War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
Pierre
How does Pierre change from the awkward heir at Anna Pavlovna's party to the man of the epilogue?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his disastrous marriage to Hélène teach him?
- What does he learn from Platon Karataev in captivity?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
How does Pierre change from the awkward heir at Anna Pavlovna's party to the man of the epilogue?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his disastrous marriage to Hélène teach him?
- What does he learn from Platon Karataev in captivity?
What does Prince Andrei find, and lose, in his search for glory and meaning?
Keep the conversation going
- What does he see in the sky above Austerlitz?
- How does his love for Natasha change him?
Why is Natasha so beloved, by the other characters and by readers?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of her near-elopement with Anatole Kuragin?
- Does she change, or does she stay herself, by the end?
How does Tolstoy's Napoleon compare with the Napoleon of legend?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does Tolstoy diminish him so deliberately?
- What does Andrei's disillusionment with him tell you?
Why does Tolstoy admire Kutuzov, who seems to do so little?
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- What does patience achieve in this war that boldness does not?
- Do you agree with his view of what makes a great commander?
What does the abandonment and burning of Moscow mean to the people who live through it?
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- How do the Rostovs respond when they must choose between their belongings and the wounded?
- What does Pierre's wandering through the burning city show you about him?
Do you agree with Tolstoy that history is made by countless ordinary people rather than great men?
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- How did his essays on history affect your reading of the novel?
- Where in the story do individual choices still seem to matter?
What kind of happiness do the characters find in the epilogue?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you feel about the Natasha of the epilogue?
- What do you make of young Nikolenka's dream at the very end?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.