First Epilogue - Chapter 3

Characters Present:



Location:

A discussion regarding Napoleon's victories before making it to Russia.  Also, chance is the vehicle by which anything happens.

Napoleon is eventually imprisoned, but by an island 2 days from France, which has been given to him. 

First Epilogue - Chapter 2

Characters Present:



Location:

History says "chance created the situation, genius utilised it" - regarding most noteworthy things that happened in the history of Russia, France and the power balance in Europe. 

Tolstoy then makes a metaphore involving rams being driven into a paddock, and a single ram getting driven into a special paddock to eat special food to be fattened. And none of the rams knowing to what purpose they are getting fattened.

First Epilogue - Chapter 1

Characters Present:



Location: 

Tolstoy muses over the approach of historians to Alexander I and Napoleon. 

He surmises that neither were useful or harmful. 

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 20

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

After Pierre leaves dinner, Natasha begs Mary to tell her what she and Pierre spoke about.

Mary sees a light, previously extinguished, reignite in Natasha's eyes, and tries to ignore the niggling feeling that Natasha has gotten over her brother too quickly.

Mary relates the conversation to Natasha and Natasha is upset that Pierre will go to Petersburg on the following day, and is both satisfied and agitated by the state of things.

-END OF BOOK 15-

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 19

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre continues to be in love with Natasha, but does not occupy himself with worries that he has said the wrong thing; he only worries that he may be dreaming. 

He feels pity for Prince Vasilí as he pays off his dead wife's debts.

Pierre has reached a point where he loves everyone with his whole heart before even knowing them, which is much changed from his previous approach.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 18

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre puts off his trip to Petersburg, and returns to Mary's house for dinner over several evenings.  He is infatuated with Natasha and he is overstaying his welcome with Mary, who seems tired of his long visits.

Eventually he gets to speak to Mary alone, and asks her if there is any chance for him and Natasha.  As Natasha is still in mourning black, Mary thinks it unwise for him to make any moves, but says that she will facilitate the union.  She tells Pierre to go to Petersburg the following day.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 17

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre stays for dinner, and Natasha and Mary insist on hearing about Pierre's experiences in the war. 

He relates them, and finishes just after 3am.   Mary sees that love is possible between Pierre and Natasha.

When Mary and Natasha go to bed, Natasha remarks on what an impressive man Pierre has become.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 16

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow


The three friends discuss the deaths of Petya Rostóv and Prince Andrew.  

Natasha leaves the room and Mary remarks that this is the first time that Natasha had spoken of the lead up to Prince Andrew's death.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 15

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Natasha Rostova

Location: 

Moscow

Pierre stays in the unburnt portion of his house in Moscow, and receives many visitors. 

He goes to visit Mary, and finds her in her apartments with a companion.  They begin to speak, and doesn't recognise that Mary's companion is Natasha.  Mary tells Pierre that her companion is Natasha, and Pierre suddenly recognises her as a thinner, much more solemn, kinder version of her former self.

Pierre is reminded that he is in love with her, and betrays himself by getting flushed and stuttery.  

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:


Location: 

Moscow


The Russians start returning to Moscow in droves, and plunder whatever the French didn't leave behind.  Within a week the police start to stop the peasants from doing so, and make them cart corpses out of town.

After the plundering has stopped, the rebuilding of Moscow begins.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:


Pierre Bezukhov
The Princess (?)
Count Willarski

Location: 

Orël


The people around Pierre notice the change in him, and find him more likeable.  He has long conversations with Willarski, though, does not speak very much, as opposed to letting Willarski speak upon all manner of things.

He lost quite a lot of money and real estate in the sacking of Moscow, and his wife is in a lot of debt.  His head steward suggests that if he ignores the debts, and doesn't rebuild, he would save almost three-quarters of his income. 

Pierre agrees, but upon requests from Prince Vasilí to pay his daughters debts, Pierre decides that the best path is to pay them, and to rebuild his houses in Moscow.  

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Orël

As soon as Pierre arrives in Orël, he gets what the doctors call "bilious fever" for three months.   Despite being treated with medicine and ointments and being bled a lot, Pierre recovers. 

