be more concerned about Nataly and Boris than Vera and this mysterious Berg. Nataly accuses Vera of being a "madame de Genlis". Apparently, this is an insult. I don't see why, she sounds cool. Anyway, Darling Bory, Nikolai, Sonya, and Nataly run away shouting "Madame de Genlis" at her. Vera is "handsome" but produces an "irritating and unpleasant effect on everyone". I like her.
Back in the drawing room, the countess wants to know how Anna Mikhaylovna managed to get such a good job for Darling Bory, when Nikolai is only going as a cadet. Anna tells her about asking Prince Vasili and somehow turns it around to her need for a loan, and her hopes that Cyril Bezukhov will come through; he is Darling Bory's godfather after all. She openly wishes he were dead, so Darling Bory could have his money. The poor man. They'll be breaking into his safe before he's cold.
Anna and Darling Bory leave, and we get another name for rich uncle Cyril - Count Cyril Vladimirovich. The Count wants Anna to ask him to invite Pierre over, so they can show that they throw a better party than Count Orlov (who the hell is Count Orlov?).
Chapter XII
Nikolai Rostov, his sister Vera, Marya Lvovna Karagina's daughter Julie, and Sonya, the count's fifteen-year-old niece, which, I think, makes her Nikolai's and Nataly's cousin. She is a little cutie-pants.
Nikolai has decided to leave university and join the military, just like darling Bory. He'll be in the archives department (he also has nepotism armour). The count doesn't believe a war will really happen, even though it's just been announced. Nikolai insists that the army is his rightful place, while making eyes at his fifteen-year-old cousin. Julie decides to flirt with him instead and Sonya goes off in a huff. Nicholas notices and goes after her. Darling Bory's mother, Anna, notices, and comments that "cousinhood is a dangerous neighbourhood". She's not wrong. In genetics, we call them cosanguinous matings if they're closer than 3rd cousins, and they're not a great idea.
Countess Rostov is absolutely positive that all her daughters share everything with her, and that Sonya will tell her immediately if anything happens with Nikolai. Even if it does, he won't be as bad as those "Petersburg young men," (suddenly, a bear).
The count decides that everything is splendid, and boasts about Nataly's singing ability. Of course she's not too young to have singing lessons; their mothers were married at twelve or thirteen, don't you know? I mean, the countess waited until she was at least twenty until she started on her twelve children (maybe). The countess thinks that Nataly is in love with Darling Bory, but, since the Countess is such a permissive mother, she is sure to hear everything, and Nataly and Bory won't be sneaking around making out in dark corners.
Countess Vera - the eldest Rostov daughter, who is only four years older than Nataly (presumably, the eldest were all boys) was raised more strictly. Vera agrees when her mother says this, in a way that makes everyone uncomfortable. This party is still not as good as the one with the bear.
Chapter X
Prince Vasili has kept a promise made to Princess Drubetskaya - who is also referred to as Anna Mikhaylovna within the same paragraph - and gotten her son, Boris a job. Yay! He doesn't get to be on Kutuzov's staff though, despite his mother pushing for it.
Darling Bory was raised in Moscow with/by rich relations, the Rostovs, two of whom are named Nataly. Because the characters in this book needed to be even more confusing. It is St Natalie's day, which, google tells me, is at the end of July. Countess Nataly Rostov is forty-five and has had twelve children. Bloody hell; even the narration thinks she looks tired. Apparently, lots of people are visiting and the Count is being very fancy and greeting them all in French. He is clean-shaven; that means he's modern, at least as far as Peter the Great was concerned, though Pyotr Alekseyvich Romanov was over a hundred years dead by the time this book was published, so what does he know? I can't locate a source right now, but I do remember reading that the cold was a reason some men pushed back against the beard tax; perhaps Count Rostov is rich enough to stay warm in Moscow without a face blanket. The beard tax was repealed in 1772, so it's not that he was just too cheap to pay it (being rich and cheap is not a contradiction; that's how people stay rich).
