War and Peace Readalong: Week Two

Guuuys, I'm late and I'm behind! I am officially the best at readalongs, although I'm doing better with this than I did with The Pickwick Papers as I've not given up on War and Peace yet! 

I'm thirteen and a half chapters behind where I should have been on Sunday, although that does only equate to just over fifty pages which isn't actually too bad. For this book anyway. Regardless, I'm still enjoying it, just for some reason I've hit that mental block this week which tells me to do anything and everything I possibly can aside from read War and Peace. I think it's something to do with 'having' to read it - my brain still rebels against being told to do things and so as soon as I impose deadlines it refuses to play ball. It's why I have twenty unfinished knitting projects lying around the house. 

I just wanted to throw out there that I'm reading the dreaded edition with all the French in it (Vintage) and once you get used to it it's actually kind of nice. It would be easier if people would just stick to one language (especially during the military bits where they throw in a bit of German for good measure) but it does give you a nice sense of atmosphere in terms of the kind of setting the characters are in. 

I will finish this novel though, I'm determined, so I'm updating for this week even though I've not finished the chapters!

1) Do you feel that the tone of the novel has changed this week? Has that affected your enjoyment?

At least for the first few chapters it did. The military stuff is fine once I get into it, but because it's just stuff about logistics and battles my brain goes 'urgh, borrrrrrrring!' and refuses to engage so I end up doing that thing where I read the same sentence five times and still have no clue what it's about... (are you getting that my brain is like a petulant child? I think it's the house move and all the being an adult involved in owning your own house. The rest of my life has suddenly become very childish)

2) Do you feel comfortable telling other people that you're reading War & Peace?  

Absolutely. Far too comfortable. The other day we were at dinner with friends and my friend passed me my bag and commented on how heavy it was and I was all like 'it has War and Peace in' and pulled out the book, all marked up and everything. 

3) How do you feel about Helene and Pierre's marriage? Happily ever after or mildly doomed?

They haven't got married yet at the bit where I am, but definitely mildly doomed. Mostly because when your father in law proposes for you, that's got to be a problem. Also because of Pierre's constant internal monologue about how much trepidation he has about it. It's like Tolstoy is in the background shouting 'THIS ISN'T GOING TO END WELL!'. 

4) Should Marya have married Anatole or should she have stayed at home with her Father?

Again, this is just about to happen where I am, but probably stayed home with her father because, let's face it, Anatole's a bit of a knob. 

5) Andrei has featured in a lot of the war-related chapters so far. Do you think he'll ever make it to military greatness?

I kind of hope so. I really disliked him in the first bit but I like him a lot more in a military setting. He's still not my favourite but he seems to be less of a twat when he's actually doing something. 

It's probably safe to say that I'm going to be at least a bit behind for the rest of the readalong, but I'm going to do my best to at least vaguely keep up. With other people is definitely the way to read this! (Also blame The Astronaut Wives Club for being really good and taking all my attention!).