He finds that he has lost his aim in life, as he now has a closer faith in God.  Previously, he had faith that God would reveal what his aim should be. Now, Pierre now feels that what he had been looking for through a telescope was actually at his feet the whole time.  

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Tsar Alexander
Kutúzov

Toll
Konovnítsyn
Ermólov

Location: 

Vílna


Despite being given the reward, Kutúzov remains unpopular with the Tsar.   Kutúzov does not, and will not understand why the war in 1812 must be carried on, since Russia has been saved, and its enemy made to flee.

The Tsar sees Europe in the bigger picture though, and decommissions Kutúzov on the grounds of poor health.  Toll, Konovnítsyn and Ermólov receive fresh appointments.

Kutúzov still not understanding what there is left for a Russian to do, dies.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Tsar Alexander
Kutúzov

Location: 

Berëzina and Vílna

It is said that the destruction of the bridge over the Berëzina was worse for the French than the Battle of Kräsnoe, but numbers show that Kräsnoe was worse.

Disapproval of Kutúzov continues, with people thinking him a crackpot for withholding men from battles.  

The Emperor comes to visit Kutúzov at Vílna and hugs him, causing Kutúzov to sob a bit.  The Emperor then complains about Kutúzov to the field-marshal after Kutúzov leaves the room.  The Emperor seems to approve of him by the end of the chapter though, as Kutúzov is awarded the Order of St George of the First Class.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Makéev
Jackdaw
the 5th Company

Ramballe
Morel

Location: 

At the edge of a forest, just out of Krásnoe


Makéev and Jackdaw go over to see the 5th Company, as there is a rumour that two starving Frenchmen have arrived.

The Frenchmen are Ramballe, an officer, and Morel, a  soldier.  Ramballe is quite ill, and needs help to walk.  They collapse near a fire, and the Russians rush to give them food and vodka.  Ramballe is taken to be warmed in an officer's hut, and Morel stays with the Russian soliders and they sing bawdy French songs.  The Russians soldiers comment that "they are men too."

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Makéev
Jackdaw
The 8th Company

Location: 

Just out of Krásnoe

Makéev and Jackdaw are gossiping over the campfire about the comings and goings of other soldiers.

The topic moves to some rumours heard about French corpses - that they apparently stay pure and white for weird lengths of time, where the Russians go maggoty and rotten.  They surmise that it is because the French eat like gentry, so it must preserve their bodies a bit.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Location: 

Just out of Krásnoe


It was the last day of the Battle of Krásnoe, and a severely reduced Russian infantry reach camp for the night.

Some officers come out to tell them that the huts are crowded with dying and sick French soldiers.  Men start to carry out the dead ones, so that they can use the huts.

The rest of camp is set off, and some men take off their trousers to steam the lice out of them.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 

Krásnoe

The battle of Krásnoe has been won, and Kutúzov goes around inspecting the state of things.  There are some French prisoners, disfigured, frost-bitten, and quite a few have red, weeping eyes.

He thanks the soldiers for their hard-work, then goes on to say that they didn't invite the French here, and calls them (probably, as it is censored) "bloody bastards".  The soldiers enjoy the swearing, and cheer. 

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 



In 1812 and 1813, Kutúzov is openly called a blunderer, a procrastinator and is generally out of favour with everyone for his decisions to not go into battle.

He stayed on his path though, and kept his motto "patience and time".  

Tolstoy thinks, contrary to history and the influential figures of that time, that Kutúzov was a great man.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 

Krásnoe


The Russian army reaches Krásnoe with 50,000 men.  They attack the French against Kutúzov's wishes, since the war is won, and capture 26,000 men. 

Napoleon has been recorded in history as being heroic and grand, whereas Kutúzov has been described as crafty and dissolute.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya

Location: 

Yarosláv


Natasha is the only one able to attend to her mother effectively.

Princess Mary delays her trip to Moscow by three weeks, and during this time, she and Natasha become the best of friends, and are gradually able to forget about Andrew's death. 

After three weeks, Mary returns to Moscow, and Natasha goes with her.  She is to see doctors there, as she has become pale and thin.

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 2

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova
Countess Natalya Rostova
Count Ilya Rostóv

Location: 

Yaroslávl


Petya has been killed. Natasha runs out to find her father weeping uncontrollably in the hall.  He insists that Natasha go to her mother.

