Why do authors give their characters unpronouncable names?

[HookedOnHooking]

Harry Quebert I'm looking at you.

Why? Why don't they just call them Smith or Jane?

And how do I pronounce Quebert?

Kuh-Bear?

or cue-bert?

[Athenaviolet]

I wasn't sure!

[ChessieFL]

I pronounced it clo-dar (clo as in Chloe). No idea if that's right!

[Theycallmemellowjello]

Quite so, if only all books could be set in the Home Counties.

[elementofsurprise]

GreatAuntDinah I don't know how to pronounce "Robson and Jerome" either!

Is it pronounced Jeh-Rome, or like Jeremy?

Apparently the US edition was called "Three Men on Wheels" - I guess it was just too rude for them! (Or too European?!)

[elementofsurprise]

DopeyDawg I thought Alicia was pronounced "A-lis-ee-a", not "ally-shee-a"! Until just now...

[BreconBeBuggered]

Clodagh is pronounced 'Clodah', isn't it? I shall be annoyed if it isn't.

I was devastated as a child to discover that my favourite fictional name, Elinor, was not pronounced 'Eleenor'.

[Hygge]

I know an Alicia that is A-lis-ee-a, which was always the way I thought it was said anyway.

Clodagh is Chlo-da to me. Chlo as in Chloe and da as in darling.

[scottishmerlottish]

I think the UK version is: 'a-lis-ee-a' but the US one: 'all-eee-sha'?

My H is dyslexic and finds most words to be this way.
Must be very hard work!

[travertine]

I was a big Jilly Cooper fan and it was only when I watched a Harry Potter film I found that it was her-my-o-knee not her-me-own. I have also spent years loving John Le m-zoo-ree-eh not John Le measurer.

[CaptainAnkles]

Clodagh is pronounced clo - da. Not like Chloe.

[Hygge]

So clo as in clock?

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

Clodagh rhymes with plodder

[GreatAuntDinah]

Juh-ROME.

[FrenchJunebug]

YABVU. It's a French book: Quebert is a perfectly easy name to pronounce in French.

How dare foreign writers or creators not think of the poor British people who cannot pronounce certain words ...

[MrsFionaCharming]

I thought it was A-lis-ee-ah. Until a friend laughed at me and told me it was A-lee-sha (when we were about 10). Please tell me I was right!

[Yarp]

Cupboard?

[iklboo]

I did first read Andy DuFresne (Shawshank Redemption) as Du Freznay.

[iklboo]

Jon Snow. Don't you mean Jern Snerr?

[BellMcEnd]

Smilla please accept my first .

[SilverShadows]

Alicia is either Aleesha or Alissia. Both are acceptable.

[nooka]

I'm fine with real names from other cultures which you can look up if you so desire, it's the crazy fantasy names that irritate me. Doesn't put me off reading the fantasy (if it's good) but I do start wondering about the parents sometimes as the names often sound really unattractive. I recall a romantic lead called 'Ger' for example. Obviously no real parents involved in fiction...

I am inclined to blame Tolkien, with his invented languages. Not only do most fantasy writers include the obligatory quest map, but also the glossary of how to read my invented language. It's all a little bit wank really.

[MoonriseKingdom]

I read a book as a child where one character was called Phoebe. I spent the book wondering why anyone would call their child f-oh-b (ie like phobic or phobia). It was only when Friends started a few years later I realised it was fee-bee

[SweetBabyJebus]

Clodagh rhymes with plodder

Absolutely, categorically and completely not! It's Chlo (as in Chloe) -da

[londonrach]

Dyslexic here and i read alicia as alison and still do. Sometimes its easier just changing the names. You right about mrs keys book...i gave up reading it due to the name but also think it was badly written as i just couldnt get into it. I read between 2-3 books a week at the moment.