Top Ten Literary Crushes

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. This is Valentine’s Day week — so, a good time to think about my top 10 literary crushes over the years.

1] Richard Kane (The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer)

Richard Kane is the scion of the Kane banking family, but he goes against his father’s wishes to marry Florentyna Rosnovski, the daughter of his father’s archnemesis. But this is no Romeo-Juliet tragedy, because Richard goes on to become a much finer man. Richard Kane is one man who is the reason for his wife’s success too, when she becomes the President of the United States. Kane is the hero of The Prodigal Daughter, possibly my favourite Jeffrey Archer book.

2] Captain Haddock (The Tintin comics by Herge)

Oh, Captain Haddock! When you are madly spouting your angriest words at your dearest friends, you are fooling no one, y’know. You are like the crab, tough outside, an old softie inside. Our beloved Haddock is a retired navy captain, the best friend of Belgian reporter Tintin, and the love interest of the most inimitable Bianca Castafiore (may her voice rest in peace!). Yes, an odd choice — but if ever a heart was true and loyal, it would be Haddock’s.

3] Robin Hood (English Folklore)

There are so many versions of tales about this outlawed hero of medieval feudal England. Robin Hood is the classic ‘good thief’ who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, and fights against the atrocities of the evil King John and his minions. But I like him best for treating Maid Marian, his childhood friend and lady love, as an equal. In one of the Reader’s Digest versions I read, Marian was no damsel in distress, but defeats Robin easily with her bow-and-arrow — and he is happy as a clam about it. Sigh!

4] Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)

You probably knew he was going to be on this list. I first read Pride & Prejudice in my teens, and I am still in love with him. Movies have ruined him, though the BBC version comes quite close, what with Colin Firth playing the role. The idea of a proud man falling in love with a woman so that he becomes humble and wise, and who simply can’t resist proposing to her twice is quite possibly unrealistic, but hey, we’re talking about literary crushes, not real ones.

5] Faramir (Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien)

It’s too bad Faramir gets overlooked so much. All his life, Prince Faramir has lived in the shadow of his more valiant and famous brother, Boromir, and has had to deal with his mad father’s tantrums. But Faramir never lets this rule his life. He is the noble hero who would do the right thing every time, the hero that soldiers would follow into battle gladly. Also, he manages to resist the lure of the ring and falls for Eowyn (another strong character in the series).

6] Charles Cornick (Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs)

This Urban Fantasy series features Charles Cornick, the son of a Welsh werewolf and a Salish Native American witch. Charles carries the magic of both bloodlines and is a formidable force. He is his father’s enforcer and executioner of rogue werewolves, but his actual spirit is wise and merciful. He is alpha, the predator at the apex of the food chain, while his wife Anna is omega, the one who calms his wolf-like tendency towards violence; it all makes a nice dynamic.

7] Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery)

I completely adore this doctor from Prince Edward Island. He and his wife Anne knew each other since childhood and were staunch rivals at school. His practicality is a delicious contrast with Anne Shirley’s whimsicality, and he is one of those men who’ll call her out on her harebrained schemes and yet support her whole-heartedly in her career as a writer and teacher. Gilbert can’t give Anne sunbursts and marble halls, but he can give her happiness and love for sure.

8] John Galt (Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand)

Technically, Atlas Shrugged is a door-stopper classic for capitalism. John Galt, a legendary figure, gathers all the heroes of the world into sanctuary, and leaves the loser moochers behind in the dust. Dagny Taggart can’t make up her mind about Galt’s revolutionary ideas. It took me several attempts to understand the half of it. But I still loved Dagny for her spine of steel. And the fact that John Galt loved her enough to (sort-of) break his own rules was icing on the cake.

9] D’Artagnan (The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas)

This ambitious young man from Gascony wanted to become one of the King’s Musketeers. Country boy meets city life, and D’Artagnan becomes hopelessly embroiled in court politics and treasonous plots. But he manages to hone his sword-fighting and musket-firing skills along the way, and befriend the cynical Athos. He also falls in love with the sweet Constance, around whom he behaves like a complete fool. Never mind; for all his foolhardy ways, D’Artagnan is swashbuckling to the core.

10] Tybalt (October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire)

And the countdown rolls down to…. Tybalt, the adorably snarky and sly Fae King of the Cats. Tybalt’s loyalty to his people is unmatched, and he is a most capable, dutiful ruler too. He has big secrets up his sleeve, can smell a lie from miles away, and has the nine lives of a cat up his tail. When he is not ruling over his faerie kingdom, he loves to tease, irritate and pester Toby Daye, private investigator for the magical world. But he is also Toby’s true friend in need.

Who are your literary crushes? Would love to know!