To ask for your favourite literary heroines?

[OrangePowered]

I've just finished a book and I'm looking for inspiration.

My all time favourite is Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. I love Rebecca (from Rebecca) too, and Cathy Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights.

Amber from Forever Amber is a recent discovery too. Any recommendations for what to read next?

Elizabeth Bennett, Jane Eyre, Olanna from Half of a yellow Sun, Tess (of the D'Urbevilles) - there's something so tragic about her, she never took charge of her fate but could have been so much more if not for her pride/ stubbornness.

@mig58 Oo, I loved Flambards! It all got quite confusing in the end though - I think Christine ended up with Will (?), then Dick and then Mark? She's great

@OrangePowered Cathy Earnshaw?! How? She was horrific. Even reading as a child I didn't like her.

Nancy Blackett, Eòwyn, Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha

Ooh and if you want something a bit more contemporary- Eleanor Oliphant is just a gorgeous work.

Francie Fitzpatrick in The Real Charlotte. Conversely, Charlotte Mullen, the eponymous anti hero is one of the most unattractive characters in literature that I’ve come across.

Bathsheba Everdene in Far From The Madding Crowd - I admire how she wanted to be independent from men but then fell in love with a womanizer and married him. Thomas Hardy has written about some amazing women - I also liked Tess of the D'ubervilles.

For some reason the video was posted twice, here is Tess of the D'ubervilles

Jane Eyre- her life's a shit show but she gets her happy ending

Katniss Everdene in the Hunger Games was based on Bathsheba Everdene

As a child I always looked up to Amy and Meg March from little women, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Wendy Darling from Peter Pan, Isabel O'Sullivan from the Twins at St Clare, or Sara Crewe from A Little Princess. Oh and Luna from Harry Potter.

At the moment I guess I like Cordelia in King Lear and Innogen in Cymbeline. Jane Bennet from Pride and Prejudices.

More modren books and none classic I really adore Sorcha from the Seven Waters series.

@tweebookworm interesting- why Jane? Do you not find her boring? She does admittedly show a lot more restraint and self control than Elizabeth but she's so compliant don't you think?

@nestisflown probably because out of the 4 I found her the most similar to me I guess. I don't see being compliant as negative or boring

5 sorry lol

Of the classic heroines, Jane Eyre is to me the strongest, even though I prefer Wuthering Heights as a book. Anne Shirley is my favourite childhood heroine. Emma is my favourite Jane Austen hero, although I agree with a previous poster about Fanny Price as well. Lizzie is overrated. ;-)

There are tons of strong women in contemporary literature, too! I wouldn't even know where to start.

I can see someone upthread has already mentioned mine. I picked my username ages ago from my fav book of all time.
Marian Halcombe is fab.

Marian Halcombe, always!

Another Fanny Price fan. Lots of Georgette Heyer heroines. Kate Ruggles of the One End Street family. Miss Jane Marple. Ethel May (Charlotte Yonge's The Daisy Chain). Mrs Gaskell has good heroines.

Anne Shirley. Marilla Cuthbert. Jo March, George Kirrin. Rebecca Mason.

I’m a fan of Jane eyre “Reader, I married him”

Granny Weatherwax.

I really love Olympia Biddeford, in Anita Shreve's Fortunes Rocks. I read it first several years ago and loved it, but then didn't read it again til very recently, and it's just as good as I remember. She's really strong and complicated and interesting.

I also love Anne Shirley, and Anne Elliot and Linda Wallander. Oh, and Lyra Silvertongue.

Mary Mackenzie from The Ginger Tree, she endures and then thrives.

I love George Kirren! (But i secretly love Anne more).

I decided years ago that Maxim's second wife is called Lalage.

Anne Shirley
Bathsheba Everdene
Drosoula
Becky Sharp
Marian Halcombe

Definitely NOT:
Catherine Earnshaw
Sue Brideshead

A massive pet hate of mine is when they do TV adaptations and make the female characters into "modern feisty" women because that's apparently the only way they can be "strong".

Harriet Vane. Actually make efforts to be more Harriet.