Fictional women we do like, and why?

Yeah I remember that one BertieBotts. Think that's right. Reminds me of

I love the film Practical Magic, with the sisters. I haven't seen it for ages so can't remember what happens but don't they kill the abusive bloke by putting something in his midnight marguerita? And then he haunts them, or something. I just liked the way the sisters stuck together in the film.

Cagney and Lacey ! I could watch those all day. Juggling family with roughing up crims, with alcoholism, with a strong sense of justice and moral duty.

It was truly groundbreaking and my family loved it.

Connie from Holby?

also love flora poste and becky sharp

Smart witches. Foolish choices. Sieglinde - your Hermione analysis has made my day again.

Ooh, yeah - Lyra is fantastic. I think Phillip Pullman did a pretty sound job of writing pretty much all of the female (and male) characters.

"Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell's character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)"

Yes Yes. And the book is awesome (and Lorelei is a lot more interesting in it.)

I love Juno as well. Showed it to my ten year old as antidote to all the rubbidge.

Even if Hermione began in law they would have to get her in to manage the giant weeing post Ron and Harry have made of Auring. I hope it was clear that Ron was occupying a lesser role in terms of his career.

Yup. Smart witches, FOOLISH choices.

Oh, I love Merrily Watkins too. Also, she's not the only great female character in the books - think of Sophie (utterly decent and possessed of huge inner stretnght older woman) and Jane is a terrific and convincing character as well.
Phil Rickman is like my other fave male author, Christopher Brookmyre, genuinely good at creating women who are not just cannon fodder, plot devices, or something for the hero to fuck 'fall in love with'
IN Brookmyre's books you've got Jenny the detective, Sarah (who starts out a bit 'love interest' but develops), Angelique De Xaviera, Maddy WItherson, and the various teens in A Tale Etched in Blood or Pandemonium come across as proper people,. even the minor players.

Also Juno.

Lyra in His Dark Materials.

Jo March. For loving books, rejecting Laurie and for cutting off her hair and selling it so her mother could her father home from war.

Also Becky Sharp.

I enjoyed the female characters in The Wire as they were flawed but strong and real.

Poor old Tess. And Jane Eyre although tis rather bitter sweet.

Merrily Watkins in Phil Rickman's books - vicar/exorcist, lone parent, peristent smoker.

She has a very outspoken daughter and a rather damaged boyfriend and lots of encounters with the paranormal. More interesting than my life!

The She-Devil from Fay Weldon's Life and Loves of a She-Devil.
Because she looks at the shit in her life, chooses her revenge and gets on with it (but manages to help quite a lot of people along the way).

Rowling is clearly just trying to pair people up as much as possible - she can't pair up Harry & Hermione cos then who will Ron have? So Harry has to have Ginny (who is also actually a pretty good character in the later books - a really great caster of curses and a fierce fighter, and smart too) so that Ron can have Hermione. Then we get Lupin & Tonks, Neville & Luna, etc...

Susan is great. I sometimes have cause to indulge in a watered down version of her STARE :) Also Adora Belle Dearheart.

I was always rather impressed by the character of Violet Baudelaire from A Series of Unfortunate Events when I used to read them to DS. Ferociously clever and never happier than when building something.

I thought the character of Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was quite a strong one. She's a flawed human being - as all the characters in the film are, in their own ways - but she does what she wants to rather than because she feels she should. She doesn't hide who she is just to try to fit in. But then this is one of my favourite films ever so I might be a bit biased.

As for Pratchett, I agree that the witches are fantastic characters. But I think Granny Weatherwax is arguably a bit too single-minded. She's a hell of a witch but at the cost of some of her humanity. Nanny Ogg is a much more rounded person And what about Susan Sto Helit? She's definitely unafraid to prod buttock.

I imagine she's a top-notch Human Elf And Magical Beings Rights Lawyer.

Seriously though - she can't do better than Ron ?

Neville would be preferable.

Oh sorry, yes, magical law. Still makes no sense for the character.

Maria von Trapp. Standing up to the Captain - "I could never answer to a whistle". You could feel the ascent of woman...

ooh Bella from twilight, she is an AWSOME vampire

Hermione doesn't end up as an auror. Ron and Harry do. Hermione works in magical law at the ministry.

Storm from the X-men she kicks arse ...also Wonder Woman.. actually She-Hulk too

OK, so it's not exactly high art - but I always loved Rizzo in Grease - far more interesting than Sandy any day

Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell's character in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)

Gillian Foster in Lie to Me and Angela Montenegro in Bones - both human and feminine but more than capable of looking after themselves. Also Caroline the DA in Bones 'cos she's just bloody hilarious!

I didn't like the idea that Hermione would be an Auror at all actually - where the hell did JKR get that idea from? surely she should be a research wizard, (a female Ponder Stibbons) with a sideline in House Elf Rights campaigning.