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Who's your all time favourite fictional character?

75 replies

Thurlow · 17/07/2014 20:28

Not just who you think is the greatest, or the best written, but who you just warmed to for some reason, who you enjoy reading about?

After spending my teenage years devouring Bernard Cornwell, Richard Sharpe is an all-time favourite. I can happily daydream for hours about being rescued from the evil French by him Grin

I always liked Elizabeth Bennett. A bit of a cliche, I know, but she struck me as someone you could have a great evening with, especially if she got to gossiping after a glass or two of wine. I wanted her to get Darcy because I felt she was a truly decent person.

But I'm currently rereading Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy, so while this might be a bit of an obscure choice, I realised the other day that the main character, Billy Prior, in a way means more to me than any other character. I've re-read the book a few times and have never managed to actually read the last few chapters again because they leave me sobbing. I prefer to live in a world where Prior is alright Blush

There's something about the way Barker writes him - as if even she has no idea who this character is, what he will do or what will happen to him, as if he is the driving force behind his own character, not her, as if she is as surprised by things that he does as we are. That probably sounds a bit bullshitty but I can't think of another way to describe it.

Anyway, while I'll hold out a vain hope that at least one person might have read the books and know the character - who would be yours?

OP posts:
QueenAnneofAustriaSpain · 17/07/2014 21:38

Episode 10. I can't take the Aramis content of no.9.

QueenAnneofAustriaSpain · 17/07/2014 21:42

Whoops wrong thread.

Hiphopopotamus · 17/07/2014 21:55

Lyra from the Dark Materials Trilogy. I love that she is not at all perfect, but is still essentially 'good'

Artus · 17/07/2014 21:59

Francis Crawford of Lymond from the Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. Or Albert Campion. I'm torn...

ThursdayLast · 17/07/2014 22:01

I remembered another one
The Bolter dulling

HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 17/07/2014 22:09

Jane Eyre, for so many reasons.
I would like to think we would be friends.

vrtra · 18/07/2014 02:04

Lady Sybil Ramkin :)

LottieJenkins · 18/07/2014 02:14

Miss Jane Marple! Wish I had a brain like her!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 18/07/2014 07:20

Thurlow - I often re-read the bit with Jake and the Mars Bar man. :( Also, Roland's dance.

Thurlow · 18/07/2014 07:57

Might have to dig the Dark Tower out again, it's been a while!

Well, I finish The Ghost Road last night. I cried Blush

OP posts:
JuniDD · 18/07/2014 10:55

Will from His Dark Materials, I think Pullman manages to pull his character much more sharply into focus for me than Lyra.

Richard from The Secret History. So flawed, yet so lovable.

whattheseithakasmean · 18/07/2014 11:02

Not an all time favourite, as such. I have just finished Half of a Yellow Sun and I loved the character of Kainene. She reminded me of DD1, she is so dry and reserved, but turns out to be such a tough pragmatist with depths of compassion and forgiveness. A great female character.

MilkandCereal · 18/07/2014 14:01

Javert
Erik aka The Phantom of The Opera.

There are a few others,but my brain is not functioning right now.

serialgrannie · 18/07/2014 14:07

Jane Eyre. Such spirit and strength of character. My ultimate heroine.

Cocolepew · 18/07/2014 14:12

Myron Bolitar from Harlan Coben books.
Im a Lula fan too Grin

ChickenFajitaAndNachos · 18/07/2014 14:14

I like Lily in Lace.

UriGeller · 18/07/2014 14:17

I like Claire Beauchamp/Fraser from the Outlander books. She's someone who has managed to get her teeth into me more than any other fictional character.

Pangaea · 18/07/2014 14:32

Dr Frank in TRHPS.

Wellwellwell3holesintheground · 18/07/2014 14:32

Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders. I think he was my first love. In my defence, I was ten.

Mrs Fytton in Mrs Fytton's Country Life. She fucks it all up so splendidly.

Celie in The Color Purple. Never have I rooted for a character more.

Sam in My Side of the Mountain.

Pangaea · 18/07/2014 14:33

Oh and Samantha Jones, for her bollocks to it, two fingers up attitude to criticism.

'I love you, but I love me more' is mantra many of us could do with adopting!

Pangaea · 18/07/2014 14:34

(Bugger, just realised that this was fiction, not just any fictional character!)

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 18/07/2014 14:34

Awww to Ponyboy - need to re-read that!

AnneEyhtMeyer · 18/07/2014 14:38

Jane Eyre and Anne Shirley.

Wellwellwell3holesintheground · 18/07/2014 14:42

I reread it the other day - it's still brilliant. Not sure when to let DD read it - she's 10 but I think I just had free rein over the books at home and I'm not sure that was always wise.

Wellwellwell3holesintheground · 18/07/2014 14:43

In fact it was a bit silly. I read Tess of the Durbervilles at 10.