Natasha stays with her mother, who is delirious with grief for three days, and on the evening of the third day, Natalya begins to weep for the first time. 

Volume 3: Book 15 - Chapter 1

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya 

Location: 

Yaroslávl'


Natasha and Princess Mary are both grieving over Andrew's death.  

Princess Mary emerges from it sooner, as she feels a great responsibility to her nephew, who has developed a cough from sleeping in a damp bedroom.  Mary speaks about returning to Moscow, and asks Natasha to go with her. Natasha refuses as she is not ready to leave and grieves for some time, but eventually realises that at least Prince Andrew is no longer in pain.  

The maid comes to get her from her bedroom as her father has terrible news regarding her youngest brother, Pétya.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 18

Characters Present:

Kutúzov

Location: 

Though the French retreat from Russia is attributed to clever strategies devised by Kutúzov, this is wrong.

The Russian army was heavily depleted due to the freezing winter, and the only thing that they did to facilitate victory was to keep the  French moving, through guerrilla warfare.

-END OF BOOK 14-

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 17

Characters Present:

Napoleon

Location: 

Napoleon leaves Russia and returns to France.  Tolstoy says that historians make the retreat sound heroic, but he implies that it is an act that a child would be told to be ashamed of.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 16

Characters Present:

Napoleon

Location: 

All over Russia


The French army - around seventy-three-thousand men - continue to flee from Moscow.  The winter is harsh, and many soldiers succumb to the cold, or die by roasting themselves too close to fires. 

Many make it to Smolensk, as a place of hope, but they kill each other over food and shelter, and men start to go their own ways.

Napoleon still issues and  receives orders, but there is no-one to carry them out.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 15

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh

Pierre dreams that he is told the nature of life by a former teacher in Switzerland. He is awoken by a French soldier asking him if he understands.

He lapses back into a dreamy thoughtfulness, and seems to understand that Karatáev is dead and his mind floats around for a while. 

The Russians come and attack, and he sobs as he is freed. 

Pétya Rostóv is buried in the morning.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh


There is some excitement in the French army, probably caused by the Russians who are about to attack them.

Karatáev, who is still unwell sits under a tree.  Pierre keeps moving, and then hears a gunshot, and then Karatáev's dog begins to howl.  Karatáev has been shot.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 13

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh


Karatáev tells Pierre a story about an old merchant who was framed for murder, then mutilated and then sent to Siberia for hard labour as punishment.

While in Siberia, the criminals share stories as to why they were there and the merchant says that he has sinned, but did not commit the murder.  The person who did commit the murder happens to be in the chain-gang, and writes his confession to free the old man, for he feels he has taken too many people's lives.  The Tsar frees the old merchant, but by the time the release comes, the merchant has already died. 

Karatáev remarks that only those who God has forgiven, and who do not want to die, get freedom from life in the end. 

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Pierre Bezukhov
Karatáev

Location: 

From Vyázma to Dorogobúzh


From Vyázma the French army consolidates to a single column, down from three.  At Dorogobúzh, some of Pierre's fellow prisoners escape, only to be recaptured and shot. 

The prisoners are down from more than three-hundred to less than a hundre due to poor conditions, starving, and being shot if they lagged behind.

Pierre philosophises that there is little difference between the unhappiness between someone sleeping on a bed of rose petals with a crumpled petal, and his own unhappiness at sleeping on a cold, hard ground.  

Karatáev gets the same fever that he had in Moscow, and it seems like he will die soon.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 11

Characters Present:

Fedor Ivanovich Dólokhov
Pétya Rostóv
Denísov
Pierre Bezukhov

Location: 

Shámshevo


Horses are selected and the band of soldiers ride in to attack the French.  

Pétya is very excited, but keeps missing out on actually killing anyone, so he rides into the thick of things.  His horse stops suddenly and Pétya falls off, arms and legs twitching, and a Cossack notices that he has been shot in the head. 

Dólokhov and Denísov see his body, and Denísov, is heartbroken.

Pierre Bezukhov is among the prisoners rescued. 

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 10

Characters Present:

Denísov
Pétya Rostóv
Likhachëv - a Cossack

Location: 

Shámshevo


Pétya returns to the guerrilla camp, and tells Denísov the events of the evening. Denísov tells him to go to sleep, but Pétya is too excited, and begins to ready himself for the battle in the morning. 

