Am I the only one who was bemused or frustrated with Natasha's fickleness in these chapters? How quickly she goes from pining for Andrei to losing her heart (or mind?) to Anatole. Ah, youth.
Ah youth indeed! A year did feel like forever when you were seventeen, and probably even longer back in the nineteenth century. Anyway, what she is being asked to do is almost impossible: sustain an interest in someone she barely knows while he is so far away. And then all of a sudden there is someone RIGHT HERE, showing an interest in you.
Anatole was quite disturbing in this reading. I hope something bad happens to him 😂
Helene’s behavior is also very revealing; it seems like she’s facilitating her brother’s behavior implying that she doesn’t have a problem with infidelity (since Natasha is engaged). I think Pierre was probably right to leave her, though he could’ve done it in a better way. The drama of this book is truly endless.
Am I the only one who was bemused or frustrated with Natasha's fickleness in these chapters? How quickly she goes from pining for Andrei to losing her heart (or mind?) to Anatole. Ah, youth.
Ah youth indeed! A year did feel like forever when you were seventeen, and probably even longer back in the nineteenth century. Anyway, what she is being asked to do is almost impossible: sustain an interest in someone she barely knows while he is so far away. And then all of a sudden there is someone RIGHT HERE, showing an interest in you.
These weekly summaries are so useful. Thank you Simon, for all the work you put in to them.
Thank you!
Wonderful summary Simon. Many worthwhile rhetorical questions to consider.
Anatole was quite disturbing in this reading. I hope something bad happens to him 😂
Helene’s behavior is also very revealing; it seems like she’s facilitating her brother’s behavior implying that she doesn’t have a problem with infidelity (since Natasha is engaged). I think Pierre was probably right to leave her, though he could’ve done it in a better way. The drama of this book is truly endless.