Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Literary Characters - Top 10

The tag read Top 10 literary characters. It sounded like a blast, and I had to do it.. just then K3 tagged me to do it as well.. so here I go.

1. Scarlett O' Hara - Gone with the wind is one of my favorite books and despite her obstinacy I adore Scarlet. She is quite a girl. Many a times I have known to quote "Tomorrow is another day" and I have this picture of Scarlet standing at the stoop of Tara in my mind. I even read the sequel "Scarlett" but unfortunately the book tries to mellow her character and she loses her personality. So my advice don't read the book Scarlett. (pic courtesy: http://www.tonnerdoll.com)

2. Kundavai and Nandini - These are characters in Kalki's book Ponniyin Selvan. I read the english translation of this book and absolutely fell in love with it. It is a must read, the book is so beautiful and these are two strong women who rule the roost! The tamil version is available as an ebook at Project Madurai. Unfortunately I was not able to find an ebook with the English Translation. The translation has been done by Karthik Narayanan and he has managed to keep the original beauty of the book intact. I loved it, hope you will too - it is a series with 5 volumes.

3. Elizabeth Bennet - She needs no introduction. Anyone who reads Pride and Prejudice would fall in love with this character. I have read Pride and Prejudice about a dozen times and every time I think of Elizabeth Bennet I want to read it again. The Geek presented The complete novels of Jane Austen to me for our last anniversary (Now I know why I married him!!). Keira Knightley played the role of Elizabeth in the movie, she fit very well I thought! (pic courtesy: http://www.theage.com.au/)

4. Portia - Thanks K3 for the reminder. I had all but forgotten Portia and K3 reminded me! We had Merchant of Venice as part of our Syllabus in our 7th grade. Later that year, we enacted the play and I got to play the role of Portia. I really love the fact that she is a strong woman from Shakespearan times! And am really proud that I got to play the role! Now its been a long time since I read Merchant of Venice, I am going to find a copy soon and read it again! (pic courtesy: http://www.antique-print.com)

5. Jeeves - I have devoured every PG Wodehouse novel I could get my hands on. And I really love the smug, all knowing butler Jeeves. He does manage to put Bertie in his place doesn't he! I love the way he manipulates the Clueless Bertie while keeping him unaware that he is being manipulated!! In the novel Ring for Jeeves, he appears without Bertie when he is on loan to some Earl! (pic courtesy: http://bostonist.com/2007/07/21/snotty_yuptown.php)

6. Sherlock Holmes - How can you not like this detective? I especially love his flair for the dramatics, his theatrical acting and even his arrogance! I am also rather fond of Watson! "Excellent" cried I, "Elementary" said he!! A display of Holmes off-hand arrogance right there! In the movie Shanghai Knights (Jackie Chan) an English Inspector is called Arthur Conan Doyle. He loses his job and claims he is interested in writing detective novels more than his job as an inspector!! (pic courtesy: http://www.jewishmag.com/51mag/sherlock/title2.gif)


7. Charlie Chaplin - The movie Shanghai Knights brought to mind Charlie Chaplin. An English urchin in the movie is called Charlie Chaplin. How can we not fall in love with the greatest mime/ clown of all times? Charlie Chaplin acted in, directed, wrote the script and produced his own films. He was quite a genius! (pic courtesy: http://www.pembrokeshirevirtualmuseum.co.uk/)


8. Friends - Usha gave me this idea. I love the soap friends and watch it over and over again. I love all the characters there for a different reason be it Phoebe's shoot in the air idealism, Rachael's naivette, Monica's obsessions, Ross's nerd-ness, Chandler's sardonic humor or Joey's blundering on!! I just love them all.. they have made me laugh on many days when I have felt so blue! (pic courtesy : http://www2.warnerbros.com)

