# Your favorite literary characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654 "2002-03-23T02:21:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/1 "2002-03-23T02:21:42Z")
This month’s issue of _Book_ magazine lists “The 100 Best Characters in Fiction.” While I disagree with some of their choices–I’m not sure why they ranked Jay Gatsby number one, for starters–it got me started thinking about literary characters I’m especially fond of. Who are your favorite literary characters? Why do you like them so much? I’ll start. Scout, from _To Kill a Mockingbird_. She’s wonderful, so tough and funny. The thought of her dressed up as a ham for her school play never fails to make me giggle. Tony Fremont, from Margaret Atwood’s _The Robber Bride_ . I really identify with her. We’re short historian who like spelling things backwards. Plus, she’s only one of the main characters I don’t ever want to shake until her teeth rattle. Phillip Marlowe, from the Raymond Chandler books. Well, really, how can you not love him? The classic, hard-bitten, _noir_ detective. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/2 "2002-03-23T02:36:08Z")
Well, I have to mention Bean from **Ender’s Shadow** by Orson Scott Card. No doubt THE youngest and smartest kid to ever get into Battle School. A military genius that outranks Ender Wiggin at times, and he’s only five! Plus, he understands how the world works far better than most of the kids in Battle School. Winston Smith from **1984** by George Orwell. I sometimes relate to him; where I feel I’m the only one in a crowd of robotic drones who questions authority. Roland of Gilead from the **Dark Tower** saga by Stephen King. Also, I love Randal Flagg’s character. One of those villans you love to hate. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/3 "2002-03-23T02:37:30Z")
My personal favorite literary character has always been Sherlock Holmes. A. C. Doyle seemingly created a real, living human being out of whole cloth. Holmes was a genius, yet he was also arrogant, a show-off, and over-confident. He was a good friend, but selfish. Patient but tortured. Artistic yet scientific. He lived a real life, and his characterization never faultered. He comes to life before my eyes every time I read one of the stories or novels. Doyle didn’t want to be remembered for Sherlock Holmes, but I’ve always considered his excellent characterization to be an extremely worthy literary accomplishment. -Loopus ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/4 "2002-03-23T02:44:48Z")
Wow, for a character with no lines of dialog, and only appears in person in the last few pages of the book, Boo Radley sure made a lasting impression to the voters. Wish we can all do that with our short lives. ---
**Author:** ![RaCha\_ar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@RaCha\_ar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaCha_ar)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/5 "2002-03-23T02:51:08Z")
**Death** , from Neil Gaiman’s _Sandman_ series. How can you not love the Goth Reaper? ---
**Author:** ![Ankh\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Ankh\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ankh_Too)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/6 "2002-03-23T02:53:43Z")
**Miles Vorkosigan** the protagonist from Lois Bujold’s series. It may not be “hard” sci-fi, but I’ve rarely met a hero who inspired me to root for them as hard as I do Miles. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/7 "2002-03-23T02:55:25Z")
I like Lizzie from Pride & Prejudice. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/8 "2002-03-23T03:06:01Z")
I always appreciate Officer Jim Tile in the Carl Hiaasen novels. He’s the perfect level-headed foil for the crazy ex-governor (Skink) of Florida. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/9 "2002-03-23T03:23:34Z")
Don Gately from David Foster Wallace’s _Infinite Jest_. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/10 "2002-03-23T03:24:07Z")
In no particular order: _Quiller_, Adam Hall. _Bernard Sampson_, Len Deighton. _Arkady Renko_, Matin Cruz Smith. _Signy Mallory_, C.J Cherryh. _Bill, the Galactic Hero_, Harry Harrison. _Don Quixote_, Cervantes. _Tom Sawyer_, Mark Twain. _Redchief_, O’henry(?). _Kidd_, John Sanford. _Bob Lee Swagger_, Stephen Hunter. _Sherlock Holmes_, Conan Doyle. _Tom Ripley_, Patricia Highsmith. _Hannibal Lector_, Thomas Harris. _Louis Woo_, Larry Niven. _Speaker to Animals_. Larry Niven. _Hell Tanner_, who the hell wrote _Damnation Alley_? ---
**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:** [March 23, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/11 "2002-03-23T03:40:08Z")
Wasn’t it “Most Important”, not “best”? What was the criteria? What made them best or important? Literary merit, social commentary, coolness, WHAT? What do the Cat In The Hat and Boo Radley have in common with Phillip Marlowe? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/12 "2002-03-23T03:43:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Wasn’t it “Most Important”, not “best”? > > What was the criteria? What made them best or important? Literary merit, social commentary, coolness, WHAT? > What do the Cat In The Hat and Boo Radley have in common with Phillip Marlowe? \*\* What they have in common is sticking power. They’re still in your head. ---
**Author:** ![novacaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ea924/32.png) [@novacaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/novacaine)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/13 "2002-03-23T06:21:49Z")
T.S. Garp from The World According to Garp. In my opinion this is one of the best books and characters I have ever read. Throughout the book I always found myself being able to relate with him. Granted he was one of the strangest characters I have ever read but at the same time one of the most down to earth individuals I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/14 "2002-03-23T06:47:09Z")
William Ashenden, from various W. Somerset Maugham novels. Alyosha from The Brothers Karamazov. Jacques from Diderot’s Jacques the Fatalist. Caleb Williams from William Godwin’s aptly-titled Caleb Williams. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/15 "2002-03-23T16:19:28Z")
Goto Dengo from Crytonomicon. “You got to admit, the guy’s a survivor.” ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/16 "2002-03-23T18:14:33Z")
Yeah, I wondered about their selection criteria, too, **carnivorousplant**. I wish they had explained it. There were lots of characters from the same books, too. Holden Caulfield, I could see, but his little sister? I dunno… ---
**Author:** ![DarkWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee59a6/32.png) [@DarkWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/17 "2002-03-23T18:33:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bean\_shadow \* > \*\*Roland of Gilead from the **Dark Tower** saga by Stephen King. Also, I love Randal Flagg’s character. One of those villans you love to hate. \*\* Is this the same Randall Flagg from _The Stand_? And also _Eyes of the Dragon_? If so, is Flagg some sort of time traveler? This is something I’ve been wondering for a long time. Sheri ---
**Author:** ![kase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@kase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kase)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/18 "2002-03-23T19:18:08Z")
\*\* Geoffrey Firmin \*\* “Under the Volcano” by Malcolm Lowry A pleasant way to die.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/19 "2002-03-23T19:53:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DarkWriter \* > \*\* > > Is this the same Randall Flagg from _The Stand_? And also _Eyes of the Dragon_? If so, is Flagg some sort of time traveler? This is something I’ve been wondering for a long time. > > Sheri \*\* It is indeed. It’s not exactly Time Travel (although I’m sure he can do that, too), but Flagg travels in different dimensions. The _when_ and _where_ in Eyes of the Dragon is the same as Roand’s. The Stand is a different dimension. There are many in the Stephen King universe. In fact, a great book to read is called **The Stephen King Universe** which describes all this much better than I. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654/20 "2002-03-23T21:36:55Z")
Julian Sorel from Red and Black. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-literary-characters/99654.md?page=2)