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Thursday 6 March 2008

Booking through Thursday - Hero

You should have seen this one coming … Who is your favorite Male lead character? And why?

It's a good thing I've had all week to anticipate this question – heroines were so much easier! I suspect that I'm much less loyal to my heroes, a serial monogamist perhaps.

The first, and much the most enduring, is Winnie-the-Pooh. It's funny that a poor memory, a sweet tooth and an inclination to stoutness is so much more endearing in a Bear than a husband, but Pooh still makes me smile. My loyalty is strictly to the A.A. Milne and E.H. Shephard characters, though –later incarnations have never really appealed to me.

Now we get to the serious stuff. Hamlet is next, and the first of a list of Byronically mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know types. He's followed by J.P. Donleavy's Balthasar B, he of the Beastly Beatitudes, and a young man of very loose morals. Next is Francis Crawford of Lymond, from Dorothy Dunnett's 6-novel series, The Lymond Chronicles. A sixteenth-century Scots noble, Lymond is very much in the Hamlet vein, exiled and hunted down by his family, living by his wits and sword, and rampaging across Europe and the Ottoman Empire to the detriment of friends and enemies alike. Lymond was to some extent followed in my affections by another of Dunnett's heroes, Niccolò, his great-grandfather, who has a similar capacity for both humour and destruction. Swashbuckling at its most entertaining. In this category I must also include Albert Campion, who just beats Lord Peter Wimsey for me, although I know many won't agree. You'll have noticed that I like my men to be funny, erudite and not entirely responsible. And they need to be better than average dancers (I'll exempt Pooh on grounds on girth). Loyalty demands that I include Titus Groan, although he's singularly lacking in a sense of humour, and it's a bit strange being in love with a man you've known as a baby!

Happily, a more mature taste brings me to Mr Knightley, my favourite of the Austen men, despite his infuriating tendency to be right. Nonetheless, he's the one I'm spending most of my time with these days, a serious, well-read man, and above all, restful, a quality under-rated in one's youth, but which I've come to appreciate.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know, I think I prefer Albert Campion to Lord Peter too, now you mention it.

joanna said...

Hmm, Winnie the Pooh sure is getting a lot of votes today! ;-)

Anonymous said...

You are the second Pooh fan I have seen :D

BooksPlease said...

Mr Knightly has to come second to Mr Darcy for me.

I thought about Titus Groan as well, but in the end I didn't include him, but a good choice.

Anonymous said...

Well, The Bears are definitely with you where Pooh is concerned, although they prefer Paddington, not being happy with the thought of being seen as Bears of very Little Brain. Campion is a great choice as well.

Chrisbookarama said...

LOL! Winnie the Pooh! What a great answer. I did have a thing for Mr Knightley when I was young but now he annoys me with his patronizing tone.

Alix said...

I think Mr Knightley would get on my nerves a bit. But I must get hold of The Lymond Chronicles he sounds my kind of hero :)

pussreboots said...

I almost included Hamlet in my answer. Happy BTT.

Julia said...

I did try to read the first book by Dorothy Dunnett's The Lymond Chronicles series, but couldn't. But I promise myself I going to give it a second chance, but the moods have not strike yet. So I'm waiting for it *grin*. I heard nothing but good things about these series. So I really want to give it another try :)

Great choice, Happy BTTs and have a good Thursday!
Julia-Yen

Trisha said...

Wow! Aside from Pooh and Hamlet, I'm not familiar with any of the men you listed. I'll have to take your word that they're great. ;) Happy BTT and thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

Melody said...

I've seen several readers listing Winnie the Pooh as well... looks like he's one of the popular picks. I've not read Mr Knightley's story yet, but Mr. Darcy do pique my interest!

Tara said...

Pooh is a fantastic choice.

Jodie Robson said...

Joanna, Val, Chris, Melody and Tara, I'm not surprised that I wasn't the only person who picked Pooh. Table Talk, do remind the Bears that Pooh showed great resourcefulness when rescuing Piglet from the flood, he is definitely a Bear to be Relied On.

Lesley, glad you like Albert Campion too.

Trisha and Pussreboots, it's a plus that Hamlet is usually embodied by some pretty attractive actors, too!

Bookplease and Melody, I wavered over Mr Darcy, I'll admit.

Alix and Julia, Lymond is great fun, but I can remember taking a little time to get into the first book - once that had happened, I was hooked, it's like opera, completely overblown and implausible, and utterly addictive!

Anonymous said...

Totally agree on Mr. Knightley! Though Darcy comes in a close second.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

What a pleasure to catch up on a few of your blogs. I'm totally with you on the Heyer heroines and Cassandra and loved your spring purples. I was a real Lymond fan when I was younger although I'm not sure I wouldn't find him a bit tiring now. I like Mr Knightley too. Heyer does some good heroes as well. I particularly liked The Unknown Ajax, although sadly I can't remember his name!

Jodie Robson said...

Becca, thanks for visiting! Elizabeth, I do like lots of the Heyer heroes, it can be hard to decide on a favourite (the unknown Ajax was Major Hugo Darracott, btw). I think I've probably outgrown, Lymond, so Hugo would last better.

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

I had a pony called Winnie the Pooh (another grey mare.

Got to be Heathcliff for me - a would've sorted him out! ;)

Jodie Robson said...

What a nice name for a pony, M&M! And I certainly think Heathcliff needed it.