9
. Ford Prefect - Long back my cousin introduced me to the Hitch Hiker's galaxy and I fell in love with the book. The book is described as "a trilogy in five parts". Ford Prefect is the alien and the roving reporter for the whole book. He has been late getting home due to some transportation issues (late by 15 years). So he boards the space ship that arrives moments before the destruction of Earth (Earth needed to be destroyed as is was in the path of the new inter-galactic highway.. Earth was informed ages ago but of course paid no heed!). (pic courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org)


10. Tracy Whitney - The heroine of Sidney Sheldon's novel "If tomorrow comes". Like all his heroines she is young, beautiful, and very smart! She is wrongly accused of murder and sent to prison! Once she is surprisingly released comes the story of the woman scorned! She avenges the wrong and turns into a con-artist, falls in love with another con-man and enjoys the life of scam and the thrill of a life of crime! (pic courtesy: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/sidney-sheldon/if-tomorrow-comes.htm)

When K3 gave me this tag I don't suppose she thought I would get carried away like this! Well I adore books and I could go on and on ... However, in lieu of time (yours not mine) I will stop with just the two more. These are my favorite cartoon characters. They would have to be Calvin and Hobbes, and Dennis the Menace. They need no introduction, so I will leave it at that! I absolutely adore these characters and have a similar one at home (maybe pay back for adoring these characters so much and devouring all their cartoon strips for years!!) (pic courtesy: http://www.migrantweb.org)

This was a fun fun tag. I pass this on to
Vish from Fantasies of a lifetime
Suma from Alochaane
Prats from Retrospections
Noon from Wonder Noon
Friendly Stranger from Colors of Life
Akshatha Kamath from Life is a Cool Breeze

Have fun doing this tag!

20 comments:

Fantasies of a Lifetime said...

wow...had forgotten about most of those books:-). .Lovely books, arent they?

I loved scarlett too for just being herself no matter what, and they did turn her into someone like melanie in the second book..Alexandra ripley sure dint do enough justice to scarlett

I wish I could manipulate my boss like jeeves :D

The answer to 'life universe and everything is 42' and 'mice are the most intelligent life form on earth'. Adam douglas sure has the knack of making nonsensical stuff so interesting :D

Pride and Prejuicide is my all time favourite book :)

I'll write the rest in my blog :D

Savani said...

nice list! i love ford prefect too. and scarlett o hara as well :) lot of intersection with my list (no wonder I read your blog so much)

Prats said...

Wow!!! Just when I was thinking of sorting out my books...you put this up....and looks like we've been devouring similar books :)
ESpecially the first few...and Calvin aawwwww....now i'm lost in my dreams....
This sure sounds like more than fun....
will soon take it up. Thank you thank you thank you

Rambler said...

Jeeves ha :)

rayshma said...

nice... lovely, in fact!
u know.. i also wonder at times if my kid'll turn up like one of these characters i so adore! geez... :D

Preethi said...

Vish - Your turn now.. go ballistic..
Dottie - ditto here too!! We do have a lot in common not to mention the brats!!
Prats - I wanted to do an all women's list.. but wanted so much to add Jeeves and the others, that decided against it.. looking forward to reading your list!
Rambler - oh yeah.. Jeeves is absolutely super!!
Rayshma - consider yourself fore-warned!

K 3 said...

Nice list - like I said we all might need to do another 10 to include a few that we had to leave out like mine would have included Friends, Dennis the menace, etc. BTW, tell us more abt ur play experience .. any recordings that we can catch on youtube! :)

The Nomad said...

No you cant make it an all women list. How CAN you leave Jeeves out. He is a blast... Always snigger to yourself while reading Wodehouse...
I would include Scarlett as well, But I may also included 'Hari Seldon' the Pshycohistorian (Mathematician)who is the centre of foundation series written by my Number one SF author Isaac Asimov

Cartoon characters... Hooo I can make alist of 10 just for them!

Friendly Stranger said...

Hi Preethi,

Nice post....thanks for tagging!
k 3 taged me for the same :)
Will do this tag soon.
Thanks again
Happy blogging!

