War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide Podcast
1) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 19: Step Up and Be a Man
Pierre is sleeping in the back of an open coach while being pulled by horses to his father’s magnificent estate. Count Bezukhov is incapacitated and his wishes were that Pierre takes his estate. Howev...Show More
2) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 18: Succession & Scandal
The chapter opens with a foreboding update about Count Kirill Bezukhov. As the Rostov affair was in full swing, the Count suffered his sixth stroke, which places him near death. His team of doctors th...Show More
3) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 17: Ilya Rostov Flies Like an Eagle
The guests leave the dining area and head to the fancy entertainment rooms of the Rostov estate. These are the drawing rooms, sitting rooms, parlors, terraces, and libraries – the Rostov mansion has i...Show More
4) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 16: Bonaparte Stopped Austria's "Cackle" and Russia is Next
The extravagant Rostov feast is winding down and the political talk is reaching a zenith. Shinshin asks why Russia should be thrown into a war with Napoleon. He notes Bonaparte already stopped Austri...Show More
Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 16: Bonaparte Stopped Austria's "Cackle" and Russia is Next
05:28 | Sep 12th, 2022
5) Second Epilogue, Chapter 3: The Locomotive of History
Envision a locomotive the way many would around the 1860s. What technology! It wasn’t brand new, as they were invented in 1804, but it was a Monster of the age in terms of making the world move. Tol...Show More
6) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 15: Cigars & Politics
Before the Rostov dinner, the men get together to talk politics and smoke cigars. We get a look at Count Rostov’s personality among the boys. He earns a cheap thrill in getting his intimates to debate...Show More
7) Second Epilogue, Chapter 2: Not the Cause for the Cause
Tolstoy presents his view on how academics view history. His point is to say all efforts of historians have limited reliability. Tolstoy embarks on the brave path of grappling with the nature of powe...Show More
8) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 14: The Money (500 Rubles for Boris)
A quick chapter centering on the emotions of Countess Natasha Rostova. Once Anna Mikhaylovna Drubetskaya left for the Bezukhov estate, Natasha becomes sentimental. Anna’s message, whether intended or ...Show More
9) Second Epilogue, Chapter 1: History of Gods & Men
Tolstoy starts his infamous epilogue by giving his definition of the term "history" as the life of nations and humanity. He immediately describes the limitation of this definition through the inabilit...Show More
10) Bk. 1, Pt. 1, Ch. 13: Pierre Invades England (A dramatic portrayal)
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...Show More