First off, I’m very pleased to report that after last month’s You Tell Me wherein I sheepishly admitted I had never read LORD OF THE RINGS: this has now been rectified. I even started with The Hobbit. Loved them! That Tolkien guy was a pretty good writer in case you haven’t heard.
Now then. This week’s You Tell Me is inspired by a question Robin asked in the Forums: which literary character do you have a crush on?
Since it was #towelday yesterday, I’ll go with teenage Nathan’s choice: Trillian from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
What about you?
daisy buchanan
Jonah Griggs from Jellicoe Road.
None of them. That's just weird.
🙂
Tough one. In high school, it was Heathcliff (from "Wuthering Heights") and Hamlet.
Guess I went for the dark, brooding type. Still do. I wouldn't kick Rhett Butler out of my bed for eating crackers.
Mr Darcy.
I think I fall for the crush of my favorite character and want them to get together. I don't think I've crushed on a fictional character since Wesley Crusher in Star Trek.
But I know right now I'm dying to know if Vansen gets the girl in Shadowrise.
*needs her book to come in*
Stephanie Perkins' ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, out this December, features one of the most crush-worthy love interests EVER. Etienne St. Clair. I called him first, ya'll.
And we can't leave out Mister Darcy, although I kind of had a thing for Mr Wickham until that whole Lydia debacle…eew.
Wesley, from The Princess Bride
Lucas Davenport from John Sandford's Prey novels. Very disappointed that he's married now. LOL!
Mercutio.
Also, Crowley from Good Omens.
So, a borderline lunatic and a demon. Bodes well, methinks.
I have a few
Mr Darcy (the obvious choice) from pride & Prejudice.
Brigan from Kristin Cashore's Fire
and Ammar ibn Khairan from Guy Gavriel Kay's Lions of Al-Rassan.
Either of them would be my top pic depending on my mood.
As many men are infatuated with the concept of a vampire woman, the one I would love to be with is a Scottish legend from the Nicolas Flamel series by Michael Scott, Scatach, a vegetarian vampire with a knack for weaponry. The always young look and long red hair and tight clothes wouldn't hurt either.
I have not read LOTR or Hobbit, it was a clique in JH/HS so I was not a clique kid. Do read James Owen's Here There Be Dragon's where JRRT is a character.
Oops. I mean Westley from The Princess Bride. 🙂
FitzChilvalry Farseer from Robin Hobb's Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies.
(though if I want to be really cliché, I will also admit to crushing on Mr. Darcy from P&P)
Oh, man, it's Aragorn, for sure! And I must add that Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn was perfection.
Young Jolyon Forsyte from The Forsyte Saga. Completely and utterly in love with him.
Robert Crais' Elvis Cole, Chris Grabenstein's John Ceepak, and Linda Fairstein's Mike Chapman
Lady Brett Ashley from The Sun Also Rises. That gal knew how to have a good time.
Would The Silk Spectre from Watchmen count as a literary character? I say yes. So, um, her too.
Literary? Like in assigned high school reading? None that I can recall.
But in everyday, generic, commercial fiction, give me JD Robb's Roarke any day. I like him more than the heroes I create–which is probably sad.
After we finish Tale of Two Cities, my freshmen have huge crushes on Sydney Carton. I have a crush on Marc Antony . . . but that's kind after seeing young Marlon Brando play him, so that may not count.
Gale from the Hunger Games. Definitely the strong silent type.
Becky Sharp
Howl from Diana Wynne Jones' HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and Mairelon from Patricia C. Wrede's MAIRELON THE MAGICIAN.
Gilbert Blythe
From the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers, Marcus. And from the "Outlander" series by Diana Gobble-up-all-my-time (Gabaldon) Jamie Fraser. And from Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, Patch.
I might be back to site more. This question will plague me all day. Sadly, I will enjoy this. Is there a prize at stake for my hormonal reading superpowers?
I have to pick just one? Umm, I'd have to go with Commander Riker..oh yea – but with the beard! Without it, that was just sad. But Captain Picard was definitely there too – so I had double fun watching Star Trek, TNG.
Holden Caulfield 😀
It's a tie between Mr. Darcy (yeah, yeah – you've heard that before right?) or Dimitri from The Vampire Academy.
SODAPOP CURTIS !
My first choice would of course be Mr. Darcy.
But I think I pick a crush from each of my favorite addictive books. I totally love Aragorn from LOTR, Ford Prefect from HHGTTG (and sometimes Zaphod), Sirius from Harry Potter, Mr. Thornton from North & South … Oh boy — I am easy to win over. 😉
A crush on? Oh, totally Aragorn :-)))
Thanks for asking, I finally got him out of my system :-))
I'm with Sara on Gale from the Hunger Games.
My daughter and I fight about this one all the time. I know, kinda creepy, but hey, he's not real even if he does make my heart go pitter patter.
Mr. Wickham was fun – he had a whole "bad boy" thing going on.
I love the bravery of Peekay from The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay – And Stephen Dorff in the movie only helped along my crush.
And I'm a sucker for a search for redemption, so I loved Ed Kennedy from I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak.
Oh, I get crushes on characters all the time! The crush changes/evolves along with my reading…
Right now I am reading through Jason Goodwin's 'Investigator Yashim' series…and I have a thing for Yashim…he's just so 'calm & deep'…
But the perennial favourite is always Mr. Darcy…who always looks like Colin Firth for some reason…*Sigh*
Interested to see that many have a crush on the movieversion of a literary Character.
Talking about Lord of the Rings, my absolute favorite is Sam, but crush… I don´t know.
But I do have a crush on Michael Connelly´s Harry Bosch.
And as a teenager; The Count of Monte Cristo (I think that is the English title)
Several. Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre. Sethos, from the Amelia Peabody mystery series (not really literary, I guess, but whatever). And Sydney Carton from A Tale of Two Cities.
Yesterdy was towel day? Fantastic. I just finished the third book in that series too.
I feel like in my past there was someone that really got me, but I can't think of who that might be.
So instead I'll just go with Julian from L.J. Smith's Forbidden Game Trilogy. I tend to want what I can't (and probably shouldn't) have.
Great question. I'm going to go with my teen years, too, and make it a toss up between Galadriel from Lord of the Rings and Queen Ehlana from the Elenium.
One more vote for Mr. Darcy! But is it cheating if you're picturing Colin Firth?
Jeanne Green, Arthur's editor in Youngblood Hawke.
Sherlock Holmes is my dude.
Legolas Greenleaf, of the Elves in FOTR (or was it Orlando Bloom that I meant?)
Second: the humanoid robot, Daneel Olivaw in Asimov's Robot Series.
The fact that we like these characters so much means the writers did a great job of creating memorable fiction characters. That's my goal, too.
In school I crushed on Heathcliff, Cal from East of Eden, and Gilbert Blythe.
Now I crush on Col. Brandon from Sense and Sensibility, Lan from my husband's Wheel of Time books, and a little crush on Katsa in Graceling.
Cat – I know! I want to like Peeta because he's been so good to Katniss, but Gale is sexier. I'm dying to see how that works out in the last book (August 24th!)
Saetan, Lucivar, and Daemon from Dark Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop.
Don't make me choose. I won't!
I know it's clique, but Mr. Darcy and Holden Caulfield and Ron Weasley (or maybe George). I have a literary crush on Markus Zusak, as in I'm in love with his writing and would eat up anything he wrote.
