My newsletter primarily features fiction. Even my humor is mostly fiction. So let’s have some fun based on fiction.
If you could temporarily become any literary fictional character (simply meaning that they were a fictional character in a book) and enter into their book who would it be?
Sherlock Holmes? Elizabeth Bennet? James Bond? Jo March? Winnie-the-Pooh? Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)? Mary Poppins? Captain Nemo? Peter Pan? Harry Potter? Tarzan? Holly Golightly? Frodo? Nancy Drew? Merlin?
You would still realize who you really are.
I know it’s super hard to choose just one, so pretend you can do this every week. Who would you start with?
Sherlock Holmes would be entertaining. But some of his habits would make me sneeze. Phineas Fogg would be fun to be. Achilles is an amazing character but too under the thumb of the gods, for my taste. Huckleberry Finn has the spunk that attracts me despite the darkness of his world. The deep understanding of John Le Carre's Alec Leamas from the Spy Who came in from the Cold would be interesting if I could be guaranteed an exit door when things got too tight.
Yeah. I meant only to sample their fictional world for a brief time. I would love to be Baron Britpop Blastfurnace from my own novel for brief time. Just to experience the era. And I could pick the good parts. 🤣
This week, I would choose Thursday Next from Jasper Fforde's series of the same name. She's so much fun. She's not only a book character, she's a character who literally enters books to fight literary villains. I love her attitude. And who doesn't love to get "Lost in a Good Book?"
Whoah. Perfect. I just read the Wikipedia description of the series and is sounds like she doing exactly what I envisioned. How fun! I am getting some good book recommendation from this thread. 😀
I love this question. I’d like to be Stephen Maturin, one half of the Patrick O’Brian Aubrey-Maturin series. Another week, I might pick his partner Diana. I related to Maturin’s oddness and strangeness. I am captivated by his wit, intelligence, and utter ability to be at home in his own skin even when everyone around him regards him as eccentric. He can cut a hole in a man’s cranium on a ship deck, be a unprepossessing spy, and not know how to swim or climb a rope. He’s sort of an anti-action hero.
Most main characters have a terrible time, so I'm thinking sidekicks, but not the put-upon kind of sidekick. Flambeau, the reformed jewel thief from Chesterton's Father Brown stories would be a good candidate. Mostly these days though I feel like the old professor in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. What do they teach them in these schools?
Exactly. When I was thinking about these characters, they all ran into trouble. Usually it is better to be a sidekick or minor character. And probably more fun. Unless you can cherry pick the good parts of the novel for the main character.
Hmmm maybe Peter Pan or Wendy? I’d love to be young and magical and free living on a beautiful island without a care in the world! (But just until all the Captain Hook stuff comes about...)
I slept on this. I want to be Jeff Winston in Ken Grimwood's novel, "Replay." Jeff travels in time, returning to his younger self on each trip, getting a chance to live his life over again, to do better each lifetime...if he can.
Your suggestion of Frodo made me think of Sam (my choice). I love Sam's optimism and his consistency. But most of all I love his faithful friendship with Frodo.
Neat question! The first character that came to mind was Bilbo Baggins. If I can leave the story after the company leaves Rivendell, that would be nice though!
Sherlock Holmes would be entertaining. But some of his habits would make me sneeze. Phineas Fogg would be fun to be. Achilles is an amazing character but too under the thumb of the gods, for my taste. Huckleberry Finn has the spunk that attracts me despite the darkness of his world. The deep understanding of John Le Carre's Alec Leamas from the Spy Who came in from the Cold would be interesting if I could be guaranteed an exit door when things got too tight.
Yeah. I meant only to sample their fictional world for a brief time. I would love to be Baron Britpop Blastfurnace from my own novel for brief time. Just to experience the era. And I could pick the good parts. 🤣
That would be a great era to live in. I could be your side kick.
Great, Let's do it. Get used to being called Andelbert. 🤣
This week, I would choose Thursday Next from Jasper Fforde's series of the same name. She's so much fun. She's not only a book character, she's a character who literally enters books to fight literary villains. I love her attitude. And who doesn't love to get "Lost in a Good Book?"
Whoah. Perfect. I just read the Wikipedia description of the series and is sounds like she doing exactly what I envisioned. How fun! I am getting some good book recommendation from this thread. 😀
I've lived this series for years. Not sure why he stopped writing it.
Maybe he grew tired of writing it. Or ran out of ideas. It happens.
It does!
I love this question. I’d like to be Stephen Maturin, one half of the Patrick O’Brian Aubrey-Maturin series. Another week, I might pick his partner Diana. I related to Maturin’s oddness and strangeness. I am captivated by his wit, intelligence, and utter ability to be at home in his own skin even when everyone around him regards him as eccentric. He can cut a hole in a man’s cranium on a ship deck, be a unprepossessing spy, and not know how to swim or climb a rope. He’s sort of an anti-action hero.
I wasn't aware of this series. It sounds like something I would enjoy. Thanks, Elizabeth.
Most main characters have a terrible time, so I'm thinking sidekicks, but not the put-upon kind of sidekick. Flambeau, the reformed jewel thief from Chesterton's Father Brown stories would be a good candidate. Mostly these days though I feel like the old professor in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. What do they teach them in these schools?
Exactly. When I was thinking about these characters, they all ran into trouble. Usually it is better to be a sidekick or minor character. And probably more fun. Unless you can cherry pick the good parts of the novel for the main character.
Hmmm maybe Peter Pan or Wendy? I’d love to be young and magical and free living on a beautiful island without a care in the world! (But just until all the Captain Hook stuff comes about...)
Yes! That is the thing about fiction. There is always trouble coming your way. 😂
Arwen with Aragorn for that one minute. Best on-screen kiss ever!
That’s three different characters from Lord of Rings so far. Tolkien must have done something right. 😉😂
I slept on this. I want to be Jeff Winston in Ken Grimwood's novel, "Replay." Jeff travels in time, returning to his younger self on each trip, getting a chance to live his life over again, to do better each lifetime...if he can.
I loved that book! And of course you would choose a time-traveling character! 😆
Replay is one of my favorite books. I recommend it to everyone.
Time travel is so tempting. Who wouldn't want to see the past or future or fix mistakes? I would definitely like to do that at least once. 😉
That is why I would pick characters from other times so I could experience them.
Your suggestion of Frodo made me think of Sam (my choice). I love Sam's optimism and his consistency. But most of all I love his faithful friendship with Frodo.
Great choice. It would be fun to visit Hobbiton. 😀
Neat question! The first character that came to mind was Bilbo Baggins. If I can leave the story after the company leaves Rivendell, that would be nice though!
🤣 The thing about fiction is, the main character is always getting into binds. 🤣 I would love to visit the Tolkien world— temporarily!