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FAVORITE_SCENE

                                            December 17, 2005

                          WAR_AND_PEACE
      So, what's my                                Actually, though, I
      favorite scene                               think I could pick
      from "War and                                another "scene": when
      Peace"?                                      Pierre meets Andrei
                                                   again after their
    I would probably                               various travails
    have to pick the                               (Andrei's near death at
    same scene that                                the battle of
    Freeman Dyson did:                             Austerlitz, Pierre's
                                                   duel and divorce).
      DERANGEMENT
                                                   They find that each
                                                   other has moved roughly
     But really I think                            in opposite directions:
     it's a silly                                  Andrei has retreated
     question.  "War and                           and become concerned
     Peace" is a novel of                          solely with his family,
     ideas, of character                           but Pierre has moved
     portraits, far more                           outwards, toward the
     than a collection of                          realm of spirit and
     scenes.                                       ideals.

  A better question                                As they argue these huge
  might be "what is                                and insoluble issues --
  your favorite                                    though over a century
  character portrait"?                             hence perhaps we're in a
                                                   position to push them a
  But even that...                                 little further now --
  why pick one?  How                               both are conscious that
  are you to choose?                               Andrei is much more
                                                   intelligent than Pierre;
                                                   and though Andrei listens
  Prince Andrei is a                               carefully, it seems
  very impressive                                  impossible he could be
  hero in a book that                              swayed by Pierre's
  almost undercuts                                 simple assertions...
  the possibility of
  heroism.                                         And yet, something
                                                   happens in Andrei
         But isn't Pierre a                        because of this
         more interesting                          discussion.  He
         portrait in a way?                        catches a glimpse of
         His general weakness,                     his old vision of the
         his good intentions                       grandeur of the sky.
         and his inability to
         follow through on                         For no good reason,
         them; the way he                          this encounter is a
         continually gets                          turning point.
         blocked or
         manipulated by the
         people around him...

   Or then, there's
   General Kutozov...
   a great leader
   that doesn't take
   the idea of being
   a Great Leader
   excessively
   seriously.

      KUTUZOV


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