I agree to Aragorn, Mr. Darcy and Gilbert Blythe. <3 <3 <3
and though I don't have a girlcrush on her I totally digg "Lisbeth Salander" from Stieg Larsson's Millenium books. Though chick with a brain – gotta love her!
I'm going to go true nerd style here with my answers.
In middle school it was Wedge Antilles (as characterized in Stackpole's X-Wing Series of course).
In high school and still until today it is Mat Cauthon from WoT. He's just pure awesomeness.
Time traveler Roger MacKenzie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.
I crush on my own characters all the time! But I've got a niggling feeling that that doesn't count (yet), so…
Oh, Ciara, would you consider sharing Mercutio? Although I might be a little bit of a Lysander girl, myself. Crossing plays, I know. But I can't decide. I do love me some Shakespeare!
Since I am so fickle that my answer changes weekly, depending on what I'm reading, I'll go with my latest literary crush. I read Water for Elephants and wanted to leap into the book just so I could jump in front of Jacob shrieking "I'm your girl!".
Does that count? 😉
Mr. Darcy forever!
and I wouldn't mind running across the moors with Heathcliff
Fang. Maximum Ride series. Juvenile, yes.
Also, the guy in Crown Duel…and Eugenides from Megan Whalen Turner's books…
But head over heels over Fang.
Oooooh, someone said Gilbert Blythe.
<3 <3 <3
Atticus Finch.
It changes from time to time, but I guess consistently Terry Goodkind's Richard Rahl, from THE SWORD OF TRUTH series.
Not the TV series version, though. The novel version.
…….dhole
It's been said, already, but Fitzwilliam Darcy for sure!
A good friend's book (ok my pen-name Nahtan Hoj) When A Stand Up Guy Meets A Sold Out Girl has a pop diva redhead called Suzy Cube, ultra hot & sexy concert scenes. A few other's well worth reading.
Crake from Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, and Casimira from Catherynne Valente's Palimpsest.
Reuven Malter from The Chosen.
Darcy, Roland of King's Dark Tower series, Constantine from McKinley's Sunshine, and (hides) a little maybe kind of Harry Potter?
a tie between Heathcliff and Patrick Kenzie from the Dennis Leanne novels
Henry Winter, from Donna Tartt's Secret History.
If I have to choose someone who is not bordering on psychotic, I'd probably say Aragorn.
Laura Croft. Not sure she counts as literary, though.
The teenage me had a crush on an entire book of boys (Ponyboy Curtis, Soda Pop . . . DALLY!!) this obsession increased after the Outsiders came out!!! What a boatload of hotties in that film!
Grown up me goes for the classics: Darcy, Rochester and Mr. Knightley (bbc Emma–have you seen it? *swoons*) But Richard Armitage as Mr. Thorton from North and South is the very tip top of my list!
Now I'm filled with guilt–today is my 20th Anniversary, and I'm VERY happily married!
Note to single guys looking for love: Buy yourself a white poet's shirt and grow a pair of sideburns!
How could I have forgotten Lestat from Anne Rice's "The Vampire Lestat"?
Read that one first, and totally fell in love with him. When I went back to read "Interview with the Vampire," I thought Louis was a whiner.
Put me in with the Gale Hawthorn gals! Peeta's got nothing on him.
Also, Tom Henderson from King dork, and Karl Shoemaker from Tales of the Madman Underground.
Mr. Darcy for sure. Can't help it.
the first that came to mind was Dr Wilbur Larch from the cider house rules by john irving. i can't explain it. fred and george weasley kinda do it for me too. gotta love a man who can make you laugh
HMMMMMM… Definitely JACE WAYLAND/MORGENSTERN from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. :))))))))))
how could i forget! i kind of have a thing for sookie from charlaine harris's southern vampire series- she's just so feisty and funny
Hmm…the Scarlet Pimpernel and Lord Peter Wimsey. Both British. Both yummy.
Charlie from The Year of Secret Assignments (and the upcoming Ghosts of Ashbury High) by Jaclyn Moriarty. He can kick a pebble with me any day.
Cuthbert Allgood from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. I was sick to my stomach when I read his death scene.
I pretty much considered myself engaged to Christopher Heron from Elizabeth Marie Pope's Perilous Guard for many years.
Definitely Aragorn. And Gilbert Blythe.
Rhett Butler- Gone with the Wind
Mr. Darcy- Pride and Prejudice
Ethan- Something Blue
Cadvan- The Pellinor Series by Allison Croggon
🙂
Sara, Cat, and Heather: I'm totally a Peeta (Hunger Games) girl. I mean the teenage girl inside me is. He is the loveliest! And he makes mean cake.
Mr. Darcy's good. Heathcliff though… be still my heart…
Mr. Darcy is just too easy for me. Perhaps Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I love a man with an accent – preferably British 😉
And, though I may be stoned, Edward from Twilight.
Severus Snape.
WHAT?!? Shampoo is easily obtained.
Hmm, let's see…
Aragorn from LOTR
Severus Snape from Harry Potter
John Taylor from Simon Green's Nightside series
Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series
George Emerson from A Room With A View.
Sarah Palin from Going Rogue…absolutely fictional and absolutely crushworthy.
Can I just say that it's a credit to your blog-followers, Nathan, that the number of Edward and/or Jacob votes are excessively low? 😀
My current literary crush is Jonathan Strange from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. A guy who intentionally courts madness as a method for freeing his imprisoned wife…while wearing a cravat? Yes, please! Mmm, lovely.
Father Amadi in Chimanda Ngozi Adichie's "Purple Hibiscus"
I developed an odd crush on Peter Walsh when reading Mrs. Dalloway. Who wouldn't love an emotionally stunted guy who'sobsessed with knives and in love with a married woman?
And I have to agree with V.M.Pettingill: Ammar ibn Khairan from Guy Gavriel Kay's Lions of Al-Rassan 🙂
Jamie Frasier from The Outlander Series. Could a man be any sexier? I hope this series never gets made into a movie because no actor could do justice to the Jamie of my imagination.
Fun topic. It's only been up an hour, and already over 80 responses. 🙂
Ged from Wizard of Earthsea
Mr. Knightly from Emma.
Um, I should also say I'm sort of weird. I like the wise, sage types. Dumbledore and Lupin from Harry Potter and Gandalf from LOTR. (The books, not the movies, very important.)
For sheer hotness, the two men from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels: Joe Morelli and Ranger. Probably wouldn't be my type in real life, but love them in the books.
Oh, and what on earth is towelday?
I'm going to have to go with a few.
Wes from The Truth About Forever
Jonah Griggs from Jellicoe Road
Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice
I have to say Remus Lupin–from the book, not the movie.
Definitely Wesley from the Princess Bride and I'd have to go with J.D. Robb's Roarke.
Eugenides from Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, Queen of Attolia, King of Attolia, and Conspiracy of Kings.
He's whiny, irritating, loyal, and absolutely brilliant.
Great post.
My first great book crush was Will from John Christopher's Tripod Series/The White Mountains.
Elphaba from Wicked.
Heathcliff? Crake? I'm shocked by some of these answers. But Severus Snape, that I get. I kind of have a crush on him too (okay, I have a t-shirt with his name on. I'm not obsessed or anything).
