Andrej resembles Will in both personality and the role he plays in Natasha’s life. He is a good, honest man who is rather shy.

He and Natasha fall in love immediately at the ball. This is partly because of her vitality, which stands in stark contrast to his own character, darkened by grief over his late wife, from which he seems unable to recover.

They decide to get married right away, but due to certain circumstances, Andrej is forced to postpone the wedding for a year. The similarity here is striking. In the book, the wedding is postponed; in POTC, it is called off because Will is arrested shortly before the ceremony.

While waiting for the wedding — or, in Elizabeth's case, after it was called off — Natasha was seduced by Anatole. He is a handsome and charismatic man with no morals. Although the character is portrayed negatively in the book, Jack is undoubtedly more ambiguous. He often makes questionable choices out of pure selfishness or self-preservation, but he also helps his friends and crew on several occasions.

Nevertheless, the comparison between Jack and Anatole is apt because, whether they like it or not, they both become the forbidden fruit for Natasha and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Jack are both openly attracted to each other in the second movie.

Finally, Pierre! 🖤 Pierre is the book's undisputed protagonist. Personality-wise, he has little in common with Norrington, although one could argue that they have both faced contrasting trials. Pierre is an arrogant young man who thinks he knows everything about the world. He likes to drink and chase women. He matures as life and war toughen him up and make him more sensitive.

James, on the other hand, was an unquestioning supporter of the British Crown. From a young age, he knew his place in society. However, life and war cause him to lose everything, turning him into a man like Pierre at the beginning of the book: searching for his place in the world and a victim of alcohol.

Pierre plays a similar role in Natasha’s life: he is a dear family friend who has known her since she was a young girl. He falls in love with her shortly after her marriage to Andrej is called off due to her affair with Anatole, an event which plunges her into a long depression.

It is on this occasion that one of my favourite declarations of love in classical literature takes place:

‘If I were not myself, but the handsomest, cleverest and best man in the world, and if I were free, I would be on my knees this very minute to beg for your hand and your love.’

It’s so heart-wrenching and unrequited that it’s somewhat reminiscent of Norrington in the second film, when he says:

“There was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me.”

After declaring his love for Natasha, Pierre leaves the house feeling happy and sees the Great Comet of 1812. This comet symbolises a profound period of spiritual renewal and falling in love.

From that point on, he chooses to remain by her side without imposing himself any further. During the war, he sees her grow close to Andrej again after many years, when he is on his deathbed and she stays by his side to care for him. It is then that Andrej forgives her, and he spends the last days of his life in peace with the woman he loves.

This tragic love story is reminiscent of the relationship between Elizabeth and Will at the end of the third film, when Will sacrifices his life to become the captain of the Flying Dutchman.

Following Andrej’s death, Pierre remains by Natasha’s side, and the two of them support each other through their grief.

Natasha realises that Pierre has always been close to her — a constant presence who always listened to her and supported her — and she falls in love with him. Finally, Pierre finds the courage to confess his feelings, and the two marry shortly afterwards.

***

It’s nice to imagine a sort of PotC AU written by Tolstoj, where Norrington can finally have a happy ending with Elizabeth.