If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Here, we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero. This week: Cruella de Vil, of Dodie Smith’s The Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Cruella de Vil, the prim and pampered London heiress famous for her burning desire to make fur coats out of Dalmatian puppies, is a little more bizarre and a lot more detached and evil than she appears in the Disney version of Smith’s story. In high school, she shocked her classmates by rocking black and white plaits until she was expelled for drinking ink. All grown up and living a lavish lifestyle, married to a furrier and never seen without her spotless white mink coat, Cruella is so obsessed with warmth that she keeps a fire roaring at all times and all her food tastes of pepper. Here’s what we think she’d listen to while leaning on the loudest horn in London, warming herself by the fire, and lusting after puppy skins.
“Fabulous” — Ashley Tisdale
There’s no reason to think that Cruella would have good taste in music. And she definitely would enjoy any songs that glorified the spoiled life.
“Flight of Icarus” — Iron Maiden
We imagine that the weird, ink-drinking teenage Cruella might have retreated into the likes of Iron Maiden for some comfort. Either that, or she’s just one of those prissy girls who wear Iron Maiden t-shirts to seem more badass.
“Ka-Ching” — Shania Twain
This is the kind of track that Cruella might listen to while lying on her waterbed in her mink, fanning herself with hundred dollar bills.
“The Curse of Millhaven” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This epic ballad of evil pretty much could have been about Cruella, and we all know she’s an egoist. “Since I was no bigger than a weevil they’ve been saying I was evil/ That if bad was a boot that I’d fit it/ That I’m a wicked young lady, but I’ve been trying hard lately/ O fuck it! I’m a monster! I admit it!”
“Black and White Town” — Doves
Cruella probably dreams of a town all in black and white, so this song wouldn’t exactly have the intended effect on her. But then again, most things don’t.
“Fire Woman” — The Cult
We imagine this is how Cruella thinks of herself. Perhaps she plays it for her husband so he knows how to think.
“Drowning Lessons” — My Chemical Romance
Since we know she basically likes to drown everything that irritates her.
“Firestarter” — Prodigy
Despite her name, deep down we don’t think Cruella is a simply evil, flat character. We think she has some serious angst related to her personhood going on. Not that that stops her from being a total psychopath.
“Glamorous” — Fergie
This is music for rich ladies with too much time on their hands. Plus, someone once told us that all villains love Fergie.
“Bad Bad Leroy Brown” — Jim Croce
Every evil character needs a song to help her glorify her own villainy.