Only my wife, Elizabeth. She's the only one I ever had a crush on, in movies, books, or real life.
(Come on, now, for all I know she might be reading this blog, too.)
Mr. Darcy forever. Hello. Also Captain Wentworth from Persuasion.
I kinda had a thing for Llewelyn Moss when I read No Country for Old Men. He's resourceful. I like that in a man, what can I say.
Most recently, Domingo Roque from All Roads Lead Me Back to You. Also resourceful.
I know it's sick, but like others, I have a crush on a character of my own creation. Calculating, womanizing bastard that he is.
I'll go for Heathcliffe or Mr Rochester.
Oh, passion!
Holden Caulfield
I know I'm going to get laughed at for this, but I don't care.
Edward Cullen
And for the longest time, my literary crush was Frodo Baggins. What can I say? I don't mind hairy feet.
Like Sandy @ 10:42, Mairelon has long been one of my favourites.
More recently, Will Laurence and Temeraire from His Majesty's Dragon. Yes, both of them. Yes, I know one's a dragon. I don't care.
word ver – strict
I was going to go with Mr. Darcy (from by P&P) and Bridget Jones's Diary and Howard Roark from the Fountainhead until I was reminded of my first literary crush — Gilbert Blithe. Wait, is it weird that I have more than one?
hmmm…I would say Jamie Fraser from the outlander series!!! mmmmm sexy scottishmen in kilts yummyyyy
Heathcliff is irresistable depite being despicable.
Hamlet. Madness is sexy, it really is. (Which explains my thing for Mercutio a while back…)
But there's always Remus Lupin. I like the bookish ones.
I have a realllly longstanding crush on Quentin Compson from Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury and Absalom, Absalom! I've always had a thing for that whole intelligent-but-tortured type.
My most recent crush is on James Sveck from Peter Cameron's Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You. Totally tortured, and a grammar nazi to boot. What's not to love?
It would definately have to be Benedict from Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber.
I also second Fitzchivalry Farseer and Aragorn.
They have one thing in common: dark, brooding, dangerous men.
And what is it with everybody and Mr. Darcy? I don't get it.
Llewelyn of North Wales, as written by Sharon Kay Penman. Man of action when necessary, words when necessary.
Oliver – Call Me By Your Name
Dream – the Sandman series
I'd have to agree with Aragorn. And even Mr. Darcy. However . . .
Maybe it just reflects my recent reading, but give me Dag Redwing Hickory Oleana from Lois McMaster Bujold's SHARING KNIFE series.
Tall, dark. Not really quite handsome. Gotta love those beat up characters who just keep on anyway.
Sam. No Dean. No Sam.
Ah hell, can I pick two?
Okay, kidding. But I do want to pick two: the twins from Harry Potter.
I totally agree with Laura, Westley from The Princess Bride ftw.
And I have a thing for Jace from the Mortal Instruments series.
And Ian from the Host.
And there's always Mr. Darcy
And Neville Longbottom(the 7th book version)
SANDY SHINN AND JANE HARMONY totally stole my choices!!! I was going to say Howl from Howl's Moving Castle or Vidanric from Crown Duel!! those are my 2 major crushes.
Oliver Barrett IV (Love Story)
These have already been said before, but: Jace Morgenstern is definately one of the most fascinating and 'crushworthy' characters I've read in a while. (Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare)
Also Jace from The Hunger games. (Mockingbird August 24th *Girlish Scream*)
But my choice for true bad boy is Patch from Hush, Hush. (Becca Fitzpatrick)
Do I have to choose only one?
Luke Skywalker (if I ignore the whining)
Anakin Skywalker (ditto, it's genetic)
Lucius Malfoy
Jack (Titanic)
Legoles
Anakin Skywalker
Jim Kirk (new movie)
Draco Malfoy
Anakin Skywalker
Chekov (new movie)
Lucius Malfoy
Lady Galadriel's husband
My Sweet Westley (Princess Bride)
Anakin Skywalker
Draco Malfoy
Jack (Titanic)
Obi Wan Kenobi
Legoles
Honorable Mentions (non-blonds)
QuiGon Jin
Rick O'Connel (the Mummy)
J (Men in Black)
Cedric Diggory
George of the Jungle
Gilbert Blythe
Han Solo
Mr. Sulu
Inigo Montoya
Okay, so some of those come out of the novelizations of movies, but, hey, they're still books!
Like Leah, I'd have to go with Ferras Vansen from Shadowmarch. Not exactly a crush, but it's close.
I would have to say Roland from the Dark Tower Series. Both the young Roland and the old Roland.
I know we're all going for the 'cool kid answer' but when did it become cool to throw rocks at Edward Cullen? Quit trying to re-kill my boyfriend.
James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser – Outlander series (Diana Gabaldon). Oh. Yeah.
And Roger and Ian from said series are also very crush-worthy.
Someone nominated Lisbeth Salander for a girl crush award. I concur.
Any hero from a Jane Austen novel is right there on top! She knew how to write men that women would think about for generations.
James Bond. Sigh.
And, I have to say, I actually like Dirk Pitt from the Clive Cussler novels. It may not be high literature, but the character sure is entertaining.
Dimitri Belikov from Richelle Mead's, Vampire Academy. I *heart* him big time!
Gilbert Blythe was my first literary crush.
Others since then — Harry Potter, Numair (Tamora Pierce's books), Adam (A RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT).
Gilbert Blythe–because he stayed so beautifully in love with Anne even when she was going grey (Rilla of Ingleside, anyone? And speaking of–Ken Ford is pretty crushworthy, too.)
And Robbie from Atonement. Because he was awkward, and I find that endearing.
And I'd say Rhett Butler, but what I mean is Clark Gable, so that's just not fair 🙂
George from Tamora Pierce. Yep she writes some good guys.
I'd have to go with Jericho Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series.
And I also admit to a crush on Mr. Darcy as well as Julian from the Forbidden Game Series.
I loved Jamie Fraser (Outlander) so much, I had to write a book so I could make my own Scottish Highlander! So, maybe Aiden MacRae from Between is my favorite now. Still, I will always love Jamie (and I see I am not alone on this thread!). 🙂
Cyndi
Elvis Cole and Harry Dresden.
No need to apologize for Edward Cullen, though I preferred him as Cedric Digory. Very cute for a brown-haired guy.
Once I get around to reading Twilight, I'm sure Carlisle Cullen will make an impression on me, judging from the movie trailers.
Aragorn!
call me old, call me boring, but I have a thing for Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus…
Fitzwilliam Darcy, of course.
And though he doesn't technically count, Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds.
I have to say– Favorite guy characters? Telemain from Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles or Artemis Fowl.
(Although Sam (LotR) and Edward Ferrars (Sense and Sensibility) are on the list as well.)
Okay Nathan as Mal probably not, but how about as Richard Castle. His book was published….
Matthew Paris in Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger although the emotions that swept over me were more akin to love (really!) than crush. I think I'll go re-read the last few chapters in this utterly magnificent historical novel and weep.
Sydney Carton from Tale of Two Cities! (Also, Mr. Darcy, but obviously every girl does….)
