Ten memorable literary figures:
1) I get to start the latest book in my favorite mystery series today--so my #1 pick is my literary crush Armand Gamache from the Three Pines series by Louise Penny. Armand Gamache is a true Renaissance man, a native of Quebec, and Chief Inspector of the Surete of Quebec. He is thoughtful and deliberate.
2) Cormoran Strike is an ex-investigator with the Royal Military Police Special Investigations branch, the illegitimate son of a famous rocker, who has opened his own detective agency. He's a complicated character and I love the series by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling).
3) Isabel "Izzy" Spellman is a 28-year-old private investigator in her family's firm. Her questionable experiences make her a great PI. I loved this series by Lisa Lutz, it is laugh-out-loud funny.
4) Owen Meany is a young boy in the 1950s and 60s. His best friend John Wheelwright tells the story of Owen's belief he is an instrument of God as he sets out to fulfill the fate he has prophesized for himself. I read this book back in 1989 and it sticks with me today. It is a favorite. John Irving is the author.
5) Odd Thomas is a twenty-year-old short-order cook who can understand the dead. Dean Koontz has created a series around this intriguing character. Odd is frequently visited by the ghost of Elvis Presley and other memorable spirits. It was a cool series.
6) Olive Kitteridge is a cantankerous character. She's a junior high school math teacher giving her a broad reach into the community. Set in Crosby, Maine, there is an authenticity to Olive, even though she is abrasive. This novel is a series of thirteen short stories that link their characters through Olive. The sequel is Olive, Again. These stories of Olive are masterful storytelling by Elizabeth Strout.
7) I am intrigued by Holiday "Holly" Golightly from the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. She's a young woman living a posh lifestyle in New York City in the 1940s with no job and she is not a prostitute. There's something so fanciful about her.
8) I wish I could be the friend that my blog buddy The Gal Herself is. She frequently refers to Charlotte from Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Charlotte is a barn spider who befriends a livestock pig named Wilbur and spells out messages in her web to help Wilbur avoid his slaughterhouse fate. It's a charming story of friendship and the writing is exquisite.
9) I want to be Emily Andrew. Maddy Hunter has created a memorable cast of characters--senior citizens who travel the globe--wrangled by tour guide Emily. This cozy series has memorable locations and hilarious characters.
10) Minerva McGonagall is my favorite character from the Harry Potter series. She's the teacher of Transfiguration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and acts as Deputy Head of the school. She is a beloved teacher and a force to be reckoned with.
1 comment:
Oh, thanks for the shout out! Yes, Charlotte is one of my idols. As Wilbur said of her, "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer." What better role model than that spider?
You introduced me to those wacky Spellmans. I think Rae is my favorite member of the clan.
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