Nikolai Rostov

An impetuous young man

Also known as: Koyla, Koko, Rostov, Nikki, Nikolenka, Nikolushka

BOOK ONE

Book One, Part Two

Chapter 8

The oldest Rostov son is “short with curly hair and an open expression”. He is growing his first bit of facial hair and has an impetuous and enthusiastic expression. He is dressed as a student and holds himself very differently from the calm and collected Boris.

Chapter 9

The young man has left university and spurned a nice little job in the Archives Department to join the Pavlograd Hussars. Not for friendship, he insists, but because war is his “vocation”, and he thinks he is no good anywhere else. “I don’t know how to hide what I feel.”

Chapter 10

Nikolai never says anything by halves. In the conservatory, he tells Sonya, “What is anyone in the world to me?” and kisses her. How different his friend Boris is: so cautious and diplomatic in his romances.

Chapter 11

Here we learn that Nikolai is a cadet, a volunteer from a good family who joins the officers rather than joining the ranks.

Chapter 15

At Natasha’s name day, he sits talking to Julie as Sonya seethes with jealousy.

Chapter 16

Like so many young men at grand occasions, he wishes to say grown-up and serious things. But typically, he is too enthusiastic for the occasion. However, Julie and Sonya approve in their own different ways.

Chapter 17

The cause of so many tears and high emotion tonight, although he seems mostly oblivious to it. He sings a romantic song he has just learned: “To feel that in this world there’s one / Who still is thinking but of thee?” Sonya listens and must hope the song is directed at her.

Chapter 22

From Julie’s letter to Marya, we learn of her love for him: he is noble-minded, pure and poetic. But he is too young for her, and it will never be more than a “sweet friendship”.