Heard on NPR today a discussion of Book Magazine’s “100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900.” When the program first came on the radio, I immediately thought, Ignatius Reilly from “A Confederacy of Dunces.”
He made the list – No. 17.
They had callers “nominate” characters, and then the magazine editor told if that person made the list and why. I was so pleased when someone called in to nominate Ignatius. While I’ve known people who have hated the book (there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground), it’s one of the few books that can make me laugh out loud. Highly recommended.
I was a little embarrassed at how many books I hadn’t read, and the rather large number of characters on the list I hadn’t even heard of.
Who are your most memorable characters?
Lambast me all you want for choosing a “pulp” character, but I choose the Nazi war criminal Dussander from the Novella “Apt Pupil” by Stephen King.
Poor Tony from “Infinite Jest”.
Aurthr Dent from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Not sure if he’s one of the 100 best. Just one of my personal favorites.
Heathcliff.
*sigh*
I knew most of those books, even if I hadn’t read all of them. I’d disagree with their list, at least with number one. Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books, but Gatsby is such a one dimensional character.
Anyway. I’m sure if I thought about it, I could add many characters, but conspicuously absent is Kilgore Trout, from any Vonnegut novel.
Nick Carter…
No, I am kidding. Lessee, Huck Finn, Conan, Sean Courtenay from the Courtney Novels by Wilbur Smith, Tyrel Sackett and Hondo from Louis L’Amour…
Just some that come to mind…