Collage 590

I made an emergency call to Christiane in Atlanta this morning. I could not remember which line from the text I used on this collage! That clearly speaks to how poor my Russian still is. The only word I knew for sure was "face".

That pale, fine, sorrowful face, that luminous gaze, those quite, graceful movements, and above all that deep and tender sorrow which showed in all her features, stirred him and called for his sympathy.

Nikolai is falling in love with Princess Marya. Whenever I think of her -- my favorite character -- I recall how Tolstoy always refers to her "luminous" eyes, gaze. When she was first introduced, I thought she was thoroughly abused by her brutish father. She never struck back at him. I wanted her to! She is the most "spiritual" of all the characters. I would love to see her eyes, to meet that gaze. I am happy that she if falling in love and will marry and have children. I only wish it wasn't to Nikolai! He is bad-tempered and arrogant. -- Lola

Lola Baltzell
from page 435-436, volume 2 of original text
collage, ink
made 6/25/11
Pevear/Volokhonsky translation page 954-956