Peter Pan (arrogant, flirtatious, mischievous, the spirit of youth? Can't resist…)
Silk from David Eddings' Belgariad/Mallorean series (gotta love a brilliant, witty thief)
Forgot one…
Sherlock Holmes!! (and yes, even BEFORE he was played by Robert Downey Jr. 🙂 )
High brow answer: Colonel Brandon
Not-quite-so-high brow answer: Eric Northman
*swoon*
I think everyone underestimates Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion. He's competition for Mr. Darcy!
Current era: Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp, Lee Child's Jack Reacher, 24's Jack Bauer.
Classic era: Prince Genji and Lady Murasaki from The Tale of Genji
Emma Bovary
Mr. Darcy
Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries, novels by L.J. Smith.
See…not just a tv show so I can totally choose him!
Haplo from the death gate cycle. I have this thing for tortured souls.
I spent last weekend reworking a romance arc in my manuscript. I got really into it, and now I have a crush on the male love interest, to the point where I was feeling jumpy and having trouble sleeping last weekend. My body thought I was in an actual relationship. What would you call that — method writing?
I'm torn bewteen Roarke from J. D. Robb's In Death series and Jondalar from Auel's Earth's Childrens series.
Noel from the THE BOYFRIEND LIST series. Mmmm.
Ayla
Mr. Darcy (as personified by Colin Firth–yum!)
Tennyson Hardwick-Just cuz Blair Underwood looks so great under the covers…errr…I mean ON the cover. lol
Prince Andrey Bolkonsky from "War and Peace"
Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre and Captain Wentworth from Persuasion.
"Jane! Jane!…" I love it.
Ashley Wilkes. My stirring apologia at link:
http://www.fiveagentsandafuneral.com/2010/04/characters-i-love-ashley-wilkes-gone.html
I still think Ned Nickerson is dreamy.
Nice girls like bad boys, clearly…but I'm amazed no one has yet mentioned Mr Knightley, from Emma.
Travis McGee
First and foremost . . . JZ Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series. Yum.
Second . . . Dimitri in the Vampire Academy series. Uh, hello?
And, finally, I'm not scared to admit to a little Edward Cullen love.
John Galt from Atlas Shrugged
Any character young Brando or Hugh Jackman played.
Edward Cullen and Jasper Cullen
The bad brother in the Vampire Diaries
Dylan Thomas
Count Dracula and Bram Stoker from Dracula's Guest
(okay, I loves me some bad boys and wild Irish ones)
Mr. Darcy (and some good manly mens with nice digs -you bettcha- and eyes for only me)
My own novel characters drive me wild.
And my husband. Divine crush made real.
1) Agnes from Immortality (Milan Kundera)
2) Ophelia
3) Tess of the Durbervilles
4) Vina Aspara from The Ground Beneath Her Feet (Salman Rushdie)
5) Diotima
6) Cordelia, in Diary of a Seducer (S. Kierkegaard)
Ok, my tastes are a little odd perhaps.
I know I'll have to share….
as a tween: Gilbert Blythe
Mr. Darcy
Jamie (Outlander series – Diana Gabaldon)
Jack Ryan – Tom Clancy
Goethe (OK, I know he was the author, but he wrote about himself in Italian Journey among other works)
@Mira – towel day – late and great Douglas Adams celebration
Jake Brigance from A Time to Kill. Then I saw the movie and it only deepened my crush!
My twelve year old literary (oh, and then movie!)crush was definitely Ponyboy Curtis. And Two-Bit because he was so funny. And Dally because he was dangerous.
Darcy and Faramir (he and Sam are my LOTR favorites). Now, my biggest fictional character crush is Daniel Jackson, closely followed by Han Solo, but those are television and movies.
Uhtred from Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Tales, and if you haven't read them they would be a perfect follow-up to LOTR. Welcome to the REAL Middle Earth.
Also Richard Sharpe from Cornwell's Sharpe series, but that could actually be because of Sean Bean's portrayal in the t.v. show. He looks quite fetching in that battered green jacket….
Snape
(and happy belated Towel Day )
I have a massive crush on one of my own characters at the moment – sigh, what can I say.
Otherwise I'd have to agree with a few of the choices already posted.
LOTR – Legolas
Princess Bride – Westley
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Pride & Prejudice – Mr Darcy
True facts: Percy Jackson.
I am ridiculous.
If he's appeared in a Jane Austen novel, chances are I've had it bad for at least a chapter. Even scummy characters like Wickham.
I am also unswervingly devoted to Mr. Guppy in Bleak House. Not sure what's going on with that…
There have been so many over the years, but the first that comes to mind (probably because I just read about him) is Rosto the Piper from Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper book. I just love law breakers 🙂
Rhett Butler. I DO give a damn!!
Sir Percival Blakeney, Baronet…(AKA The Scarlet Pimpernel)
though I gotta admit, Edward Rochester had me in my teens.
Must be that Rational/Idealist dynamic that Keirsey writes about and that Stephen Montgomery wrote extensively about Eyre and Rochester in his book about Temperament and Idealist relationship 'Pygmalion Projects'
What? What's that you say? My 'geek' showing?
Yikes.
I'm totally going with Jamie Frasier from The Outlander Series, too…that man is incredibly delicious! But, I have to give a nod to David Langston of Gene Stratton Porter's The Harvester…he's so sweet and gracious and intelligent and kind and I find that very sexy. He's the first character I ever had a crush on–Mom read the book to us while we were on vacation in MI…too many years ago!
Erm, Nathan…you've been reading my tweets, haven't you?
"@Calbion I was faintly in love with Trillian. Ok, more than faintly. @SarahSiddons
9:40 AM May 25th via web in reply to Calbion"
We are clearly men of impeccable taste.
As a teenager, Alaric Morgan from the Deryni books. Early twenties, Richard, from Georgette Heyer's Corinthian. Also Alexand from MK Wren's The Phoenix Legacy. And always and forever Aragornfrodosam, the truest three-way tie of all time.
It would have to be Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. I fell in love with his character the first time I read the book and pretty much every incarnation sense has yet to change that. Overall, one of my favorite books of all time 😀
Mr.Darcy – of course. Heathcliff and Aragorn. Jamie Fraser from The Outlander series and Nathaniel Bonner from Sara Donati's series.
I have way too many. I guess I fall in love easily 🙂
– Atretes from the Mark of the Lion series. I know he was a total grump, but a very delicious one
– Jamie from Outlander series – he's impossible not to fall for
– Don't hate me for saying this, but I totally fell for Edward while reading Twilight
– I've just read the Kissed by an Angel trilogy and found Tristan pretty appealing as well
That's enough for now 🙂
I'd marry Robbie from Atonement, (What a great guy! And he wants to be a doctor!!!) and cheat with Bendrix from The End of the Affair.
Takeshi Kovacs from Richard Morgan's SF novels. The fact that he can change bodies only adds to the fun, although I can see why it's been hard to get that movie made!
Oh gosh….with minimal sweek talk I'd easily give it up for Draco Malfoy.
Ever the champion of the hideously disfigured and psychologically troubled otherworldly overdog, I'll go with Cthulhu.
OK if anyone has read the books, they'll think I'm weird but I have to go with Dobro Turtlebane from Jonathan Rogers' Wilderking trilogy. I just adore that boy.
Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series. Hey, there's ten others who feel the way I do!
And Dickon from The Secret Garden.
