Arts Vanity: “War and Peace” Characters as Songs From My Fall ’23 Playlist

As I reflect on the past year, I often find myself returning to moments from Leo Tolstoy’s 1200 page beast of a novel, “War and Peace.” Despite its setting in the early 1800s Russian aristocracy, “War and Peace” is rife with universal moments and substantive characters that remain salient today.

1. Pierre Kirillovich Bezukhov — “Dreams” by The Cranberries
Pierre’s life truly changes “everyday in every possible way” as he discovers who he is and what he cares about. From entering aristocracy a directionless, bumbling, awkward mess, to inheriting a fortune, marrying the “it girl” of the 1810s and shooting her lover, and even to becoming a freemason and marrying the woman he truly loves, Pierre’s journey is aptly reflected in the upbeat vocals, twangy guitars, and robust drums of this track.

2. Natasha Ilyinichna Rostova — “ballad of a homeschooled girl” by Olivia Rodrigo
Aside from the literal correlation, since Natasha is educated at home, Rodrigo’s pop punk ballad detailing her youthful social woes is an especially fitting track for Natasha. Her desire to abandon the man she is engaged to and elope with a wild-living but attractive young soldier before ultimately falling into a depression fits right at home with Rodrigo’s declarations of “everything I do is tragic” and “I made it weird, I made it worse.”

3. Andrei Nikolaevich Bolkonsky — “epiphany” by Taylor Swift
Swift’s soft, hymnal ballad full of airy and layered vocals beautifully matches Andrei’s reflections when he’s wounded at the Battle of Austerlitz and later the Battle of Borodino. On the brink of death after going off to war the first time, he realizes that he is the root of his own unhappiness while looking up at the sky, seeing that all he really cares about is his family. Though eventually when Andrei’s wife dies and he falls in love with Natasha, he learns of her betrayal and goes off to fight again. Wounded for a second time, he forgives Natasha and briefly reunites with her, before losing his will to live and dying in her home. Much like the subject of “epiphany,” Andrei too dreams of peace and “just one glimpse of relief” at the end.

4. Marya Nikolaevna Bolkonskaya — “chemtrails” by Lizzy McAlpine
Though Marya is devoutly religious and cares deeply for her father, her relationship with him is complex. He often lashes out at her in fear of losing her, and she feels guilty for considering the possibilities open to her after he dies. McAlpine’s gentle rumination on grief and struggling to be “at the grown-up’s table,” along with the track’s soft piano chords, match Marya’s steadfast devotion to her father and the difficulty she feels in moving on.

5. Nikolai Ilyich Rostov — “Treacherous(Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift
Nikolai is a fan of treacherous slopes and reckless paths. His naive pursuit of glory on the battlefield is but one manifestation of his impulsivity; others include promising to marry his cousin Sonya and carelessly losing a tremendous amount of money in a card game. The drum beat and rich vocals in the bridge of “Treacherous” build a tension akin to what one might feel while falling in love and Nikolai’s ardent pursuit of a relationship after just one conversation with Marya echoes that, proving that “nothing safe is worth the drive.”

6. Sonya Alexandrovna Rostova — “Want You Back” by Maisie Peters
The orphaned cousin of the Rostov children, Sonya has no money to her name and quickly falls in love with Nikolai. Her fleeting engagement with him touches her deeply, and she reluctantly releases him from his obligation, hoping he’ll marry her anyway, but ultimately losing out to Marya. Peters’ solemn description of a partner treating her badly but wanting him anyway aptly describes Sonya’s forbidden affection for Nikolai and her eventual role as caretaker of the children of Nikolai and Marya.

7. Hélène Vassilievna Kuragina — “Mastermind” by Taylor Swift
The “it girl” of the aristocratic scene, Hélène also has brains to match her charms. Organizing an affair with Dolokhov while being married to Pierre and hosting elaborate salons are just two of her accomplishments. She has another affair with Nikolai’s friend Boris, aids Anatole in pursuing Natasha, convinces Pierre not to leave her, and switches religions to manipulate the pope into annulling her marriage. Despite her vanity, Hélène’s ambition and intelligence keep her out of danger and consistently socially relevant. She usually gets her way because “just like clockwork / the dominoes cascaded in a line.”

8. Anatole Vasilievich Kuragin — “STRUT” by Emeline
Surrounded by rumors of misdeeds, Anatole lives his life unbothered by his reputation. Though it’s unclear if he actually has an incestuous affair with his sister, he does seduce Natasha despite being already secretly married to a Polish woman he met while fighting in the war. Emeline’s self-confidence and snark about her walk of shame exemplifies Anatole’s brazen self-assuredness in his questionable choices.

—Outgoing Music Executive and incoming Arts Chair Anna Moiseieva is still recovering from the undertaking of reading “War and Peace.” To debate the superiority of Tolstoy over Dostoevsky, recommend more Russian literature, or inquire about additional fictional character / song pairings, please reach out to her at anna.moiseieva@thecrimson.com.