So day 2 of the Bookish 12 Days of Christmas brings us to favourite characters. My favourite characters of 2010 are:
Paul Carter from Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whorehouse.
Apart from the fact that I love the title of this book, Paul Carter brings his life as an oil rig worker to life with such humour you couldn't help but like the guy. I've since listened to a few interviews with him and he seems like the kind of guy you could sit down and have a beer with.
Will from The Ruins of Gorlan
A hero in a fantasy novel not racked with guilt, self doubt or trying to avoid being the hero. Will hasn't had the easiest of lives, but his willingness to learn and genuine niceness make me want to read more of this series.
Olive Martin from The Sculptress
Gotta love a good villain, especially when your not sure she is a villain! Olive Martin is so well written by Walters you are in turn repulsed and pity her. And in the end, you not sure if you've been played by her or not. Brilliant!
Mr Rosenblum's Wife from Mr Rosenblum's List
How embarrassing is it that she is one of my favourites but I can't remember her name! She stood by and watched as her husband did things she did not understand with resignation. But in the end she saw the man it was making him. A true example of behind every great man stands a great woman.
Mma Ramotswe from Tea Time For The Traditionally Built
Mma Ramotswe has long been one of my favourite characters. Her lovely serene, calm, no nonsense, traditional approach to solving the mysteries that come into the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency puts her up there with the likes of Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes and Poirot.
Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird
Scout's view of her world and the summer described in this book are incredibly moving. Lee's portrayal of Scout truly bought her to life for me. An amazing read.
Vedran Smailović from The Cellist of Sarajevo
A very minor character, and the only one in the book based on a true person. Smailović was a cellist with the Sarajevo orchestra. A mortar shell outside his building one day killed 22 people waiting in line for bread. For the next 22 days, he took his cello down to the crater and played Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor. For me the fact that someone would honor the dead in this way is beautiful. It shows the best of humanity amongst the worst of it.
Edward Tullane from the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tullane
Edward's realisations about what is truly important through his journey in this book made a real impact on me. Told so beautifully from the point of view of a toy rabbit, Edward Tullane could teach us all something.
Precious from Push
A character who dares you to not like her, not cheer for her, not feel for her. Precious comes from a situation so horrible you wouldn't hold it against her if she raged against the world. Instead she realises the only way out is education. A better life for her will mean a better life for her children and that alone makes her an excellent mother.
Dolores from She's Come Undone
Lamb made Dolores so real to me I felt like calling her up and telling her to get a grip at times! Another character who realised she could be so much more than her circumstances suggested. Another who I cheered for as often as I despaired for her.
Offred from The Handmaid's Tale
Offred's appeal for me is in the fact she can remember life before it became controlled. She is aware of how things use to be, how they became what they are now, she's just not sure how to get back to it. For me a cautionary tale about being told what is good for you and not questioning decisions that affect your life.
Once again, thanks to Carly from Writing From the Tub for this brilliant idea! Tomorrow, the 10 most anticipated books of 2011. (Hmm, will have to do some research for that tonight!)
