Saw this over at
Hamlette's blog, and thought it would be a fun trip down memory lane. Here goes - and hope I don't tread on any toes. ;)
- Werther from The Sorrows of Young Werther.
- Everyone from A Passage to India. (Sorry, Forster.)
- Irene Adler from "A Scandal in Bohemia".
- Erik from The Phantom of the Opera. In all fairness, I am meaning to re-read this. During my first read, I definitely found book!Erik to be less likeable than Webber's version.
- Nick Carraway from The Great Gatsby. I get the impression one is supposed to like him, but I was left unimpressed. (I was also shocked that his undisguised racist commentary never gets mentioned in mainstream circles).
- Everyone from Dragonwyck. When I was in middle school, a friend recommended it to me, on the basis it was similar to Jane Eyre. My mother cautioned me that it sounded like a romance novel, but in my blissful ignorance I wasn't quite aware what that meant. (Hint: think Edward and Bella in 1800s Dutch New York...)
- Mary Russell from the Mary Russell series.
- Aragorn from The Return of the King. Specifically ROTK, and maybe TTT, because I thought he was pretty cool in The Fellowship of the Ring, but less interesting as the story progressed.
- Ahab from Moby-Dick. I'm not sure antagonists are supposed to "click" with you. I do know that Gregory Peck's portrayal brought a much-needed human/charismatic element to the character, whereas Starbuck, though different in the book from the movie, is still compelling apart from his film version. So with that in mind, I'd say book!Ahab didn't "click".
- Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. *gasp* Don't click away! ;) She is probably the best-loved heroine in literature. I just can't honestly say I found her more interesting than many others.
I'm sure I've listed someone's favorites...well, the good news is, after six (and not necessarily in the above order), I found it super hard to list the last four!
Comments
Eventually I think I'll read Faust, because it was so influential. Given the subject matter, though, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it... ;)
But... Mary Russell? As in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books by Laurie R. King? Oh, she's a favorite of mine. I'm sorry you don't dig her, but I know lots of people don't.
I do like Elizabeth Bennet, but I don't love her like I love Anne Elliot, so I won't summarily dismiss you for not being a huge fan :-)
Yes, I think I'd actually really like Aragorn if, say, there were an entire book about his early life. It's not that we don't get those details in LOTR, but somehow (for me) they get out-shone by other plot twists and character arcs.