When you read the earlier edition of War and Peace, you'll be glad Tolstoy changed it later. Andrei does not die, but Natasha though she nurses him, tells him, she no longer loves him. She and Pierre do get married. The characters are altered by this change. Andrei still loves Natasha but she rejects his suit. Then he tells Pierre so and Pierre being his best friend, figures that since Andrei says it's ok he can pursue her. WHAT??!!!! This earlier edition has a "happier" outcome but the characters are so much less satisfying. Having Natasha really love Andrei, etc., gives her character depth which she lacks in the earlier draft. Andrei seems kind of pathetic in his survival, and Pierre, who's learned so much being a POW, suddenly disregards friendship and becomes an opportunist. Bravo to Tolstoy for realizing that his final draft, though heartbreaking, is a much more satisfying story!