Besides Aragorn and Jamie Fraser of course 🙂
James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser (Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander)
Gilbert Blythe, no question. Mr. Darcy and Peeta and Gale give some pretty tough competition, but mostly because I really, really like them for the characters they belong with. (I'm totally torn on the Peeta/Gale debate.) Gilbert is the one I wish could make his way out of the pages.
Jack Aubrey, from POST CAPTAIN, the Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian (and this time I didn't misspell "captain"–duh!
Jamie Fraser
I'm going to quote T.Anne and say Marcus too (from Francine Rivers' books). And then, of course there's always Julian from the Forbidden Game trilogy by L.J.Smith (my ultimate crush, who wouldn't love him?) And then Fred and George from the Harry Potter series <3
James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. No competition.
Ahhhhh Jamie.
Acheron Parthenopaus, "Ash" from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series.
And Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's, Dresden Files.
Hugs,
Tambra
Gilbert Blythe, of course!
Smart, funny, cute, a "do-gooder" without being a "goody two-shoes" . . . what's not to love?
♥ Gilbert Blythe ♥
Wesley from Princess Bride
Oh, and Odd Thomas.
It's so easy to crush on a character but is it really sad to have a bit of a crush on a character you've created? I'm guilty of that :-S
I think I'd have to say Elvis Cole in Robert Crais's mysteries.
Prince Andrei Bolkonsky from 'War & Peace'. Mr Darcy is a mere pale shadow.
Maia (werewolf chick) from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments. This girl kicks ass.
Isabelle Lightwood (not a werewolf chick) from the same series. Also kicks ass, but with a whip.
I am obviously late in the game on this one (and evidently really do need to get around to reading Pride and Prejudice).
Definitely Lord Peter Wimsey
(Though seeing several references to Gilbert Blythe made me smile.)
Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind of course.
Raylan Givens…way before JUSTIFIED became a TV series…
Oh yes, I'll third that notion – Lord Peter Wimsey, definitely!
Peeta Mellark! From The Hunger Games series.
Francis Crawford of Lymond.
Or Faramir.
Jamie Fraser
And when I was a younger it was Sodapop Curtis, then Sebastian from Brideshead Revisted (helped by the tv series of course) and then Lestat.
Lestat.
I wonder how many people said Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)? I'm going to look after I post. I suspect his popularity will hover at least around 35%.
After reading the other answers, I have to say I wouldn't say no to:
Westley from The Princess Bride,
Edward Cullen or Jamie Frasier.
Literary, I'd say the poet Christopher Marlowe.
I wanted to write some of the heroes I created, but didn't want to appear to be rude or whatever. LOL.
Hugs,
Tambra
Who don't I love? Yep, in the literay world, I get around 🙂
I'm definitely a Jamie Fraser fangirl 🙂
Also, Atticus Finch, Remus Lupin, and Dustfinger (Inkheart trilogy)
It's a toss-up between Mary Poppins and Nymphadora Tonks, with a runner-up award to all the Bond girls and all the Disney princesses.
Let the Freudian analysis begin!
Oh dear, I have several and can't pick one:
1. Sherlock Holmes
2. Sydney Carton (A Tale of Two Cities)
3. Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre)
Milady from The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas. Woot! She swashes my buckle.
As a kid, I totally crushed on Joe Hardy. I barely remember the TV show, and Shaun Cassidy was too cute to a grade-schooler. However, I did read the books voraciously.
As an adult, I had a thing for Afra Lyon from Anne McCaffrey's The Rowan series. Yeah, he's from another planet and has greenish skin. So what? LOL.
definitely Dustfinger from the Inkheart series… what can i say, there are just sparks whenever he appears. 🙂
I'd have to second the mentions of Howl (Howl's Moving Castle) and Mr. Knightley (Emma). And I'll raise you 1 Bill Weasley (Harry Potter) and 1 !Xabbu (Otherland).
Harry Dresden!
Orinesse the immortal Calbres girl who mistook Pitus Peston for her long lost Cotan.
1. aragorn
2. sir peter wimsey
3. roarke
4. mr. fitzwilliam darcy
5. Sebastian Leslie Guy de Ath Ballister – Earl of Blackmoor
Jack Reacher!!
I was really surprised to see both my book crushes Mairelon from Mairelon the Magincian and Numair from Tamora Pierce's Wild Magic series.
Just to add my 2 cents on the whole Peeta Gale debate, after you date the dark and broody type, you realize they have nothing on the sweet sexy type.
Clark Gable…er…Rhett Butler (hence my blog name! And yes, I'm aware that it's a weird infatuation for a 28-year-old to have)For those Rhett fans, you should check out Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig. Written from Rhett's perspective, it nails him, right down to the I-know-something-you-don't-know smirk.
Mr. Darcy
Gilbert Blythe
Mr Darcy, yum even after 15 years
First, let me just say Nathan… I'm a fantasy writer and didn't read Tolkien til the movies came out. Yes, I'm ashamed. Especially since I had been told I have a Tolkien-esque style…imagine the horror of the person when I said, "Um, okay…thanks?"
Second, I have to say I have a crush on Legolas. I have a thing for Elves, what can I say? 😉
I will interpret
"totally have a crush on",
to mean that I enjoy reading over and over again, many time, the same well written story featuring this character.
With this interpretation, I can consider both male and female characters.
List:
Superman, for his power, and altruism.
Tarzan, for his power.
Bean, in "Ender's Shadow", for his intelligence.
Davy, in "Jumper", for his ability to teleport.
The minstrel main character in "Born to Exile", for his ability to teleport.
In general, any character, who has magical or superhuman abilities, and uses those abilities to help others.
Kermit Rose
With or without my Cougar Hat?
OK, with:
1. HARRY POTTER! Forever. I adore him. I can't help it.
2. Fred & George Weasley
Without (in no particular order):
1. Mr. Darcy
2. JD Robb's Roarke
3. Jamie Fraser from Outlander
4. Sirius Black
5. Ruark from Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's Shanna
Forgot Remus Lupin.
Harry Dresden.
always had a weird thing for Raskolnikov
So many great characters! I have to spread the love around:
– Jericho Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series
– Ash from M.M. Kaye's The Far Pavilions
– Richard Cypher from the Sword of Truth
– The boys from Wheel of Time (yes, all of them)
Lady de Winter in The Three Musketeers. Fascinating femme fatale.
Mairelon from Patricia C. Wrede's Mairelon the Magician. (Didn't know I had company till I read this blog!)
Peggy Nicholson's humorous and absurdly romantic heroes: Jon Sutton in The Scent of a Woman, and Sam in You Again.
Jace from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare and Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Landon Park-Laine from Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels.
Yes, he's married to Thursday, but I have this secret belief that if I found my way into the books, he'd leave her for me.
I loved loved loved Athos, from the Three Musketeers. I wouldn't say a crush, but whenever I saw his name on the page, my heart would jump. 😛
As a child, Bob in the Three Investigators' Series. As a teen, Legolas in LOTR. As an adult, I actually got a crush on a character in one of my own books — guess I made him a little too perfect for my own taste. (Note: this was a side character, not a main character, since I write YA. He's the step-dad of the protagonist.)
Oh my, MR. DARCY, hands down. hhhhaaaahhhhaaaahhhhaaahhhaaahhh. I bow my head and say, "thank you, thankyou, thankyou," as the crowd goes wild.
You go Mr. Darcy.
