A Year of War and Peace + Day 1

In which Anna Pávlovna Schérer throws a party, Prince Vasíli Kurágin attends only to negotiate on behalf of his family and we learn the importance of role playing

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War and Peace — Book One, Part One

Chapter One

“Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don’t tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist — I really believe he is the Antichrist — I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my ‘faithful slave,’ as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see I have frightened you — sit down and tell me all the news.”

It was in July, 1805, and the speaker was the well-known Anna Pávlovna Schérer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress…