Tolstoy starts his infamous epilogue by giving his definition of the term "history" as the life of nations and humanity . He describes that a limitation of this definition is the inability of man to sufficiently pin down the history of any nation or human movement. He posits there is more to it than the scientific approach of piecing together what happened and then attributing motivations based on objective analysis. For the most part, piecing together history is inadequate guesswork, some effor...
Jul 15, 2022•11 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Some background on Pierre: He never got around to deciding on a career in the short time he was in St. Petersburg. He was then kicked out of the then-capital by reason of the scandal involving tying a police officer to a small bear and throwing them both into a river. In Moscow, Pierre was staying in his usual quarters at the estate of his ill father - Count Kirill Bezukhov. However, Pierre was not allowed access to his dad. Pierre was isolated by the Count’s relatives and servants. Early in his...
Jul 08, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Anna Drubestkoya is able to borrow a horse and carriage from the Rostovs to head to Count Bezukhov’s mansion, where the Count is said to be on his deathbed. Anna relays her plan to her son – to delicately ask Count Bezukhov for some financing…..in the Count's last moments. Humbly asking for money was surely as uncomfortable then as it is now. Anna tells her son, who is embarrassed about asking for a hand-out: This is about your future, not mine, so don’t let pride get in the way. She realizes sh...
Jun 21, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 16
The Countess Rostova and Anna Drubestkoya get to their brief discussion. Anna displays the art of asking for something, without directly asking. After some small talk, Anna divulges she needs 500 rubles to set her son up in the Imperial Guard. The money will be for uniforms and related equipment/supplies, which a recruit had to pay for. Officers could be expected to afford the expense as they were primarily from aristocratic circles while the general body of soldiers were taken from the Czar’s d...
Jun 20, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This subset of episodes, will take on the twelve chapters of the second epilogue of War & Peace. This somewhat controversial epilogue is a presentation of the author’s philosophy that underlies the book. A common critique of the second epilogue is how confusing and apart it seems from the rest. The first epilogue revolves around the characters and resolves some of their journeys. The readers are then presented with an epilogue that takes on metaphysical questions – i.e., questions about the ...
Jun 11, 2022•14 min•Season 4Ep. 1
The first part of chapter 11 focuses on the unbeloved Rostov child, Vera. Since it is one of the few sections devoted to her, this episode is dedicated to Vera. As Countess Rostova is prepared to “hold court,” tête-à-tête, with Anna Drubestkoya, they both notice Vera is in the vicinity. In cold words, the Countess tells her daughter that she is not wanted and should have realized it before the mother had to say so. Vera deals with the rejection superficially but likely internalizes the rejection...
Jun 04, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This podcast has made it through a commentary on the first ten chapters of War & Peace. It has compiled literally dozens of views - okay, my attempts at humor can be self-effacing . There are over 360 chapters in this book (and chapter can differ by the version you are picking up). Nevertheless, every three and a half chapters will amount to 1% of the book. Covering 10 chapters indicates just over 3% of the novel has been discussed, so completion of this project can be expected……… much furth...
May 17, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 13
The action goes briefly back in time to Chapter 8 when young Natasha Rostov leaves the drawing room, which is filled with guests for the name-day celebration. The name being celebrated: Natasha, which mother and daughter of the Rostov family share. Natasha appeared embarrassed the adults noticed her affection for Boris. She runs into the conservatory, hoping her young love would follow her. She hid behind some plants. Boris came in, saw nobody, and carefully looked at himself in the mirror. He i...
May 11, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 12
At the Rostov dinner party at their Moscow estate, the genial host, Count Illya Rostov, tells visitors that his son has joined the Hussars. A Colonel Schubert (fictional) is visiting the Rostovs and set to take their dear son to the front. Ilya does not come across as overly worried. The intensity of the war to come is unknown and heavy engagement is not looked upon as realistic. There is always talk of war but Napoleon and his Grande Armée seem very far away. Though the Rostovs are fictional, t...
Apr 24, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 11
While the Name-Day celebration (in honor of "Natasha") continues at the Rostov estate in Moscow, the children of the household make an appearance. A door bursts open to the Drawing Room (a room commonly near the front of a mansion where guests are entertained), and Natasha Rostov, 13, leads the way. She appears to be a natural leader and radiates confidence. She is followed by her brother Nikolai as well as Boris and Sonya (15). Sonya is Count Rostov's niece. Pulling up the rear (and noticeably ...
