Would We Marry Our Fictional Heroes if They Were Real?

I ask this because apparently there has been a trending topic on Twitter this week- #FictionalCharactersIWantToMarry.

In the short piece in the Guardian Bookblogs section 'Want to marry a fictional character? You could do so much better', Alison Flood makes some interesting remarks, read it here.

So who would I choose?

The first one that springs to mind is Alex Randall from M M Kaye's 'Shadow of the Moon' (I mentioned this book in my glomming post). There he is trying to do a tough job in a volatile situation, falling in love and then having to watch her marry another man, but maintain a co-existence, only to have everyday life violently fall apart with the Indian Mutiny, and then keep not only himself alive, but the woman he loves and one of her friends too... He's strong, compassionate, dutiful and emotionally torn by the circumstances.

Mr Darcy? No, I think I'd want to kill him after a week!

I suppose I do have a soft spot for my hero, Hugh, from my current work in progress. He's considerate but not a push-over; he can be tough when needed but not a bully, dependable and intelligent.
I've just realised that I've been borrowing a few characteristics from my OH for Hugh, but I won't tell him that. :-)

Fictional characters are just that, fictional, but to be believable to the reader, they have to display characteristics that we recognise and can relate to, whether they are things that you like, hate or are indifferent about.

Perhaps you could liken reading to a series of short relationships; some are disasters, others are fine while you're together, and a few stay in the memory and become longtime friends.

What do you think?

Have you Been Glomming?

No, it isn't euphemism. :-)

As part of my new regime I've been trying to catch up on all the websites I haven't looked at for months to see what interesting items I've been missing, and this was one of them from www.heroesandheartbreakers.com

If you've found a new to you author, and then started buying all their books . then you've been glomming.

The article above asked who was the first author you glommed?

But I'm going to expand on this, for those slightly older individuals, who like me, started off borrowing book after book from the local library...

I can remember working my way through every Jean Plaidy on the library shelves. It was only a couple of years ago that I discovered my other favourite authors of that time, Victoria Holt, and Philippa Carr, were actually all the same writer!

This article gives a fascinating insight into her books and personal life, read it here.

Obviously my early reading experiences must have sunk in, hence my preference for historical romances.

My reading broadened out, and surprisingly I didn't start reading Georgette Heyer until much later, and while I have a few of her books, there's many I still haven't read.

The next author whose books I bought and avidly read, is M M Kaye. Her book 'The Far Pavillions' went on to be made into a mini-series for television. There's a very interesting piece in the above link about the authors determination to ensure the story was done right, by the right people when the film rights were on offer...

Of her novels my two favourite stories are 'Shadow of the Moon' which centres around the fight for survival (during the Indian Mutiny) of the main protagonists, Alex and Winter.

The other story, 'Trade Wind', whose story takes place in Zanzibar- the hero Rory Frost, is a trader, who pulls the heroine Hero Hollis, (an American) out of the sea after she is swept off the ship she is travelling to Zanzibar on.

And finally from this time period, the Poldark books by Winston Graham. He's probably best known for his Poldark books, but he did so much more, including 'Marnie', the thriller filmed by Alfred Hitchcock. Find out more about Graham here and here.

So those are my first few glomms.

Who were yours?