The count is manspreading like a man who enjoys life while talking about the weather "sometimes in Russian and sometimes in very bad but self-confident French". I quite like the Count, he sounds silly. The Count's butler is Dmitri Vsilevich. I just looked him up, and he is also known as 'Miten'ka' - bets on when that name will show up?
The countess is sick of talking to people, but agrees to speak to Marya Lvovna Karagina and her daughter. I don't think they've shown up before. They're gossiping about Pierre, mostly about the fact that he was raised by wolves and his father is ill. They think Pierre's bear-dancing and other shenanigans - which they blame on his "modern education" - will make Count Bezukhov (Pierre's father) worse. Personally, I have a feeling that the stuff he gets up to with Anatole and Dolokhov has been going on since we found out how to make alcohol. Marya Lvovna Karagina is shocked that there was a bear, so it's not just me.
Apparently, they decided to take the bear to visit some actresses. When a policeman tries to halt their shenanigans, they tie him to the bear's back and let it have a swim in the canal, copper attached. This is quite good gossip, I'm glad the countess let Marya Lvovna Karagina and her daughter in. Dolokhov and Anatole are "regular brigands"; Dolokhov has been demoted, Pierre has been sent back to Moscow, and Anatole has been ordered out of St Petersburg ('you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!'). The ladies try to be shocked, but get the giggles when the Count starts laughing.
They then move on to gossiping about Pierre's money. His father has scores of bastards, so no money, but Pierre is his favourite, so maybe money. If Pierre doesn't get it, Prince Vasili will, because his wife is - let me look this up - Aline Kuragin nee Bezhukova, Count Kirril/Cyril's sister, and Pierre's aunt. I accidentally spoiled a future plot element for myself finding that out, but I won't tell you about it. Apparently, Cyril/Kirril is also Anna Mikhaylovna's mother's second cousin, and the godfather to darling Bory. Perhaps he's in for a share of those forty thousand serfs and millions of rubles. Prince Vasili is visiting Count Cyril, presumably to check the will has been written correctly. Count Ilya Rostov is still giggling to himself about the bear and the policeman.
Chapter XI
Countess Rostov is bored of her visitors now. Before they can leave, the youngest Rostov, thirteen-year-old Nataly/Natasha, runs in, followed by darling Bory, and some other relatives.
Now if the youngest is thirteen and Countess Rostov is forty-five, Natasha was born when she was around thirty-two. Twelve children then implies multiple births or that she started around the age of twenty, or possibly younger, if she had a little break. At least she got the nappy stage over with all at once.
Darling Bory is contrasted with "the count's eldest son", Nicholas. Which bloody count, Tolstoy? I'm going to assume Rostov. Yep, I checked, this is Nikolai Rostov. He and darling Bory are the same age, and while darling Bory is tall and fair, Nikolai is short and dark. Darling Bory mocks Natasha until she runs away and then has to go and fetch her when they all agree to go out. This party is less fun than the one with the bear.
Chapter VIII
We are still with Pierre and Prince Andrew; the latter is counselling the former against marriage. Prince Andrew envies Bonparte's freedom to pursue a goal without a woman hanging around his neck like a millstone. Like he'd be Emperor of France if only he were single. Poor little princeling.
Prince Andrew's current passion to be single is contrasted with how very languid he was at the party. Which, to be fair, sounded like a very dull party.
Pierre has always been a bit jealous of Andrew, so he doesn't quite understand what he's whining about. Andrew also disapproves of the Kuragins, including Anatole (who I am still fond of, so far). Pierre agrees not to hang out with them, at least for now (despite the fact that he's staying with them).
Chapter IX
Pierre immediately changes his mind about hanging out with Anatole, because he remembers that Anatole is fun. Also, he already promised Anatole that he would attend, so he can't go back on that even though he just swore that he would. The narrative calls him a "weak character". He was raised by wolves, what do you expect?
