Chance & Genius

You are not going to believe it, but I'M DONE READING!!! And I even read the Epilogue. I think it was truly genius that we read this together because I never could have done it without the pressure from the group. Katherine, if by chance you read another translation you will have to let this genius know the difference because I have a bookcase full of books that are fighting for my attention now. I'm going to start with T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. I thought at the rate I was reading WAP it would be available in paperback by the time I got to it but I found the end of WAP surprisingly fast reading. I can't believe that Nikolay could form a library with a rule "not to buy a new book till he has read through the last he has bought." Ha!

Did your Epilogue have two parts? Part One of the epilogue for me was focused on the end of the war, and then family and wrapping up loose ends. Once you do get into a flow of following the war and the peace it isn't so bad. Then the Part Two of the epilogue goes crazy but I kind of just looked at it as an essay and it wasn't so hard though crazy. I mean what's with this: "A steam engine moves." Was Tolstoy a genius? Was he "always along with his thoughts" (like Nikolinka?). I think that if this book wasn't such a tome and it were split up into shorter chunks (in a series or parts) I would have enjoyed it more. I think the Epilogue was interesting because there was a whole chunk that emphasized friendship and family coming together. It sort of felt like a reunion show that you hope! I'm really glad I didn't skip it--especially after reading the 1300 other pages I made it through. I truly feel accomplished. Now, onto matters of the heart. . . what book shall we read next? Let's try to start something up by say March 15! Has anyone read A Thousand Splendid Suns?

"It's not those who are handsome we love, but those we love who are handsome."

all over but the shouting

I finished WaP last week. I enjoyed it, a lot, and am halfway thinking about getting the new translation and reading that (yes, I can hear several of you groaning in disgust).

Edwin and Shani and Lauren, give us an update on where you are when you have a moment. I think Melissa finished a while ago, and I think Liz is almost done, maybe all the way done.

Too busy having fun to read

Some of us have been too busy to read (though we traveled across the country with our books like good little readers) but were having lots of fun doing other things. In case you need a little reminder on how much fun NOT reading WAP is, here are a few pictures to make you smile.

From 1000 versts away. . . Half way through WAP

Bon Bini from Aruba (aka 1,000 versts away). I didn't think I wanted to lug WAP to the beach with me on vacation but I'm actually quite happy to have brought it with me. I think that you really need to have quality time with the book to make headway. There are very few books that take 400 pages to set the scene and that are worth reading! I never thought I'd get to a point where the pages would go by quickly but at half way through, I feel like things are finally picking up! Of course the warm Arbua breeze helps, but it is hard to hold that book up (and alongside a Tropical Trance (by drink of today!).

I feel like I got to know some of the characters at this point--where I actually cared if Prince Andrey lived or died, and whether Prince Andrey will (re)marry Natasha. And I like the freemasons and their virtues. And I was also glad to read that Prince Andrey said "No, life is not over at thirty-one." Thank goodness!

Okay, so where is everyone else in the book?? What do you think? Where have you been?? I might take a break tomorrow to read something lighter on the beach. . . until I'm fewer versts from you all...Bon Bini, Shani

thoughts on Book 1 Part 1

What struck me about our first installment was that we went from party to party to party---or maybe it's more accurate to say from one social engagement to the next. Is this Peace or is this War? I wondered what it would be like to be part of a world like that. To me that sounds exhausting, especially the careful navigating and scripted backing-and-forthing our characters do---it's clear that Pierre is regarded as either a doofus, a threat, or both for not knowing how to behave. The "socializing" is a lot of maneuvering and not so much fun, at least not the way I see fun. I did like the old weirdo aunt in the corner that everyone had to greet at Anna Pavlovna's party. I also liked meeting Prince Andrei's cranktastic father.

I thought it was tricky to start this huge book and meet so many people just in the first section. I didn't know who was going to be important throughout the book, so I kept trying to remember everyone. That was tricky.

Welcome back Katherine!

On behalf of the WAP bookclub, I'd like to welcome you back to the states! We must set up our first official discussion book conference call. I propose we come in character and have it on 10/31. Anyone second that? 4pm?

introductions

Since I'm the person who has invited a few more people to join our bookclub, I think some introductions are in order. Shani Fisher is my good friend I've made at Houghton. She lives in New York and works as an editor. Edwin Hill is another dear friend from Houghton; he lives in Boston (Somerville, specifically) and works on the very same floor that I do as a marketing manager. Lauren is my friend here at Houghton, my right-hand woman, the marketing associate for the history team.

Edwin and I were having lunch one day at the end of September when this idea of reading a big book together came about. Edwin's dad has a reading group that has read a bunch of "the classics" together. We were talking about how when fall comes whether it's the change in weather or the excited feeling in the air of going back to school, we like to have a big book to chew on. And so we decided to read WAP. Shani came to mind right away because she loves to read and is a good friend of ours. Lauren and I had a good time talking about Anna Karenina this summer, and this seemed like something she'd be interested in.

On to the other characters: Liz is Liz McMahon, my friend, and also my friend Allison's partner. Liz and Allison live about a mile from me here in Roslindale. Melissa is Melissa Caughlin, my friend who lives in Chicago. We discovered each other when we were both working as marketing managers at McGraw-Hill. She now works for Rand McNally. I've read books with Melissa and Shani before, and Liz and I trade books back and forth.

Have you started reading yet? I have to admit I read quite a lot when I was away, a bit more than halfway through, and am having a great time.

Liz pointed out in her comment from another post that the NYTimes is copying us (no surprise) in honor of the new translation. Here's a link to an essay by Richard Pevear, one half of the celebrated translating team: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/books/review/Pevear-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

And here's a link to the vastly inferior NYTimes book club (reading a part a week?!?): http://readingroom.blogs.nytimes.com/