The Literary Musings Top 10 this week was about Literary Crushes. I don't fall in love with fiction characters as I read the less romance I can, but I'll make is the Top 10 Characters I'd like to have as friends instead. It's a tremendous achievement for a writer to make a character so lively, your readers what to hang out with him.
1) Tyler Durden from Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club: The gritty imaginary friend I've always been seeking. Tyler's wild nature and maniacal drive seduced me from the first page. Whether he uses his fists, a bomb or just a simple verbal threat, he gets into peoples mind....literally.
2) Bubba Rogowitz from Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie Stories: He has a lot of firepower, sadistic tendencies and a bulletproof loyalty. Bubba can not only save your life, but also annihilate potential threats and entertain the audience. He's the complete package.
3) Aragorn from J.R.R Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings: He's got money, power and respect like Tony Montana and yet he goes out of his way to help a four foot tall munchkin walk through Middle Earth, waging war and shit. Plus, I'm sure he's a great wing man.
4) Kilgore Trout from Kurt Vonnegut's Fiction: I'm sure I'd learn a thing or two about writing, hanging out with the old writer. He's so sour about everything, he'd make an amazing drunk.
5) Tom Hagen from Mario Puzo's The Godfather: Good ol' Tom is loyal as a mutt and rational like Aristotle. He's the good-advice friend who's not going to spare you and you know it's for your own good.
6) Vaughan from J.G Ballard's Crash: He's that artsy-fartsy friend you're never sure to understand, but is a riot to hang out anyway. If I'd ever hang out with him, I'd never know whether I should call the psychiatric ward or laugh at his antics. Harmless to everybody but himself.
7) Sergius O'Shaughnessy from Norman Mailer's The Deer Park: Decadent, good with the ladies, loves to have fun, but the man has a conscience and knows when to stop. Sergius is a good clubbing friend, a wing man and an interesting philosopher. Ideal to create ruckus during long evenings of boredom.
8) Varg Veum from Gunnar Staalesen's Varg Veum Stories: +10 cool points for being Norwegian. He's also courageous, driven and unconditionally love kids. Hell, he'd be a great catch for the ladies too. Maybe I'd have to be HIS wing man!
9) Jay Gatsby from F.S Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: Knightly genetleman, throws the sickest parties around. He's the type of guy I'd have a blast with.
10) Dave Bowman from Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey Series: Despite being hard to reach nowadays, I'm sure Dave has killer stories about outer space. It doesn't matter if he tells them from the T.V set or the toaster.
