Top Ten Classic Friendships

Haven't participated in Top Ten Tuesday in a while, but I'm excited for this week's topic: top ten platonic relationships from books.  Families, friends, and mentors - classic literature is chock-full of great examples!

  1. Davey Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart from Kidnapped (Robert Louis Stevenson) - I have to reread this book every so often.  I just love the complex dynamic between two friends who have such different backgrounds, views, and goals.
  2. Gandalf and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien) - Another duo who don't get along too well at the beginning - Gandalf, the no-nonsense wizard, and Pippin, who is just a bit clueless.  Nonetheless, when push comes to shove, they're on each other's side and find common understanding.
  3. Mudpuddle, Jill, and Eustace from The Silver Chair (C. S. Lewis) - Probably my favorite group of characters from the whole Narnia series!  I admir how they're all three loyal to each other and their quest.  Maybe less realistic than some of the other Narnia portrayals (e.g. Digory and Polly, whom I also love), but still great.
  4. Dorothy and Scarecrow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum) - Childhood favorite.
  5. Holmes and Watson from the Sherlock Holmes series (A. C. Doyle) - One of the most unlikely friendships in literature, and also long-lasting!
  6. Onegin and Lensky from Eugene Onegin (Alexander Pushkin) - There's a lot you can learn from the rise and fall of this friendship.  Even so, I don't think I'll ever fully understand what happened.
  7. Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy from Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) - Enough said.  :) 
  8. Orual and Psyche from Till We Have Faces (C. S. Lewis) - Another great portrayal of sisters. 
  9. Jim Hawkins and Dr. Livesey from Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) - More of a father-son relationship, this friendship is tested by events and other characters in a really interesting way.
  10. Pip and Joe from Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) - In some ways this is a father-son relationship "gone wrong," but at the same time, it's incredibly compelling and realistic.  Quite a tearjerker.
Well, that's my ten.  Who did I miss?!

Comments

mudpuddle said…
holmes and watson? appleby and fox... still thinking (ouch)
November 27, 2018 at 8:13 PM
Marian H said…
No worries, it took me WAY too long to come up with this list, after #5! I was surprised...
November 27, 2018 at 8:42 PM
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