He takes his sword to a Likhachëv to have it sharpened (for the first time), and despite being in a fairly rough environment, feels as though he is in fairy-land. He falls asleep and has all sorts of lovely dreams.  When he awakens, his sword is sharp enough to cut a French in half, and it is dawn.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 9

Characters Present:

Fedor Ivanovich Dólokhov
Pétya Rostóv

Location: 

Shámshevo


Dólokhov swaggers into the French camp, crouches beside the fire and tells the French soldiers that he is trying to overtake his battalion.  He ignores questions such as "what battalion are you from" and continues to make conversation.  Dólokhov asks lots of questions regarding numbers and positions, and when their horses are returned, he stands up and leaves. 

Pétya, who had remained silent throughout the entire encounter, is overcome with Dólohov's heroism and kisses him. Dólokhov tells him to tell Denísov to wait for the signal at dawn.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 8

Characters Present:

Dólokhov
Denísov
Pétya Rostóv

Location: 

Shámshevo


Dólokhov arrives, and proposes that he and one other put on French uniforms and infiltrate the French camp.  Denísov says that it is a terrible idea, and they argue. 

Pétya volunteers to go with Dólokhov, and Denísov is additionally unhappy about this. Pétya tells Denísov not to hinder him, lest it make things worse.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 7

Characters Present:

Denísov
Pétya Rostóv
Tíkhon Shcherbáty
Vincent Bosse - the captured French drummer-boy

Location: 

Shámshevo


Pétya has been released by his general to Denísov on the condition that he doesn't take any action against the French, since disobeying an order in a previous battle.

It is dinner time, and Pétya offers Denísov and company some grapes; some flints; and other items.  It occurs to him that the French drummer may be hungry, and frightened, and thinks to ask Denísov if he can invite him in for food. Denísov agrees, and the French boy comes into the tent grateful, but hungry. 

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Denísov
Pétya Rostóv
Tíkhon Shcherbáty
A captured French drummer-boy

Location: 

Shámshevo


Tíkhon returns to Denísov, but empty handed.  He says that he captured a Frenchman a while ago, but he was useless, and didn't want to waste Denísov's time.  Tíkhon then describes another soldier that he tried to capture, and how he was thwarted by three other soldiers who chased after him with their "little swords".  

Petya wants to laugh, but doesn't as nobody else laughs.  He realises later that Tíkhon had actually murdered the first man, and feels bad for the drummer.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 5

Characters Present:

Denísov
Pétya Rostóv
Tíkhon Shcherbáty
A captured French drummer-boy

Location: 

Shámshevo


Denísov is hiding in the bushes looking at French troops with Pétya Rostóv.  The French drummer-boy who they have captured is confusedly naming French person of interest. 

Suddenly, Tíkhon, who they had sent to capture a "tongue" - that is, someone who will divulge information - runs by, being chased by the French.

It is revealed that Tíkhon, up until when he was shot, had an excellent record for capturing French soldiers.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 4

Characters Present:

Denísov
Esaul Lováyski the Third
Pétya Rostóv
A captured French drummer-boy

Location: 

Between Mikúlino and Shámshevo


Denísov is on the lookout for guerrilla bands on his way to Shámshevo, and is waiting for the return of the man that they sent to capture a Frenchman to interrogate for information.  He is also waiting for work from Dólokhov.  

Along the path, he runs into Pétya Rostóv, who is very pleased to see him.  Pétya asks to join with Denísov, who agrees.

Volume 3: Book 14 - Chapter 3

Characters Present:

Denísov
Dólokhov
Tíkhon Shcherbáty
Denís Davýdov

Location: 

Mikúlino and Shámshevo


The "Partisan War", which seems to refer to guerilla activity, began when the French reached Smolénsk. The power of this kind of warfare was first recognised by Davýdov and he is credited with normalising it. 

Denísov and Dólokhov have a plan that involves Denísov's Cossacks watching the French column on their way from from Mikúlino and Shámshevo.  They would then join forces with Dólokhov's men, and then attack the French at Shámshevo at dawn.

Denísov sends a man called Tíkhon Shcherbáty to capture a French quartermaster to press for information.