Top Ten Tuesday: Characters that I liked from Non-Favorite/disliked books
This one is tricky, but we had fun thinking back through to books that we didn’t like (and probably vented a lot about).
Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting Top Ten Tuesday!
Indiana’s:
1. Alice from The Magicians by Lev Grossman
It’s not that I didn’t like The Magicians trilogy; it just wasn’t my favorite series. However, I did like Alice. She was a smart character (one that in a way I couldn’t believe the protagonist got to be with) and was the most moral in the series. I felt like without her the series would have had seriously unbalanced cast of characters.
2. James “Hobie” Hobart from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I was not a fan of the book, which is unfortunate because I was really excited to read it. However, I did like the sweet and inventive “Hobie,” who seemed like one of the only actually kind characters in the whole 600-plus paged book.
3. Cecilia Fitzpatrick from The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty
At times she could be a bit trying (rambling on about seemingly ridiculous concerns), but it felt like she was the only reasonable character keeping things together much of the book.
4. Stevens from The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
As a perfect butler coming to terms with his career and his life of servitude, Stevens makes for a wonderful character. He’s frustrating sometimes in his prim loyalty, but there’s something to be admired for in that as well as with his questioning nature as he drives through the countryside at the end of his career.
5. Jefferson Kyle Kidd from News of the World by Paulette Jiles
This was another one that I liked, it just wasn’t my favorite. But this character was the sort of character you really wish were real. He was so weathered in a wonderful way, patient and wise, but with a tough outer shell.
Pete’s:
6. Baby Kochamma from The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
This book was empty, predictable, and flashy — but Baby Kochamma is a literary achievement. She is the most grating and self-centered character I can think of, and the worst part is that she’s completely plausible. I shudder to think that Baby Kochammas may exist in the real world.
7. Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
I didn’t strongly dislike this book, nor did I enjoy it greatly. But Howl is a charming and troubled character. He’s at once highly likeable and filled with conflict. Even when he’s being an idiot, you can’t help but enjoy reading about him.
8. Jia Matiza from The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
In a book where everyone felt like either a pawn or a warmonger, Jia was a character of honor and energy. By the end of the book, she was the only character I still understood.
9. Crowley from Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Two of the most brilliant minds of fantasy created a book that really didn’t do anything for me — it felt like a long joke that wasn’t my sense of humor. But Crowley was an always entertaining character. Even though he made up half of the book, it wasn’t enough to save Good Omens for me.
10. Magda Searus from The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind
When compared to Goodkind’s other recent books, The First Confessor was great. When compared to books in general, not so much. But Magda Searus was a compelling protagonist who was forced to make complicated decisions — decisions that would come to shape the rest of the Sword of Truth series, hundreds of years later. I with Goodkind could find the same voice in his other characters as he did in Magda.
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