Preethi said...

K3 - Sorry I dont have any.. the school must have had some..but this was ages ago... when youtube did not exist and video cameras were rare!! :P
NC - Oh I could do that too.. tom and jerry and curious george need to be on it.. but then I already did the 10.. Hari Seldon is a good one too.. but slipped my mind :(
Friendly Stranger - you are most welcome, now out with your list!! You can do the 20 now.. once for K3 and another time for mine!! :)

Mystic Margarita said...

Nice list! Many common favorites - Elizabeth Bennet, of course, and Portia! We had Merchant of venice in the 7th grade, too! Didn't get to play Portia, though. Lucky you!

Yet Another Mother Runner said...

nice list!! i've heard so much about ponniyn selvan..didn't know there is a transaltion! will look for it!
i skip to "friends" too whenever i see it running. loved the last couple of seasons, esply how the gang figures that Ross is Rachel's baby's dad!
oh, and love the 'chess-scene' in 'if 2moro comes'.

Usha said...

Ah yes Kundavai - I love her too. Time they made Ponniyin selvan into a film dont you think. But I guess we don't have the right kind of actors to play those larger than life characters. :(
I actually liked the lady who played Elizabeth Bennet in the version where Colin Firth Played Darcy. Forget her name though!

Unknown said...

Hey Preethi,

Wow I didn’t expect to share so much in common. Just like you I am a huge fan of Scarlett and Tracy. Scarlett is the second most intriguing character I have ever come in encounter with. Her valor and her indifference to the cantankerous conservatism of those times was a true treat to encounter. The feisty flavor of her demeanor amalgamated with her expedient approach towards life made her all the more fascinating. Hats off to Mitchell for such a wonderful characterization! And yes, I couldn’t help but agree that the sequel spoiled her character. I hate Ripley for that!

As for Tracy, what to say about her! She is the MOST intelligent character and henceforth is quite high in the list of my favorites. Her quest for survival and her penchant for perils made her a mystical enchantress and a woman of substance at the same time. Sheldon’s altruism was at its pinnacle while crafting this particular character, embellishing her with the essence of aptitude and the core of attitude. A rare combination indeed!

And then of course I am an ardent aficionado of the sitcom FRIENDS. The decade through which it continued was too short a period for a show like that. Every single character of the lot held an uncanny familiarity, a welter of resemblance, very sweet, small quirks that we tend to disregard in our workaday routine. I wish it would have continued forever, in fact beyond forever. But then you don’t get everything you want.


Btw my name is Mehreen

aMus said...

these were my fav books too...i remmeber the zillion times i used to read Pride and Prejudice when i was in high school.

waiting to do this tag...

Preethi said...

MM - Yeah I was lucky alright ;)
GND - The chess scene is my fav too.. Read Ponniyin Selvan.. its too good!
Usha - Her name was Jennifer Ehle! I liked her too!! :)
Mehreenn - Wow .. you should take up this tag!!
Suma - Waiting to read your take on this tag!! Would love the list for sure

broca's area said...

tracy whitney..one of the best characters.....and the novel is too good!!!....:)

rajk said...

Hi! I came here from HHG's blog..and am I glad I found you!!
I did this tag and thought I was the only one who loved Tracy Whitney!! But judging from your list and the comments, I have company!!
Thanks for informing us about the English translation of Ponniyin Selvan..Will try to obtain it now..
I am blogrolling you....great writing!!

Preethi said...

Brocasarea - I agree.. there is no match to that.. I absolutely love the novel

Raj - Oh you have company alright, just read the comments here, and you will see you have loads of company. And thanks for blog rolling me..

The Corporate Idiot said...

Nice One...

I am also in the process of writing one like this. Its about the people (real and virtual) who made an impact in my life. When I was searching for the Image of "Jeeves" (for a different topic), I came across urs.

< TCI > < /TCI >

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