Petikkan dari War and Peace

"Rostov, preoccupied by his relations with Bogdanich, had paused on the bridge, not knowing what to do. There was no one to hew down (which had always been his idea of a battle), nor could he help to fire the bridge, because he had not provided himself with burning straw like the other soldiers. He was standing there looking about him when suddenly he heard a rattling on the bridge as though someone were scattering hazel nuts, and the hussar nearest him fell against the parapet with a groan. Rostov ran up to him with the others. Again there was a cry of 'Stretchers!' Four men seized the hussar and began lifting him.

'O-o-o-h! For Christ's sake let me be!' shrieked the wounded man, but nevertheless he was lifted and laid on a stretcher.

Nikolai Rostov turned away and, as if searching for something, started to gaze into the distance, at the waters of the Danube, at the sky, at the sun. How beautiful the sky looked, how blue and calm and deep! How brilliant and majestic was the setting sun! How tenderly shone the distant waters of the Danube! And fairer still were the purpling mountains stretching far away beyond the river, to the convent, the mysterious gorges, the pine forests veiled in mist to their summits... There all was peace and happiness. 'I should wish for nothing, wish for nothing, for nothing in the world, if only I were there,' thought Rostov. 'In myself alone and in that sunshine there is so much happiness, while here... it is groans, suffering and confusion, hurry... I shall run with the rest, while death, death is all above me and around me... A moment more and I shall never see this sun, this river, that gorge again... ' "

(Dipetik dari novel War and Peace)

Bahagian ini akan sentiasa kekal dalam fikiran saya apabila membaca War and Peace. Membaca Tolstoy memaksa minda dan emosi kita diragut keluar dari akar yang paling dalam lalu dilontarkan di tengah-tengah medan kehidupan yang dikelilingi manusia demi manusia dengan setiap seorang daripadanya tidak terlepas dari sentuhan warna alam dan tarikkan tali-benang penciptanya iaitu Tolstoy sendiri. Dengan membaca Tolstoy kita menjadi manusia-manusianya. Kita menjadi Nikolai Rostov. Dan, sudah tentu, kita menjadi Tolstoy!

Sangat menarik bagaimana perenggan pertama di atas, yang melukiskan Rostov terperangkap di tengah peperangan dan kesengsaraan, dibezakan dengan perenggan ketiga apabila kita tiba-tiba masuk ke dalam arus fikiran Nikolai. Masa yang asalnya tadi bergerak pantas menjadi perlahan seperti saat dalam sebuah filem perang apabila bunyi desis peluru dan ledakkan bom di sekeliling seorang tentera bertukar menjadi gema yang sayup. Ini ialah pengalaman pertama Nikolai Rostov di medan peperangan. Dia bukan seperti Prince Andrei yang memang sudah masak dengan hukum perang dan maut. Pandangan hidupnya, seperti kita yang membaca novel ini, masih bersih dan naif. Tolstoy sedang mencabar kesedaran minda kita terhadap kehidupan. Pada masa sama, dia mengajak kita untuk melepaskan sebentar diri kita, dan melihat kehidupan melalui kacamata manusia lain. Dia mengajak kita untuk menjadi seorang penyair.