Anatole is playing cards and drinking; Pierre is far too sober, so they fix that. Anatole has been playing with Dolokhov, who is poor, but usually wins so it doesn't matter. He and Anatole are famous playboys, or rather, "rakes and scapegraces". I know 'rake' refers to men who carelessly impregnate women, but who knows what a scapegrace is? Google says 'rascal'. Anyway, they've decided to break a window because they can't sit comfortably on the sill and the footmen couldn't open it wide enough. Dolokhov is now betting that he can sit outside on the sloping ledge and drink a bottle of rum. Sounds like life in uni halls.
I've gone off Anatole a bit. Pierre decides to make the same bet - presumably, to fit in with his new macho friends, or because he likes the look of the money they're handing to Dolokhov. Anatole talks him down, and he decides to dance with a bear instead. I forgot to say; there was a bear there the entire time.
Chapter V
Anna is very sick of Napoleon and thinks it's ridiculous that he gets to be in charge of things. The vicomte thinks that "good" French society will be destroyed forever. Pierre shows his raised-by-wolves-ness by describing Napoleon as having a "great soul". Le gasp. Cue ladies fainting and so on. Well, what do you expect from someone educated abroad? He thinks that when you set out to do something, you should commit to it, and that Napoleon did that to the point of assassination, keeping the positive parts of the revolution while destroying the negative. Prince Andrew has decided to support Pierre - which one was Prince Andrew again? - because he dislikes the vicomte.
Okay, I googled, and Prince Andrew is Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky and he is married to the pregnant Princess, whom I can't recall if I've mentioned before or not. She wasn't doing much anyway. Prince Hippolyte tells a silly story to change the subject.
Chapter VI
Pierre is an ungracious lout who does not know how to leave a party, but he is also sweet and naive, so Anna forgives him. He was raised by wolves, after all. Prince Hippolyte may or may not have tried to feel up Prince Andrew's wife.
Pierre is in Russia in order to choose a career, and appears to be staying with the Bolkonskys. His dad has given him some money and told him to pick one and get on with it. He's been doing that for three months.
Chapter VII
Pierre is very blunt, but Lise - Princess Bolkonsky - agrees with him, that war is unnecessary and she can't see why men like it so much. She also calls her husband Andre. So he might be called Andre, Andrew, or Prince Bolkonsky. You see why I found this book confusing and decided to keep notes.
Anyway, Lise is trying to set her husband up as an Aide-de-camp -personal assistant - to the emperor. Prince Andrew seems less enthused about it. Apparently, he has taken Lise to live with his father and sister and leaving her there while he goes off to war. He appears to love Lise much less than she loves him, which perhaps they should have figured out before marrying and conceiving a child. Possibly not an option for royalty.
I was considering splitting these posts up so each covered five sections each, but I figured that would be harder to stick to. My comments on chapter I are here.
Chapter II Anna's drawing room is filling up with rich people, including Prince Vasili's not-Anatole children and Princess Bolkonskaya, who is a relative of the princess they want to set Anatole up with. I've been trying to remember where I've heard of an Anatole before, and I think it's Kerensky's first name in Red Shirts. Princess Bolkonskaya has brought embroidery to the party. I like her. I bring my knitting and cross-stitch all sorts of places. I bore easily. Pierre has also shown up. He is, apparently, very rude, through a mixture of confusion and naivety. He doesn't realise how importance it is to hear an old woman he doesn't know talk about how royalty will save them from war. Apparently, he is the bastard son of a count and was educated abroad; perhaps this is code for "raised by wolves". Anna is worried about him, while she's trying to be a good hostess and force her friends together, like a big smashed-together melting pot.
Chapter III So, Prince Vasili's non-Anatole son (Hippolyte) has brought a friend, Vicomte Mortemart, who sounds like an arrogant prat. He "evidently [considers] himself a celebrity" but is being very modest and hanging out with Anna Pavlovna, who is "serving him up as a treat to her guests". Anna is also very pleased to be talking to a vicomte. What a star-fucker. Apparently, Princess Helene is very beautiful and very cleavage-y, and yet also modest. Her brother, Hippolyte - these are Prince Vasili's children - looks just like her, but is hideous. Perhaps this is the origin of the trope that hideous men suddenly become irresistible women when in drag. Apparently, it has to do with him being dull and stupid. How very Roald Dahl.
