# BEST best friends in literature (open spoilers likely) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074 "2009-06-17T15:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/1 "2009-06-17T15:08:43Z")
Inspired, to no one’s surprise, by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=521180). In my first post in the other thread I mentioned Tradd from The Lords of Discipline. I start this spin-off by mentioning another character from that novel: Mark Santoro. He stands by Will long before he has too and for long after most people would have; he is a far better friend to his roommates than any of them deserve. The fact that he dies in 'Nam is the most unjust thing that happens in the story. Anybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/2 "2009-06-17T15:19:33Z")
Can we add Watson and Holmes here? or are they to dominate the frenemies thread? ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/3 "2009-06-17T17:35:10Z")
Nero and Archie. Sure, they snip at each other constantly, and Archie alternates between getting fired and quitting every other week, but deep down, those two share an astonishingly strong mutual trust, respect, and friendship. Its always a treat the few times those two let how they feel for each other peak through. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/4 "2009-06-17T17:51:15Z")
Spock. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/5 "2009-06-17T18:01:17Z")
Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/6 "2009-06-17T18:30:09Z")
3 and 5 beat anything I’ve got. There is always Hornblower and Bush. There is the escape from France with Bush injured, and when Admiral Hornblower is tasked with recovering a mutinous crew and ship, the first thing he says is, “I’ll have Bush.” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/7 "2009-06-17T18:52:01Z")
Frodo and Sam. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/8 "2009-06-17T19:30:17Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Can we add Watson and Holmes here? or are they to dominate the frenemies thread? They’ll go in the sure-to-be-upcoming Best “Just Friends” in Literature thread. If you know what I mean. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/9 "2009-06-17T19:38:22Z")
Jack Sawyer and Wolf ( **The Talisman** , by King and Straub). That’s a friendship that gets me every time. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/10 "2009-06-17T20:07:29Z")
oops, wrong thread ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/11 "2009-06-17T20:14:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Brutus, or does that not count as literature? Friend to whom? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/12 "2009-06-17T20:26:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Friend to whom? I guess he meant that for the worst best friends thread. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/13 "2009-06-17T20:29:10Z")
Anne Shirley and Dianna Barry. YA, yes, but they will always define the perfect friendship to me. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/14 "2009-06-17T20:34:30Z")
And, along those lines, Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/15 "2009-06-17T21:03:26Z")
The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. If that’s literature. . . but yeah, they are the sort of friends I’d most like to have, and I can’t think of any others who have hung together through more serious crapola. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/16 "2009-06-17T21:12:49Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Can we add Watson and Holmes here? or are they to dominate the frenemies thread? I’d put them on this list. Holmes and Watson ≠ House & Wilson. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/17 "2009-06-17T21:33:29Z")
Sydney Carton? Not many people would give up their head for somebody. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/18 "2009-06-17T21:41:10Z")
How about Harry Potter and Hermione Granger? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/19 "2009-06-17T21:44:21Z")
Nita and Kit from Diane Duane ‘young wizards.’ Yeah, they’ve had a few bad patches, (mostly where the plot required it,) but it’s obvious how much they’d sacrifice for each other if they had to, and I’d love to have that sort of an unspoken bond with a good friend. Honorable mention also to everybody’s ‘little buddy’, Piemur of Pern. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074/20 "2009-06-17T22:21:09Z")
_Gilgamesh & Enkidu_ > [@](#): > > It was you, Aruru, who created mankind, > Now created Enkidu, > Let him be equal to his (Gigamesh’s) stormy heart. > (..) > Enkidu was lying (sick) in front of Gilgamesh. > His tears flowing like canals, he (Gilgamesh) said: > “O brother, dear brother, why are they absolving me instead of my brother?” > Then Enkidu said “ So now must I become a ghost, > To sit with the ghosts of the dead, to see my dear brother nevermore? > (..) > He touched his heart, but it beat no longer. > He covered his friend’s face like a bride, > Swooping down over him like an eagle, > And like a lioness deprived of her cubs. _Achilles & Patroclus_ > [@](#): > > It is true that Zeus has done that much in my behalf. But what satisfaction can I get from that, now that my dearest friend Patroclus is dead? I have no wish to live unless Hector falls by my spear and dies." – **Achilles to his mother Thetis after Patroclus death. Homer: Iliad 18.80**. After Achilles death, the Achaeans burned his body and mingled his ashes with those of his friend Patroclus; both were buried together on the White Island. The similarities between Gilgamesh/Enkidu and Achill/Patroclus are probably no coincidence; many friendships between heroes in literature were influenced by, sometimes copied from the earliest model. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-best-friends-in-literature-open-spoilers-likely/500074.md?page=2)