Saturday, April 23, 2011

Favorite Literary Couples

I am going to a wedding today, so in honor of Romance, I thought I would post a Top Ten list for my favorite literary couples!


1. Gen and Irene (Queen’s Thief series). I know they’re crazy . . . but crazy-awesome! Seriously, if you haven’t read this series, you should.

2. Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth (Persuasion). Communicate, people! Communicate! But, hey, when you don’t, it makes for some pretty amazing fiction . . . .

3. Beauty and Beast (Beauty). Sigh . . . he’s just so subtly romantic.

4. Howl and Sophie (Howl’s Moving Castle) “Life’s not worth living if I can’t be beautiful!” “Gah!”

5. Samuel Vimes and Lady Sybil (Guards! Guards!) Just so unexpectedly awwwww . . . .

6. Mau and Daphne (Nation) And I mean that in the sweetest, tearing-up sort of way.

7. Beatrice and Benedick (Much Ado About Nothing) When you think about it, how many literary couples have been inadvertently spawned by these two? I wonder . . . .

8. Mary Russell and Holmes (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice) Just so . . . interesting.

9. Irene and Curdie (The Princess and Curdie) So satisfactory!

10. Okay, okay, fine . . . Elizabeth and Darcy (Pride and Prejudice). I really do love them, but I get so tired of everybody gushing about them . . . especially when most people are talking about the movie couplings and not the actual literary characters! Who really, when you read Austen, are not as passionate, per se, as people seem to think they are. They’re much, much better!


Other couples in the running;

1. Scarlet and Rhett (Gone with the Wind). But they make each other so miserable by being so selfish, it’s hard to call them a favorite.

2. Bambi and Faline (Bambi) I’m talking about the book, not the film. Read that book over and over and over when I was little!

3. Redcrosse Knight and Una (St. George and the Dragon) Always loved them, but not sure I should count a picture-book couple, you know?

4. Phantom and Christine (Phantom of the Opera) Again, fascinating story in all its variations . . . but so eeeew at the same time, how can I make it a Top 10?

5. Romeo and Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) Except . . . not really. They’re classic, yes. But gosh, I just hated Romeo and really didn’t have much use for Juliet when she fell for him!

6. Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre) Love their chemistry . . . but Mr. Rochester really is too much of a jerk for me to fall in love with him myself. I like being able to fall in love with the hero right along with the heroine.

Okay, those are my picks. Who would be some of your favorites?

6 comments:

karina said...

Gen and Irene. yay.
I would put all the romances from the Heaven Tree Triology in one of the numbers in the top 10, even the "stranger" ones to not give anything away to those who haven't battled through and enjoyed this triology. Harry and Gilleis, Harry and Benedetta, Benedetta and Ralf, Gilleis and Adam.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl said...

Ooops . . . tried to comment and something happened. Still getting used to this blog!

Anyway, yes, I debated on the Heaven Tree, but couldn't fiture out which pairing to put! But you're right . . . just put all of them at once, and it's perfect. It's really not about the romance so much as ALL the intricate relationships happening there.

Hmmm. I need to reread that trilogy . . .

GREG AND MONICA said...

How about Flynn and Repunzel from Tangled? Not from books, I know, I love them anyway. And Sam and Kate Barlow from Holes, sad story. And I LOVE Carl andEllie from Up, another movie, I know.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl said...

I haven't seen Tangled yet, and I soooo want to! My husband has promised to take me to see it at the 1.50 theater tomorrow as a date night. It looks like just my kind of story, and I'm sure I'll love that couple!

Hmmmm . . . looks like I should do a post on my favorite movie couples too! :)

jpopcorn said...

Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe come to mind as long-time favorites of mine. Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, of course. And Mitt and Maewen of the Dalemark books.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl said...

Ooooh, good ones! I can't believe I didn't think of Peter and Harriet . . . All three of those are excellent couples!