Contents
War and Peace is considered to be one of the most precious of Tolstoy’s masterpieces. The book could not be expressed completely as a novel or a free text both by himself and his critics. Tolstoy said this reality as; “I wrote what I thought and knew in this book. Regardless of the genre, anyone can read it any way they want”. The novel, which is approximately 1700 pages in total, causes some confusion especially in the first 400 pages due to the large number of characters. Then, after 400 pages and the main characters are well-known, it gradually becomes fluent and gives a higher reading pleasure.
If we move on to the content of the book; this work of Tolstoy which contains valuable information about the social, political and military life of Russia in the beginning of the 19th century, begins with a ball held at Madame Pavlovna’s house. In this concept, while reading the novel, you will be able to feel yourself in Petersburg and Moscow at the beginning of the 19th century, thanks to Tolstoy’s unique descriptions.
Napoleon and the Novel
Although Prince Vasili seems to be a prominent hero for the book in this ball, in the later parts of the work it is seen that his son Anatole Kuragin and his daughter Helen Kuragin are the characters who make important contributions to the book. The magnificent palaces of tsarist Russia of that period, its active social life, its intrigues, the cold face of war and the lively and stagnant aspects of the peace period will affect you to the depths of your soul while reading the novel. Tolstoy interpreted the movement of the French and united European army under the leadership of Napoleon towards Russian territories, the battle of Austerlitz, the occupation of Moscow and finally the withdrawal of the French from the Russian lands in a different way from the point of view of classical historians.
He reflects the spirit of the period very well, especially through a few characters, while describing these movements. Contrary to the classical understanding of both French and Russian historians, the author emphasizes that these wars and victories are not caused by the superior genius of Napoleon but by the combination of many events that are not under his control. According to Tolstoy especially the instant and momentary courage of French soldiers in the battlefields had very important roles for Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories. At the same time, he critically described the looting and destruction they showed after the French occupied Moscow in the War and Peace.
The Subject of War and Peace
When we come to the main characters of the novel War and Peace book; Nicolay Rostova, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova stands out as the prominent characters for all of the book.
– Pierre, as one of the most important characters of the novel, draws attention with his bumpy personality and idealistic spirit. The admiration of Napoleon at the beginning of the novel makes Pierre a person who plans to kill him as a result of the flow of events in occupation days of Moscow. Moreover, Pierre will leave deep traces on the reader with his different personality structure.
He is excluded from the social structure of that period of Russian elites. At the same time, he seeks the true meaning of life throughout the book with his stubborn character. Pierre searched for new horizons and lights about the meaning of life in the deep of his soul, especially after during the occupation of Russian lands by French army and Napoleon Bonaparte. He did not leave the city during the occupation and then was captured by the French soldiers. Finally, after the war and captivity days, he married Natasha at the end of the novel by signing a great surprise. Then he found his own answers about the meaning of the life at the end of the whole process.
Main Characters of Novel
–Natasha Rostova, one of the most interesting characters of the book War and Peace, surprises the reader by marrying Pierre after her love affairs with Prince Andrei and Anatole Kuragin. Natasha, who is clear to have an emotional nature, feels that she has fallen in love with two people at the same time, when Prince Andrey was away for the war. In that period, Anatole’s intimate interest for her makes her mind confused about the real feelings about Prince Andrei. However, after Napoleon’s invasion of Moscow and then after the deaths of both Prince Andrei and Anatole Kuragin in the Battle of Borodino, the reader will be very surprised by her intimate relationship with Count Pierre. Natasha, who eventually married Pierre and started a happy home at the end of the book, continued her friendship with Prince Andrei’s sister, Maria.
-Princess Maria, on the other hand, is a different character that stands out with her conservative personality structure, which maintains her friendship with Natasha Rostova and supports her after the death of her brother, Prince Andrei.
Prince Andrei and Others
–Prince Andrei, one of the most important characters of the book, takes place in the novel as an idealist soldier known for his closeness to Tsar Alexander I. He is just like his father, who stood out with his authoritarian, stubborn and angry personality. Prince Andrei, a soldier who believed in his goals and ideals at the beginning of the novel, questioned his life after the death of his father with the invasion of Russia by the Napoleonic army and its looting and destruction. Then, he preferred to take part in the front in Borodino Battle instead of staying with Tsar Alexander I. This choice took him to his wife, who died during the birth of his son, who was born in the middle of the novel, and the wound which he received in the battle of Borodino caused his death.
-Nicolay Rostova stands out as a disciplined, idealistic and brave soldier just as Prince Andrei in War and Peace novel. Nicolay Rostova left the army and returned to his father’s house after he was injured in the battle of Austerlitz. Then, his father’s business deteriorated and he could not be able to escape the love of his childhood friend Sonya in his family home. Then, after the death of Prince Andrei in Borodino Battle, Nicolay married Prince Andrei’s sister Maria Bolkonsky. It should be underlined that Nicolay Rostova is among the main characters who did not die in the end of the novel with Pierre, Natasha and Maria.
A Different Kutuzov
One of the most important characters that will attract the attention of the reader in book will be General Kutuzov. Contrary to the general knowledge of history and the view of Russian historians, Tolstoy considers General Kutuzov from a different perspective. Tolstoy describes Kutuzov, who was criticized by historians and politicians of the period as unsuccessful commander and General, as a Russian patriot with strong intuition and patient. Joining Kutuzov’s statements that he was not defeated in Borodino Battle, Tolstoy states that the chain of events that started Napoleon’s withdrawal from Russia began with Kutuzov’s withdrawal of the Russian army during the occupation of Borodino and later Moscow and preventing its destruction.
According to Tolstoy, Kutuzov was a true patriot who has performed his duty patiently and without showing off on the stage of history and withdrawn from the stage of history. Tolstoy stated that those who criticized Kutuzov commented on the period he lived in and the conditions he was in without analysing them fully and healthily. (By the way in order to buy novel please click.)
Summary of War and Peace
In general, the War and Peace novel appears as a masterpiece that describes the social, political and military structure of the 1800-1820 period very well, and also touches on the personal characteristics of Napoleon by analysing the Russian-French relations. Questioning the root causes and roots of hundreds of thousands of people killing each other without mercy, burning down and plundering cities, Tolstoy presents the bad and painful aspects of war to the reader with all its clarity. On the other hand, Tolstoy, who also touched upon the social life and balls of the peace period, also criticized that the elites in Peterburg did not give up on their social life even during the occupation and looting of Moscow. Emphasizing that these contrasting concepts were seen even in the same society at the same time, author criticized this aspect of Russian society.
Finally, Tolstoy shows the hatred and patriotism as a motive force in the Russians as the most important reason for the withdrawal of the French and Napoleon. French soldiers’ ill-treatment of the people and captives in the places they occupied, especially in Moscow, their looting and burning of the cities were the main results of their defeated and loss of the war. It could be considered one of the main messages of War and Peace book.