I forgot to say Ralph Touchett from The Portrait of a Lady. It's weird since he was sickly and all, and he was Isabel's cousin, but I was rooting for him.
Definitely agree with Noni, Ian from The Host.
And yes to the posters who said Howl, from Howl's Moving Castle. He's vain and a coward, but he has a good heart. 🙂
Also…Jacob Black. TEAM JACOB!
Eliza Bennet seems a sensible choice. However, Éowyn haunts my dreams and I must confess to a massive bromance with Aragorn.
Rebecca de Winter, from Rebecca.
It's the way she writes her "R"s.
Besides Mr. Darcy, you mean?
Rhett Butler.
What can I say? I like the bad boys.
WHAT? Only three votes for the gorgeous Dimitri Belikov? Well, I better make it four.
I'm going to assume you guys haven't read the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead so now is your chance. Quick, go now.
Until I had read them my vote would have been hands now for Mr. Darcy, now Dimitri has just snatched up prime position.
Mr. Darcy. Obvious, I know. Lestat is another favorite!
i was straining my brain trying to think of one when he finally jumped right out at me. Benedick! from Much Ado About Nothing. now i know he's out there somewhere…
Oh, yeah . . . You can add Snape to my list . . . I need to think about this . . .
Time Traveler, Henry DeTamble from the The Time Traveler's Wife is my number one choice.
And with Eric Bana playing him in the movie, I'm complete, really really good.
Rhett Butler is close second.
Roger McKay
from The Country Beyond
I honestly can't choose between Peeta and Gale. Though I've wanted her to pick Peeta, so maybe that's telling..but I also want her to pick Gale….no, Peeta…but then what about Gale….OK, no really, Peeta!
And by "her" I meant Katniss (sorry) from "The Hunger Games" series.
Jamie Fraser, of course. The perfect hero — as can be attested to by how many times his name has shown up here.
I also like Robert B. Parker's SPENSER, and Henry D'Tamble of The Time Traveler's Wife.
Kinda like Paul van Wagoner of Perri O'Shaunnessy's Nina Reilly series too.
But there'll never be a hero like Jamie Fraser!
Ummm…I'm going to be totally original and say Edward Cullen.
Oh, and Mr. Darcy.
Lee Child's Reacher.
Olive Kitteridge
Gilbert Blythe of course!
Heathcliff too 🙂
and Dear Jamie from the Outlander Series :p
I must say, Harry Potter is quite a dashing character. Though I am definitely into Ian from "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. :]
~TRA
http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
Mr. Darcy. Mr. Rochester. (Partly from the original, but partly from Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books.) Silk from David Eddings Belgariad and Mallorean series. (Love him.) Those are really the only ones I can think of at the moment.
Captain Wentworth and Gilbert Blythe. They put up with a lot of crap.
Harry Dresden from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series and Anita Blake from Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake vampire hunter series! : )
As a kid … Ender Wiggin. I totally dig smart guys. Now, Archie Goodwin from the Nero Wolfe mysteries. The man enjoys fine food, is a snappy dresser and brawls with the best of them. An original metrosexual, heaven help me. I named one of my boys Archer in his honor.
I'm also in the Gilbert Blythe camp.
Gale and Peeta from The Hunger Games. How can a girl choose?
When I was a teen, I wanted to marry Johnny Tremain. Yep.
Peter Dudley:
I ain't touching the Freud thing with a ten foot cigar but your answer is priceless! Thank you for the much needed laugh on a rough day/evening.
Thanks to Mr. Bransford too for the great question and how did I miss towel day? *sigh* I'm so ashamed. I may have to contritely relinquish my official "hoopy frood' card now…I mean I know where my towel is but to miss the official day? So very sad.
I'm gonna add Qui-Gon Jinn from the Jedi Apprentice books- dang. Seriously. I can't believe George took my Qui-Gon and yet Jar Jar lives…
Easy!
Aragorn – LOTR
Jamie Fraser Outlander series
Mr. Rochester – Jane Eyre
Captain Corelli – Corelli's Mandolin
and, ugh! I admit it – Edward from Twilight (most embarrassing)
Professor Lupin.
I'd have his werewolf babies.
Mat from Wheel of Time, hands down.
Great question. Mr. Darcy (nothing new there). The Weasley twins from the Harry Potter books (embarrassing, but there it is). And my #1? Kisten from Kim Harrison's The Hollows series.
Prince Caspian from the book "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader". I love that book and that character.
I am almost embarrassed to be so cliched, but I have been in love with Mr. Darcy since high school. That's right. Let the eye-rolling begin, I can take it.
It's been a very long time since I had a book crush. :*( I can't think of any current character crushes, but I guess I wouldn't turn down Harry Dresden if he asked me out on a date.
Mr. Darcy. I know, not very original, but so true…
Danaerys from GRRM's _A Game of Thrones_. Very hot before she lost it.
Jen P – Ah! Thank you!
Of course. You always need a towel. 🙂
I'd like to add Taran from the Prydrain Chronicles – when I was a kid.
So many. Aragorn, Faramir, Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights, Mr. Dahcey, or Darcy if you don't want to hear the accent, …. there ae more, I'm sure.oh!! F'lar from the Dragonweyrs of Pern!
ok, now that I had time to think about it, adding to my first favorite Prince Bolkonsky
2. Edward Cullen
3. Mr. Darcy
4. Mr. Sherlock Holmes
5. Rhett Butler
6. Mr. Rochester
Not very original, but true…Love them all…
Star, Empress of All Known Universes from Heinlein's Glory Road.
What an amiable group! So many Jane Austen characters selected. Mine is Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey. Give me a witty man in a greatcoat and I'm a goner.
Paul (Mu'a Dib to you all) from Dune!
I second Scarlet Pimpernel but my all time favorite is the melancholy genius of Bananafish. Seymour Glass.
The man shoots himself because he's too happy.
The endearing Jesse who doesn't mind living forever in Tuck Everlasting.
And any of the ridiculously incompetent protagonists of PKD.
Oh, and who doesn't love the gentle brother of the Brothers Karamazov?
Back when, totally immersed in Frank Herbert's Dune I was fascinated with Paul Muadib Atreides. When Frank Herbert passed on and I knew no more Dune stories (of the same caliber) would be coming out, I was crushed.
More recently it's been The Man in The Road. I can only dream of creating a character anywhere near as compelling.
Wow, francis f. 🙂 You too picked Paul Muadib just before me! Synchronicity…?
As a bookish 5th and 6th grader reading Shakespeare comedies: Benedick, from "Much Ado About Nothing."
Middle school: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. Also, every boy in "The Outsiders" EXCEPT Ponyboy, because I thought Ponyboy was pretty much the male version of me. We were too similar for it to work.
High school: Crowley, from Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's "Good Omens." Spider, from Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys." Dustfinger, from the "Inkheart" series.
College/now: Jonathan from "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell." And, although he is a poet and not a fictional character, John Keats. And no, I'm not going off the version of him in the movie "Bright Star," because I haven't seen that movie, though I'd like to. I didn't read "His Dark Materials" till I was 19, but I can tell that, had I read it in middle school, I would've had a huge crush on Will.
I so totally don't have a crush on a literary character – wait – a repressed memory surfaces: maybe teenage me liked James Bond?
