Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

by Dave Malloy

Dave Malloy here presents the stunning twenty-two chapter selection from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace that formed the basis of his hit Broadway sensation, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812—called “the most innovative and the best new musical since Hamilton” by the New York Times. While Prince Andrei Bolkonsky is kept at the front during Napoleon’s invasion in 1812, his betrothed, a young Natasha, catches the attention of Moscow society’s notorious playboy—the dashing, rogue Anatole. It falls to Prince Andrei’s friend, the wealthy, slothful, philosophizing aristocrat Pierre to rescue Natasha’s reputation and make amends between her and Andrei.A Vintage Shorts ebook Selection.

Genres: Theatre, Plays

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2017

About the author

Dave Malloy is a composer/writer/performer/sound designer. He has written the music for eight musicals, including Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera based on War & Peace. Comet premiered at Ars Nova in the fall of 2012 before transferring Off-Broadway to Kazino, a Russian supper club built specially for the show; the show won multiple awards, including the Richard Rodgers Award and an OBIE. He is also one of the co-creators/performers of Three Pianos, a drunken romp through Schubert’s Winterreise that won an OBIE in 2010. Other musicals include Black Wizard / Blue Wizard, Beowulf – A Thousand Years of Baggage (2011 Edinburgh Herald Angel, 2008 Glickman Award), Beardo, Sandwich, and Clown Bible. He has won a Jonathan Larson Grant, an ASCAP New Horizons Award, and a NEA/TCG Grant for Theatre Designers; has been a Guest Professor in devised music theater at Princeton and Vassar Universities, and a Resident Artist at Ars Nova and Sundance's Ucross Foundation; and is the composer for Banana Bag & Bodice. He lives in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Always Pouting · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extract from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, specifically the duel scene with Pierre and then Natasha's whole affair while engaged to the prince. I honestly really liked it which was surprising because when I read Anna Karenina years ago I don't remember enjoying it. Anna just made me angry and I was bored with Levin's story line. I guess I didn't quite pay as much attention to the writing itself because I couldn't believe how ridiculous the whole situation with Anna and Vronsky was and I was so irritated the whole time. Anyway I do have somewhat of a new appreciation for Tolstoy's writing after this and now I feel like I should go read War and Peace as well and maybe this time around I'll enjoy his writing more.

Also totally empathize with Pierre's constant reading like same.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the great Venn diagram of my life, the circles labeled “Broadway Musicals” and “Things I am Interested In” not only do not overlap but huddle as far away from each other as possible in their rectangular cage, like magnets with the same polarity.

Until now.

To show how woefully isolated I am, I was unaware that the Broadway musical based on this slice of War and Peace existed until I read the explanatory paragraph accompanying this selection on NetGalley, from which I snagged a free advance review copy.

Now I want to see it, but not enough to spend a king's ransom travelling to New York, rent a closet-sized hotel room for $400/night, and $137 for orchestra seats.

But definitely enough to read this book, which is advertised as being published in a nice pocket-sized format, suitable for carrying around for those nearly-unendurable moments when you cannot access your electronic gadgets and are faced with the terror of being alone with your own dull thoughts for long tedious minutes.

OK, maybe YOUR thoughts are more interesting, but a few moments with this book are always an improvement for me.

Since everyone is surely worrying about this, rest assured that this excerpt features the translation that the cool kids are reading, that is, the one by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. This translation is relatively recent in vintage so still subject to intellectual property protection, meaning, the publishers had to pay for it. It probably would have been cheaper and easier to go with the familiar public-domain translation by Constance Garnett, so props to Vintage editors and publishers.

(Confession: I first read a lot of Russian literature in Garnett’s translations. They have a sentiment spot in my heart and seem to have stood up to the test of time as far as readability goes. But I understand Garnett's translations are simply inaccurate in places, so go with cool kids’ translation.)

Anyway, reading this excerpt, I found myself shaking my head and saying, yep, yep, I can see how this would make a great opera. If I understand correctly the reviews of the Broadway production, this “musical” is basically an opera -- there is one single line of spoken dialogue all evening. (Maybe actually calling it an opera would scare off some theater-goers.) It’s full of big operatic emotion and drama. This book puts ordinary big drama and emotion in the shade. If big drama and emotion are not your thing, this book is worth your time so you can smugly give an example about how your read a book against your natural preferences and enjoyed it.

