(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Want to make your own list? Clicking the image will take you to this week’s post. Happy listing!)
No matter how we might disagree over genres and authors, I think all bookworms will agree that quite often, our favorite characters become like family. This week’s list is all about the characters to whom we wish we could be related.
1. Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) – Getting the cliche one out of the way first. Who wouldn’t love having Miss Lizzy as a big sister? I think I would be as entertained and amazed and flummoxed by her behavior as Jane Bennet is.
2. Marmee (Little Women) – A calm presence with a backbone of steel. Always ready with a kind word and advice that is meaningful and helpful, she’d always be someone I could look to for motherly (and friendly) advice.
3. Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) – Okay, so really there’s three cliches on my list. But I can’t help myself. He’s so kind and humble and wise. I learned a lot from the character — imagine how much I would learn from the man if he were real.
4. James Herriot – Okay, so he’s a real guy. But he wrote books, so it counts! A country boy who became a veterinarian, Herriot is a smart guy with a great willingness to laugh and poke fun at himself. Plus he tells a great story, which is a prerequisite for being a grandfather.
5. Erma Bombeck – One of my all-time favorite authors, Erma’s hilarious quips have had me in stitches since I first read her writing. She’d be the perfect grandmother for me to visit when life has gotten too stressful — she’s got a great way of telling it like it is, and putting it all in perspective.
6. Dickon Sowerby (The Secret Garden) – One of the best souls on earth, and an animal charmer to boot. He knows all the ins and outs of the English moors, and nature. He’d be a great brother.
7. Jenny Fields (The World According to Garp) – A staunch feminist with a mind of her own and an amazing ability to care for those around her. I love Jenny’s strength and sarcasm and unwillingness to compromise. She definitely belongs in my family.
8. Lord John William Grey (Outlander series) – I wish I could have a crush on Grey, but since he bats for the other team, I’d have to be content with being friends (friends count as family). He’s intelligent, witty, and always comes through in a pinch.
9. Alexia Tarabotti (The Parasol Protectorate series) – Strong-willed and independent, snarky and intelligent. I could totally be a better sister to her than her current step-sisters. And she’d keep me from taking myself too seriously.
10. Lucy (Lucy) – One of the strongest characters I’ve ever “met.” Despite all of the horrors she suffers, she remains strong and loving. I would be honored to know her.
This would make for an absolutely ridiculous family reunion.
Which characters would you have for family? Which characters would you never hope to be related to?