Apr 02, 2022•6 min•Season 1Ep. 10
The action moves from St. Petersburg to Moscow, to the mansion of the Rostovs, who will be followed throughout the novel. Count Rostov, a pleasant sort, is welcoming guests and inviting them to partake in a grand dinner. He delights in calling everyone, regardless of social rank, "my dear." So far, it is party after party in the first few chapters - the " Peace " in War & Peace - but the talk at the high society event turns to the threat of war. Leading the discussion is Princess Anna Drubet...
Mar 28, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 9
The second part of Chapter VI brings pure unaltered fun in the form of "boys being boys." This chapter has bragging, gambling, drinking, a death-defying stunt and…..a bear on a chain. Mundane background about the state of political affairs and the Society crowd’s disillusionments take a backseat. Upon leaving his friend’s home, Pierre enters an open carriage (an 1805 cab). Pierre promised Andrei he would go home but Pierre is pulled by the energy of the night. The brightness of the moon complete...
Mar 20, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Andrei and Pierre are interrupted by Princess Lise (Elisabeta Karlovna Bolkonskaya), who has changed from her formal wear into night attire. While the day is ending for Lise , the night remains young for Pierre. The Princess is happy to see Pierre. She views him as a like-mind and is comfortable speaking freely around him. Pierre even brings up what has been crushing Lise's spirit, namely that Andrei is headed off to fight Napoleon. Her concern is Andrei's safety as well as being left behind lat...
Mar 14, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The guests are leaving Anna Pavlovna's event. The horse carriages and coats are readied by footmen. Andrei Bolkonsky and Pierre Bezukhov enjoy briefly interacting with one another. They are two of the great characters of literature and are not together all that often, so these moments are special. Tolstoy provides a description of Pierre. He uncommonly tall, stout and has large reddish hands. Whenever entering or leaving a room, he does so clumsily. At the soirée, instead of his own hat, he grab...
Mar 13, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Anna Pavlovna's soirée reaches its climax. The elderly Princess Anna Drubetskoya grabs Prince Vasili Kuragin's hand as he attempts to leave. She will not let go and the Aristocrat knows he is going to be asked for a big favor. Princess Anna lost her societal connections but has one card to play. She knows Prince Vasili was helped early in her life by her father. Tolstoy points out, "Influence is a capital to be used with economy if it is to last." Anna reminds Vasili of the old days in effort to...
Mar 11, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Anna's reception is full swing. As Tolstoy describes, "The spindles hummed steadily and ceaselessly on all sides." The patrons settle into a number of groups and discuss how an alliance is needed to stop Napoleon and that Russia should spearhead the effort. The beautiful Hélène gets a chance to walk between the groups and garner quite a bit of attention. A French expatriate, the Vicomte de Mortemart , tells a tale about Napoleon ordering the killing of a rival. The Vicomte explained that it was ...
Sep 08, 2019•10 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Attendant to the Empress, Anna Anna Pávlovna Schérer, is proud to have some of St. Petersburg's finest nobles in her drawing room. Princess Hélène Kuragina is noted by all to be strikingly gorgeous. Little Princess Lise is upset her husband, Price Andrei Bolknosky, has joined the military cooalition against Napoleon. She is pregnant with their first child and is worried about soon becoming a widow. She notes: “my husband is deserting me? He is going to get himself killed. Tell me what this wretc...
Sep 01, 2019•9 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Podnotes by Sean Roman are intended as a study guide and to provide common sense descriptions and context to this great work. Chapter 1 introduces the antagonist, Napoleon , who is being discussed at an evening soirée as a threat to all Europe. The hostess, Anna Pávlovna Schérer, an unmarried socialite who is an attendant to the Empress, posits that only Emperor Alexander can save Europe from the legendary general referred to as an "Antichrist." Anna is so concerned she notes, “Can one be well w...
Aug 01, 2019•9 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The goal of podcast is to supplement your reading of War & Peace with a down-to-earth description of what is happening and to provide commentary as well as context. Most episodes summarize a chapter. Particularly complex chapters are divided into two episodes. The episode descriptions can also assist readers with descriptions on how each chapter plays out. Each podcast is expected to come in under 10 minutes. A few may be a tad longer but 10 minutes is the goal. Recitation (review) chapters ...
Mar 01, 2019•8 min•Season 1Ep. 1