Generally though, I just can't read about a protagonist I hate. I liked Harry P ( not in a crushy way)and Hermione, but it was a struggle to keep going with Twilight because I found Bella so annoying.
The hero of my current work in progress. I'm so in love!
I was surprised to read that others liked the MC from the Scarlet Pimpernel, too. He has all the qualities women love, I guess. But I can't think of anyone else, off-hand, but like others have mentioned, I go for the dark, brooding, dangerous type – in literature only.
Oh, another poster just reminded me that I've always liked Peter Pan – as a fantasy friend kind of thing.
Finny from A Separate Peace.
Marcus Didius Falco, from Lindsey Davis's mysteries.
When I was younger it was garion from the belgariad. I was so happy the year we were the same age. But now, he's way younger than me. I guess that's the problem with crushes on fictional characters.
For awhile, it was Mr. Darcy (but that didn't last long.) Then, it was Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. Now, it is totally Edward Cullen. I think I've been crushing on him the longest.
Archie Goodwin (Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout)
Strider (loved him before I knew he was a prince)
Albert Campion (Margery Allingham's PI)
Oh, I'd totally forgotten about Finny (A Separate Peace), but you're so right, Jessie!
For those of you who said the heroes (or heroines) in your own story, AMEN!
After all, if you don't fall in love with your own characters, how can you expect your readers to?
Adrian, the hero of Sugar Rush, my present story, bears a striking resemblance to Jack from Titanic.
My daughter and I argue over Luke and Anakin, but we totally agree on Jack.
Sookie Stackhouse…without a doubt. She is much more attractive in my mind then the Sookie on tv.
I can think of dozens.
Nora Roberts and Georgette Heyer alone probably have a dozen (or more) book heroes I lusted vicariously after (special spot for the Duke of Avon and his son). I liked Mr. Darcy, but hardly lusted after him. I sympathized with Heathcliff, but didn't lust after him.
Lord Peter Whimsy probably qualified and I have a serious thing for both Shan Yos'Galan and M. Jela in the Liaden universe.
If I thought about it, I could probably come up with a dozen more.
And, since there's a thread of my husband running through most of my male protagonists, that applies to my own work, too.
Roarke! I hadn't thought of Roarke! He's at least up there with the Duke of Avon. And Howl! Howl could BE my husband! I'm definitely in the Edward camp!
The list is too long. Who don't I love?
Robert Crais's Joe Pike
Bronte's Heathcliff
Carriger's Conall Maccon
Beverly Cleary's Stan Crandall
Woodiwiss's Wulfgar
ALL my crushes are in books, come to think about it.
Rosemary Woodhouse. Even after she's been knocked up by Satan.
Nathan,
I really enjoyed this blog. I will follow an be back for more. I am a good friend of Andrea Pearson. I heard about your blog from her. I've been inspired by her to write a book of my own. Have a great day!
Happy Writing.
Melissa Nielsen
Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.
I was actually lucky enough to meet Diana Wynne Jones, and she told me that she's had a lot of letters from people who want to marry Howl, which she said she couldn't understand, as he "seems like he'd be an awful husband" for most people. She said that then, after she saw the anime version of Howl they created for the movie, she understood.
Funnily enough, she also said that the fans who tend to fall for Howl are mostly in their teens and twenties, while a lot of fans in their thirties and up go for [Christopher Chant as] Chrestomanci (Charmed Life, etc.).
Maybe this is because, besides their age differences, Howl is melodramatic and irresponsible (but oh so much fun!), while Chrestomanci is a little more grown up. And lives in a giant mansion. 😛
I adore Gilbert Blythe from Ann of Green Gables. (And I'm reminded of that crush by my married name) 😉
Current 'crush' Peeta. (Though Gale is great, too, I can't help but cheer on Peeta).
Even post a Team Peeta banner in my latest blog post: http://rmgilbert.com
Gotta love character crushes.
Robbie Turner from Atonement, it helped that he was played by JAmes McAvoy too
Rath-Roiben-Rye from Holly Black's Tithe.
That would be you, Nathan. In my mind, you are a literary character. =)
Captain Will Laurence, but only because he's got such a sweet Celestial. 😉
Barack Obama!
Um… "Death" from the Discworld series and Raistlin Majere from Dragonlance… because apparently I have something for impossible, unattainable relationships.
Oh, and yeah, I always crush on my own characters. Otherwise, what's the point?
Phèdre nó Delaunay de Montrève from Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series.
If loving Edward is wrong, then I don't want to be right.
Before him it was Adam Trask from East of Eden.
Zebylon Mayhew for True Blue by LuAnn Rice. He honestly knew that the choices he made in his past cost him the love of his life. It was highly impressive when years later he attempts to right them and calls out all the stops. Not to mention he is an astronaut.
Ranger!!! He's from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.
Rosa Saks in her bohemian, Luna Moth days in THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY.
Captain Wentworth-Persuasion
Atticus Finch- TKM
Penn Cage- The Quiet Game (greg iles)
Teddy Kent from LM Montgomery's "Emily" series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Byrd_Starr
I first read this series when I was 11 or so and fell hard for Teddy. I even wanted to name my son after him, but my husband quickly put the kibosh on that idea!
Alex Fuentes from Perfect Chemistry. Hah. Still a teenager here. (Well, not technically.)
I just finished "Lovestruck Summer" by Melissa Walker. Russ is so crush-worthy!!
Atticus Finch, but I also had a forever crush on Gregory Peck. The Bronte girls hooked me on Heathcliff and Mr. Rochester in my early teens. When I finally got hold of a copy of "Lady Chatterley…" I fell for her groundskeeper.
Morelli from the Stephanie Plum Series. He's a guilty pleasure. I love me some summer pulp!
Nobody now, but when I was 14 —
Korak, son of Tarzan.
Then Faramir.
From the BOOKS, please, in all cases.
I'll add to the votes for Sydney Carton. (How many other women do you know who have an "I (Heart) Sydney Carton" bumper sticker on their car? 🙂 ) Also Arthur Clennam from "Little Dorrit." And Lord Peter Wimsey. And many more.
Katniss from The Hunger Games.
K – read this in my little Blogger window and thought it said "You Tell Me: Which Literary Agent Do You Totally Have a Crush On?" and thought – 'Like, everyone will say Nathan!' since it's your blog and all.
No, Literary Character! That makes more sense (unless you're having real downer day, Nathan, and need to feel the love).
Jondalar in Jean Auel's The Valley of the Horses – sequel to Clan of the Cave Bear.
The Chairman in Arthur Golden's Memoir of a Geisha.
Robert Kincaid in Robert James Waller's The Bridges of Madison County.
…to name a few. If done right, I should have a crush on the hero of every book I read. Right?
Trevor from MINDER.
Mr. Darcy from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
Jacob from TWILIGHT.
What about, which literary couples do you love? I'd say:
Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley
Sam Gamgee and Rose Cotton
Faramir of Gondor and Eowyn of the Rohirrim
Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall
Penelope and David (from Friends and Lovers by Helen MacInnes)
Gale definitely has more sex appeal than Peeta! Also crushed on John Snow from A Game of Thrones, Remus Lupin, and of course, Mr. Darcy.
Can't get enough of the strong silent types 🙂
You know, not many recently (except one of my own.) But I do enjoy some minor characters. Jules from Down a Dark Hall and Jeff from Stranger With My Face.
