Favourite Characters from Fiction

 

I’ve been MIA for the past few months as I finished my first cosy murder mystery. Having previously written historical and contemporary romance with a touch of intrigue, it took me quite some time and a lot of reading to get the hang of this new-to-me genre. I will review it over the weekend to catch any last-minute typos or inaccuracies, and I will send it to my publisher on Monday.

During a little break from writing, it will be my absolute delight to sit and read, so this month’s Round Robin topic of what was/is your all-time favourite character(s) in literature and why, gives me time to look back on some of the great books I’ve read.

I have no idea of reading standards these days. I know I’m giving my age away (I don’t care, I’ll be eighty-two in September), but I could read before I went to school and by the age of ten, I was reading the English classics, such as Lorna Doone, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights, as well as Moby-Dick and Treasure Island. I basically read any book I could get my hands on, and in my early teens, read a lot of Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Max Brand and Jack Schaeffer before I discovered Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. Mixed in with all of those over the years were Black Beauty, the Flicka stories and the Black Stallion, along with all the Jill pony stories, Call of the Wild, Last of the Mohicans – and I could go on.

Although my reading was extensive and I loved the stories, I must admit that many of the nuances of character, setting, and plot probably went over my head. I revisited many of those titles as an adult and developed a whole new appreciation for them, especially those of Jane Austen. With such a treasure trove of material to pick from, it has been like dipping into a box of chocolates. Which hero or heroine to put at the top of my list?

As far as heroes go, Jack Schaeffer’s Shane (I believe a forerunner of the man with no name in Clint Eastwood’s ‘Dollars’ series) captured my imagination not as an all-American hero, but as a self-reliant man grappling with himself and his past. Going from one extreme to the other, another hero I found intriguing was the Marquis of Alverstoke in Georgette Heyer’s book Frederica. Like so many Regency lords, Alverstoke is portrayed as jaded and bored, but beneath it all, he is a decent man, much like Shane.

For my heroines, well. Here I am spoilt for choice entirely. My first choice is again from Frederica; in

fact, it is the leading lady, Frederica Merrivale herself. Her wit and manners endear her to Society, her sense of humour and common sense to Alverstoke, much to the dismay of his sisters. For my second heroine, it was a hard choice between Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind and Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. After much consideration, Elizabeth pipped Scarlett at the post, not least because Elizabeth came completely alive for me as a feisty, won't-back-down individual when played by Keira Knightley in the movie version, with Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.

As you can see, I have a varied collection of books in my past and more in my future. My reading these days is often thrillers, particularly those by Dick Francis and Lee Child. I have a sneaking admiration for Lula, a fascinating character in the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. In between all those books, I enjoy the travel books by Bill Bryson and have just started reading A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom.

Please join me now in visiting my fellow Round Robin contributors to see what their picks are.

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

 Dr. Bob Rich  https://wp.me/p3Xihq-3vC

Sally Odgers https://behindsallysbooksmark2.blogspot.com

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea