“History is the life of nations and of
humanity.”
Leo Tolstoy
dedicated War and Peace—a historical fiction which he insisted for not being a
novel—to convey his ideas about history and war, which is different with what
historians at that time believed. Tolstoy crafted his ideas through the lives
of five aristocratic families during the French invasion of Russia by Napoleon
on the early 19th century. He took us to witness how humanity was
built in battle field as well as in soirees and parties Moscow and Petersburg.
The story
begins in 1805 when Russia—under the reign of Tsar Alexander I—is expecting war
with French. Then I began to know the proud
and resolute Prince Andrew (Andrei) Bolkonski, and his timid and religious
sister Princess Mary Bolkonskaya; the temperamental and impetuous Count Nicholas
(Nikolai) Rostov, and his impulsive, restless sister, the young countess Natalya
(Natasha) Rostova. There are also the very rich, absent-minded Count Pierre
(Peter) Bezukhov, and the poor but ambitious Boris Drubetskoy. Throughout the
book, their fates (together with so many other characters’) would be entangled
one another during the turbulence era of the war. While the war is progressing—Tolstoy
portrayed it very vividly as if he is reporting the battle live from the battle
field—so are the characters, developing along with their sorrows and happiness,
love and hatred.
My most
favorite character from the beginning is Prince Andrew. He’s a man who knows
what he is doing, and he’s always self-confident. *spoiler alert* Naturally, when
he is falling in love with Natasha, I began to hope that the relationship would
end up in a happy marriage. Well, I don’t quite like the impulsive Natasha, who
always thinks about herself, but I just want Andrew to be happy. So, you can
imagine how angry I was with Natasha when she decided to elope with Anatole.
Seriously, how could she ever think about it at all?? OK, I understand how she
must have felt, in her youth, to be separated with her fiancée for one year, to
be left idle in the confinement of home, war, and the engagement bond, without
anything to busy her restless mind. And she was still naïve when the sexy
Anatole used his irresistible charm to her. By the way, Helene and Anatole are
just the same: brainless, immoral, but charming. And people often shamefully
take only the charm side, but fail to see deeper than that. And they absurdly
think Helene is very clever when she is actually very stupid. Oh, people!
Sorry, back
to Natasha... :) I understand how she could be attracted to Anatole. But
deciding to elope with him, while she knows that it is disgraceful (or, does
she really realize it?), how could she agree with the idea? I can never understand. Tempting to do one
thing is normal, but deciding it after consideration? And like Princess Mary, I
was a bit hurt knowing that Natasha could fall in love with Pierre just a few
weeks after Andrew’s death. Did she really love Andrew, then? Not as deep as
how Andrew loved her, I think… *spoiler end*
Still about
Andrew, I like it most when he is philosophizing with Pierre—who becomes his
best friend. Their debates are always deep in meaning, and from them I learned
a lot about life and war. I believe Andrew represents Tolstoy’s own way of
seeing life and war (especially war). In
one of his deep conversations with Pierre Tolstoy points out that what really moves a war into its nature is
not the genius strategies or the great commanders, but the army who really
involve in the battle. In it, Tolstoy wants to say that war is actually a
movement of humanity (until now I still don’t know what the ‘peace’ in War and
Peace stands for, do you?).
There is a
gap between people who (think they) control the battle course, and people who
fight in the battle. The minority of generals, commanders, etc. give commands
but do not involve in the battle; while the majority of the army, who must execute
the commands, really fight the battle. When historians write about a particular
battle, they would only read the written plans, strategies, reports from the
generals and commanders, and from them draw a conclusion that this general or
that commander is genius because he can create such tactics. However, in
reality, the commands are rarely be executed by the army in the battle field.
Just imagine, when you are in a battle, between life and death, would you
really think about your boss or even your nation? Of course not, you would
first think of your own life, of surviving. It’s natural, because human’s instinct
is to survive.
In the chaos
of a battle, generals and commanders act and give instructions based on
reports, while the army act based on their instinct. When one report being
delivered to the commander, it would be considered, discussed, decided,
replied, then sent back to the army. But meanwhile, the course of the battle
might have changed completely, and so the instruction is not up to date
anymore. In short, it is very difficult to pick one hero (or culprit) of a
success or a failure in war, because there are so many circumstances that
intervene the course of a war. In the end, we must realize that war is moved my
humanity, not by a genius mind.
The same
could be applied to any other histories. There are no coincident or magnanimity
in wars or other events, but only circumstances and humanity. That’s what
Tolstoy had wanted to speak through this book. Unfortunately, he took pains to
explain it in the second epilogue of twelve chapters! That makes the ending
feels so anti-climax, whereas he actually had slipped this philosophy of war
and history throughout the story. It goes well because, while he is explaining
his opinion, the readers are provided with the example in the story. So,
without any further essay, we have understood what he conveys very well.
Closing it on the first epilogue would be much better than stretching the
epilogue twelve more chapters full of repeating frowning-explanations!
For all that,
I attached four and a half stars for
War and Peace. I love Tolstoy writing and usage of so beautiful metaphors, but
I’m disappointed in the closing. For me closing passage or lines are what echoes
from the book long after I finish it. While I might have forgotten the opening,
the closing is what I bring back with me to reality.
~~~~~~~~
I read Wordsworth Classics paperback edition
*This book is counted
as:*