Being a fat, ridiculous middle-aged man myself, my favorite character is of course Pierre, who manages to be both a fat ridiculous middle-aged man and the hero. I would like to end with a long quotation from him. It is not typical of the excerpt itself (except in the sense that the writing is splendid) but appeals to me in this particular moment in my life.

Sometimes Pierre remembered stories he had heard about how soldiers at war, taking cover under enemy fire, when there is nothing to do, try to find some occupations for themselves so as to endure the danger more easily. And to Pierre all people seemed to be such soldiers, saving themselves from life: some with ambition, some with cards, some with drafting laws, some with women, some with playthings, some with horses, some with hunting, some with wine, some with affairs of state.

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I were not I, but the handsomest, brightest, and best man in the world, and I was free, I would go on my knees this minute and ask for your hand and your love.”

banging my head against the wall right now tolstoy’s writing is genuinely so beautiful.

i’m always blown away by reading classics, however this excerpt from volume 2 takes it to a whole new level. the characters are so rich and have a quality to them that is rarely found in modern literature. the parallels between anatole and pierre and their love for natasha, and how despite them dealing with the same feelings they present those feelings in very different ways.

the symbolism with the great comet, and despite the beliefs that it could foreshadow tragedy, pierre pulls himself out of his feelings of despair and believe that it represents a new beginning.

however, my favorite dynamic in this novel is between pierre and natasha. “but I ask one thing of you—consider me your friend, and if you need help, advice, or simply to pour out your soul to somebody—not now, but when your soul is clear—remember me.” my heart SHATTERS, especially when hearing this in musical form. the silence and the understood silence between them sends chills throughout my body. natasha is not a perfect character, and neither is pierre. they each hold different values and beliefs, yet they are CONSTANTLY brought back together by fate. pierre’s loyalty to andrei doesn’t waver, while he also extends his sympathy towards natasha.

natasha is still a young women trying to decide how she fits in the world. pierre is a rare friend to her, a man who doesn’t try to take advantage of her for the sake of his own pride.

overall, i think it’s so beautiful how malloy took the incredible work of tolstoy’s and transformed it into a musical that properly conveys the dynamics of these deeply rich characters.

[Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Tolstoy, and are wondering where the lyrics to all the songs in Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 come from (I'm only partially kidding here), this is the book for you. I became obsessed with the musical after seeing it, but thought the lyrics odd (the music is amazing), and couldn't understand the character motivations properly. Now that I've read this section of War and Peace, I totally get it. Essential reading to understanding the show.

[Bash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun to read - mainly because I burst into song every time I came across a line that was translated into the musical. A gorgeous slice of War and Peace.

[Anne Evangelista · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I absolutely love The Great Comet and I was always curious if I could ever read Tolstoy and understand it or enjoy it.

Not only did I love this journey and the context that it puts TGC into, but now I’m excited to go try to read War and Peace.

Any fan of TGC should read this excerpt! And even if you aren’t a fan, you should read this mess of a Russian love story.

[Russell Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept comparing this book to the Hamilton book. While this book doesn't have the compelling narrative arc that the Hamilton book has it did have a variety of interesting voices to tell the story of the musical. Also, the lyric work of Dave Malloy alone is worth the price of admission.

[Mollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but not as much as the musical.

[Jan Raspen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to help me better understand the musical (of the same name). I'm not sure it cleared anything up, but it got me interested in reading more Tolstoy.

[Jed Vrazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost as if this one of the greatest works of fiction ever written.

[Alexandria Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This counts, right?

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adieu, The Great Comet, Adieu

Fascinated by the Dave Malloy musical "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812", I wanted to read the section of Tolstoy's " War and Peace " that had inspired the production. I came across this excerpt beautifully translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. The story leaps off the page as the reader experiences complicated love, self-disgust and a lack of it, and a quest for redemption. I would recommend listening to the soundtrack as you read each section. Malloy honors Tolstoy with his work.

[Lady Safari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy

I was introduced to the musical first. I wanted to get more background and this was the alternative to the full version of War and Peace.