War and Peace p.7 (Book 3, Part 1)

Show Notes:

This week, Matt and Cameron continue their slog through Book 3 of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, covering part 1. Get ready for more teen marriage plots, a little elucidation on Tolstoy’s thoughts on doctors, and the funniest section for Pierre so far. And trust us - that last bit jumped over a high bar. Grab your copies of the Book of Revelations and tune in!

Major themes: More Teen Marriage Plots, Too Hot to be Godly, Anti Doctor Content

12:21 - As Eric Blaire, a.k.a. George Orwell, explored in “Shooting an Elephant.” Also a lot to explore about colonialism and perspectives on the racialized Other there, but that’s a different conversation.

40:32 - Here’s an Atlantic article about it. Happened around 20-ish years earlier.

46:52 - The exact quote is: “Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment.”

51:27 - Here’s a bit more information about that event. 

52:54 - Revelations 13:18, KJV: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” In War & Peace “the Beast” is understood to be the anti-Christ. I, personally, have my doubts in that interpretation of the text - anti-Christs appear in several places, but the Beast only appears here; furthermore, the beast is never referred to as an “anti-Christ.” If I’m recalling correctly - the notion of the anti-Christ is never referred to in the Book of Revelations at all. I think it’s a concept from The Book of John. But also I’m just a person who read the Bible growing up, I’m not a scholar or anything.

The music used in this episode was “soviet march,” by Toasted Tomatoes. You can find more of their work on Bandcamp and Youtube.

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