Vronsky and Alexia Alexanderovich met for the first time since her husband's letter. He could see that she was anxious, but he had no will of his own to know why. After a few steps in silence they were approached by two ladies who knew each other. Vronsky looked at them with an expression which said: 'A duel is now inevitable'
This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Dickens. Tolstoy. Their names and reputations shake the ground – and so do their books, if you drop one. But whose legacy is more enduring? Whose vision truer and more relevant today? Should you embark on War and Peace or Our Mutual Friend? To battle it out, in 2018 Intelligence Squared brought two celebrated writers, John Mullan for Dickens and Simon Schama for Tolstoy, to our stage. They called on a cast of star actors, including Tom Hiddleston, to bring their arguments to life with readings from the authors’ finest works. The debate was chaired by author, playwright and broadcaster Bonnie Greer.
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