The great critic Northrop Frye said that the character and plot are inextricably woven – the character drives the plot and is a also a product of the plot. And I believe that any story will fall flat without a character. There have been books with extremely loose plots, such as Virginia Woolf’s stream of consciousness books, but there are no memorable books without good characters. Even Dan Brown’s highly plot-driven novels have a key central character – Langdon. But here are a few characters that are classic examples of the significance of characters in a story. Here we have listed 5 characters from books we always want to entertain us and never perish. These are beloved characters that everyone knows and loves, and those that have stood the test of time.
5 Characters From Books We Always Want To Entertain Us And Never Perish:
Sherlock Holmes
The iconic detective Sherlock Holmes is a cult phenomenon at this point. Written in exquisite detail as a genius detective with extraordinary powers of observation and inference by Arthur Conan Doyle, this character is a favourite. Almost everyone in the world knows his address – 21 Baker Street – which actually is present in London. The way he solves is cases with unbelievable wit and scientific precision, along with his lack of social and romantic skills has made him a hugely famous character. In addition, Doyle’s cases themselves are so insanely good that it is the cherry on top. Sherlock Holmes is so timeless and eternal that there have been movie, TV and video game adaptations of him at several points in time.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is arguably the most famous bookish character of all times. J K Rowling’s characterization of just a regular guy who finds out he is a wizard is insanely good. Harry Potter is an average guy-next-door, and even as a wizard he is not exceptional. But it is his unwavering courage, selflessness and heroism that makes him an unparalleled character. Like Sherlock Holmes, the 9 ¾ platform actually exists in London, and is a popular tourist spots. In addition a Harry Potter Wizarding World is a Potter themed amusement park. Plus there is a hugely successful movie franchise as well, a testament to the amount of love the character and the series gets.
Tintin
Tintin is arguably the bestselling comic of all times, and the character is a reporter, chronicler and adventurer who travels the world with his dog, Snowy, Created by Herge, this character has stolen our hearts since time immemorial. He is a character whose personality is very neutral and unbiased, which allows readers to experience his very colourful world with an objective eye. In that sense, the reader co-experiences and co-creates Tintin’s world, which lends the book nuance and flavour.
Peter Pan
Loved by children and adults alike is the cutesy story of Peter Pan by J M Barrie, the green coloured fairy of sorts who lives in Neverland, where people never grow up. His adorable and mischievous interactions with fairyfolk and other magica characters has an intrinsic fantastical appeal for people. Again, there have been several movie adaptations, as well as spin-offs of other characters like Tinker Bell.
Romeo and Juliet
The star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet are practically the face of romance in the world. People allude to them liberally whenever they want to talk about ‘true love’. And the story has seen adaptations, both loose and close, from Heer-Ranjha of Waaris Shah and Laila Majnoon to the recent Marathi movie Dhadak. Part of the appeal is the emotional arousal the story creates, by virtue of its characters. The couple symbolises not only ultimate love but also pain and madness, which is a highly romanticized version of everyday love. It is this largesse that makes people consider them to be the face of true love. And who would want this to perish?
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