I gotta say, when I checked for this week's Top Ten topic from The Broke and the Bookish, I squealed with delight. All the obvious ones rushed into my mind, and then I realized that most of my current literary crushes are authors rather than characters. In order to stay within the Fictional category, I had to reach back into my past a bit. They are listed here roughly by age. Enjoy!
1. Logan Bruno from The Baby-sitters Club series. Ah, Logan, my very first fictional love. I think I loved him because he was totally unrealistic. A tween boy who likes to babysit? Really? Plus, he chooses mousy Mary Anne when Claudia and Stacey and Dawn are soooo much more glamorous, so that's another winning point for him in my book. Such a nice boy, and a Southerner to boot.2. Birdy from Catherine, Called Birdy. Birdy is clever, funny, cynical, beautiful, and fourteen years old. In 6th grade I wanted to be her, and I would've braved the year 1290 to be with her. She has suitors! And servants! The details are pretty fuzzy since I haven't read her diary for about 15 years, but I definitely had a mad girl crush on Birdy.
3. Cross Sugarman from Prep. Here's the popular rich kid who didn't know I existed. I read Prep with all the wisdom of a 22-year-old, and I still fell for him. Sigh.
4. Magid and Millat from White Teeth. These boys are English (of Bangladeshi descent) twins who take surprisingly divergent paths in life. I couldn't stop thinking about them while and after I read White Teeth. I'm not sure they really qualify as crushes since I didn't particularly feel romantically inclined toward them, but they're fascinating characters who deserve some recognition so there you go.
5. Edward Cullen from the Twilight Series. I'm just slipping this in the middle here, and maybe nobody will notice it. I'd be a liar if I didn't include him. Repeatedly stating how good-looking a character is shouldn't be an effective way to make him more appealing, but it kinda worked on me.
Also, the first half of this list are all teenagers. Does that make me a cougar? Let's move on.
6. Huw Morgan from How Green Was My Valley. Sweet, loving, and good, Huw really tugs at my heartstrings. I just want to press him to my bosom and tell him everything will be all right. Actually, I'd like to do that to just about everyone in How Green Was My Valley (one of my very favorite books).
7. Jax from Pigs in Heaven. I wish I had a copy of this book so that I could share Barbara Kingsolver's physical description of Jax. He has an angular, memorable face, black hair, and a wiry build. He's kind and loyal and level-headed and a musician. What's not to like?
8. Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I don't think I need to go into detail here. He will probably appear on most bookish bloggers' lists, and I love him just as much as the next Austen fan.
9. Joe Kavalier from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. European? Check. Tortured artist? Check. Capable of surviving under absurdly difficult circumstances? Check. Devoted to his woman? Check. Rumored to be played by Jude Law in the film (which, sadly, is in development hell)? Check. Mmmm, Joe, you got it goin' on.
10. Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. This is probably another one, like no. 8, who will appear on lots of lists this Tuesday. That is because he is perfectly flawed, perfectly suited to Scarlett, always perfectly dressed, and perfectly embodied by Clark Gable. He represents rebellion and the flaunting of social mores. Personally, I have a soft spot for him because of his unabashed adoration of his little daughter, Bonnie.Ta-dah! So now, who is missing from my list? Who were the first characters to come to mind when you read the phrase "Fictional Crushes" in the title of this post? Do tell!
