Wednesday, June 6, 2012




Author Blog Challenge #5

Who is your favorite literary character? With which literary character do you most relate?


These challenges are becoming more difficult each day. I’ve spent most of yesterday and half the night trying to think of a favourite literary character before realising that if I had to think that hard to come up with a name, I clearly didn’t have one that stood out as a favourite. Does this mean I’m fickle? Stepping into their lives when it suits me, engaging with them emotionally and sharing their journey, only to forget them at the closing of the last chapter? Mind you, it’s very much a one way relationship. Sure they bare their heart and soul, expose the dark secrets of their lives and sometimes show even more than I want to see, but I’m ever aware this is not exclusive to me and they tell their story to all comers – open the first page and, zip, you’re in. So with no favourites, at least there are the memorable ones. The sad and the almost bad, the brave and the foolhardy, which leads me to…

Angelique, the title character from the French historical adventure books by Anne and Serge Golon, also known as Sergeanne Golon, as perhaps the literary character I most relate to as much for her capacity to get herself into tight corners as for her feisty determination.  She ages over the series of thirteen books, as I have in life outside the page, learning about people and relationships and the value of integrity. I may not have had adventures or liaisons on the scale of Angelique, but I like to think I’ve carried her maternal courage, capacity for loyal friendships, and her good intention into a more contemporary age.

~ Merlene Fawdry

5 comments:

  1. I have never read those French historical adventures, but I now must read at least one. I couldn't choose a favorite because I had too many. I think I must hold characters in too high a regard. Ah, perhaps. Great POV.

    WRITE ON!

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  2. I can almost feel your pain. Awesome post.

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  3. Great post....and I felt the same about my lack of commitment to the characters who inspire me but you articulated that really well. Thank you

    Lisa x

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  4. That is a hard writing prompt! Because even if I think real hard and come up with a name or two for favorite literary characters, what emerges are "feelings" about the character. Feelings of warmth, courage, admiration, spunk -- and that's really hard to put into words and harder still to equate those feelings with your own life! :)

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  5. So glad to hear I'm not alone in not really attaching to characters! Thanks for this post, Merlene. I feel better now.

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For some reason I'm yet to fathom I'm unable to reply to comments left by others so thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read and comment. Merlene