War and Peace - almost half-way through!

Yes, I'm reading War and Peace,the Volkonsky-Pevear (sp?) translation. Put it aside for a few days to read Things Fall Apart for book group, now back to it, just about done with the 2nd section (i.e., almost half-way through, i.e., nearly 600 pp.). Some petty things first: Vintage should not have been so cheap and should have published in 2 vols. like the old Penguin; this edition is far too heavy for anyone to hold & read comfortably, and I need 2 pillows on my lap just to support the book while reading. Ridiculous. That said, it's a great translation of this amazing book, with pretty helpful footnotes (if eccentric - some things are id'd that seem rather trivial and others left unexplained. For example, why don't they tell us what opera the characters attend in Moscow - takes up a whole important chapter. Is it made up? I thought it might have been Don Giovanni, or maybe Faust?) - Major characters listed in front is great, and wish that page had some kind of tab on it, because everyone must go there dozens of times for at least the first third of the book. Chapters I read last night focus on courtship (Peace?), in Moscow - Natasha Rostov visits her potential future inlaws, the Prince Volkonsky and Marya V., is treated horribly, and, though she doesn't realize it yet, begins to have her doubts about her fiance, Andre Volkonsky. Why has he gone away, why is his father's blessing on the marriage so important, doesn't that bode ill - as he'll never get this blessing from his horrible father (and sister). At the opera, the (equally horrible) Anatole Kuragin picks her out and tries to seduce Natasha and she completely falls for this. She's so vulnerable, foolish, young - and alone. It's one of those cases where readers can see far beyond the characters. Tolstoy, as always, remains in the background, just presenting everything like life unfolding before us, without commentary or guidance, like a silent god. Amazing. Parallel to this, the incredible social climber Boris Durbrotsky (that's not right, I'll have to check) becomes engaged to the very unattractive Julie Karagin. She deludes herself into thinking the Boris really cares for her; he has no such illusions. This marriage is doomed - like Pierre Bezukhov's, in reverse - he marrying the beautiful Helene. So it's a midpoint in the book, and lots of mismatches are taking shape and you can see that there will be infidelities and broken hearts and worse on the way. I'll have lots more to say - and will not summarize the entire plot I promise - as I continue to read this amazing novel.