There's really no one I've been swooning over lately. Although I'll admit, for a time, (a very short time) I was an Edward fan.
Watch, I'll find the guy weeks after this post gets old.
Peeta from THE HUNGER GAMES.
Well, Jace from THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS, too, but he needs to grow up a bit. 😀
For all of you who love Mr. Darcy, Gilbert Blythe, Rhett Butler and Jamie Fraser as much as I do, there is no cooler literary figure than Francis Crawford of Lymond (Dorothy Dunnett's six book seried the Lymond Chronicles, Book One entitled Game of Kings). He takes the cake, and I would take him over all the rest combined.
Pierre Bezoukhov in War and Peace.
Jamie Fraser – Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
Mr. Darcy – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
George Emerson- A Room with a View by EM Forster
Harry Dresden- The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher
Rhett Butler- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Sherlock Holmes- series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Aragorn- LOTR by Tolkien (tho technically, I've never read the books)
Westley- The Princess Bride by William Goldman
(also never read the book)
Hamlet- by Shakespeare
Vanyel- The Last Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey
And if comic books count as literary, definitely add in Batman and Wonder Woman.
Most definitely Jamie Fraser. Meow.
And a nod to Mr. Darcy (only if he looks like Colin Firth). 🙂
Oh good, I'm not the only one with this affliction. Currently: Mr Darcy, Mr Thornton from North and South, Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games, and Marcus from The Mark of the Lion
Definitely Jamie Fraser 🙂
Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series.
Sirius is Dead!Sexy.
I'm sorry, out of 330 comments, only 5 people mentioned Edward from Twilight?
You people are lying through your teeth.
The character I adore most would be Gatsby.
He loved completely and gave it all, what more could a girl want? Yes, definitely him.
Henry Louis Vivian Derozio was my first crush in school. Also Rupert Brooke, forever. Angelic poets who died young, they are close to literary characters…
Laurie from Little Women, though I absolutely hated it when he replaced Jo with Amy.
Tom Tulliver. And David Copperfield and Pip, and I had a soft corner for Edgar Linton – that perfect gentleman, could never understand people's fascination for Heathcliff. Or haughty Mr. Darcy.
In schooldays, I had a big crush on the idealistic heroes in the novels of Rabindranath Tagore and Sarath Chandra Chatterjee – Gora and Bihari among others.
Cordelia Naismith Vorkosigan from Lois McMaster Bujold's Mikes Vorkosigan series.
She is totally my hero and I will love her forever.
I was completely dissatisfied with the woman Miles eventually marries, because while she is admirable in her own right, she is a poor comparison to Miles' mother Cordelia.
Cordelia is all woman and more of a "man" than most of those found walking the streets in our own time and place.
-Steve
Hile Troy from The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.
Allanon from The Sword of Shannara.
Lupin from Harry Potter.
And if we're going to talk Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, I'm going for Christopher Saxton.
Jonathan Strange!!! And I was madly in love with Arwen in LOTR for many years. Still am, a little. 🙂
Zane from Pretties
Po from Graceling
Legolas from LOTR
Draco Malfoy
Quinn from the Riley series by Keri Arthur. Now *there's* a hot vampire.
EASY! I have a crush on Mr Darcy. There's a reason why he's basically the archetypal quiet, mysterious, broody guy that girls seem to love to hate.
But I'd say that I have a few page-prone hotties I just can't get enough of.
I think the most long-lasting, penetrating tales *must* have characters that people can crush on – that's why people still read Jane Austen! You have to be able to crush along with the characters and feel their love and agony.
I totally understand all the Edward Cullen lovers, just because of the way the books were written – Bella adores him, so the reader must also.
I am ruined for all other men after Mr. Spock.
Mal Reynolds is a win, both as character and as Nathan Fillion (meow).
From the Harry Potter series, Cedric Diggory, even before RPatz. And yes, Severus Snape.
Lisbeth Salander.
Travis in Watchers by Dean Koontz.
I crush on Tas from the Dragonlance Saga, which freaks people out – they think I like wrinkled kleptomaniac midgets, but in reality it's his zeal for life, his love and loyalty, and his sense of humor.
I'm sure I'm forgetting many, but they're there. I definitely crush on my characters I'm writing. Of course, I invented them and know how they look! 😀 I don't think anyone needs proof that Anne Rice was in love with Lestat.
I'm oddly comforted you posted this question! Me and my best friend in Junior High were absolutely in love with Prince Jonathan in Tamora Pierce's The Song of the Lioness Quartet series. We never told a soul because we thought no one would understand!
When I was younger my favorite was Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. But now I have to go with Romeo and Aragorn.
Can I add Nat Eaton from The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
I'd have to say Myrnin from the Morganville Vampires. I mean, I'm aware that he's a blood-sucking psychopath half the time, but the other half of the time he's such a charming and medieval soul!
Hi. Enjoyed reading these posts. Have to add my list… not very "traditionally" literary… but here goes anyway…
1) At least two characters from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series… Jamie Fraser (of course!) and Lord John (William Grey) – yeah, I know, but it's a crush on a fictional (!!) character :-). I've read a LOT and these characters stay with me like no one else's…
2) Wedge Antilles – yeah, from Star Wars, but he becomes a really interesting character in the X-Wing books.
3) F'nor – dragonrider from Anne McCaffery's Pern series (dark, silent, strong, loyal type – gets me every time)
4) Daniel Jackson (Stargate SG-1) – does TV count? He's tough, he's brilliant, what's not to like? (Michael Shanks portrayal doesn't hurt either.)
5) Hawk – from Robert B Parker's Spenser series
Better stop now… this list could get huge… out of all of them… and the ones not listed… Lord John is my favorite.
So Nathan, any chance of seeing statistics from the comment thread? Number of males/females posting, the top X number of characters with their # of votes, etc. You know… because you have nothing better to do.
Definitely Jace from the Mortal Instruments series. He leaves everyone else in the dust.
I don't know about crush, but I could definately be attracted to Mr. Knightley from Jane Austen's book, Emma.
Harry Dresden, hands down! He could stop by anytime… we'd just have to hide the computers. 12 books is not enough…
Ross Poldark from Winston Graham's Poldark series.
I love Colonel Brandon in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY – of course, having Alan Rickman play him in the movie didn't hurt 😉
Congrats on reading THE LORD OF THE RINGS. It's interesting how some books are classics for a good reason, like LOTR, and others, you read them and go, hmmm. What do you consider the new classics? And why?
Sorry I've been emailing you back when I should have blogged – totally new to the world of blogging. Thought I'd recapture my answer to your question.
Thanks for such a great blog!
Cheryl Wolder
Very late to this party, but I can't resist:
Peter Pan
Mr. Spock (young Leonard Nimoy, you can keep the new one)
Rochester, until I read Wide Sargasso Sea
Sherlock Holmes
Merlin!
I have to admit I have an ongoing crush with Roarke from the in Death series and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice sequel,Chance Encounters. Sigh would that it were a love affair.
At the moment, it would have to be Uncle Virge the intelligent spaceship computer from the DRAGONBACK series. There is just something so addicting about his personality…
George Emerson—Room With a View
Gilbert Blythe- Anne of Green Gables
Rhett Butler—Gone With the Wind
Mr. Knightly—Emma
Johnny Tremain—Johnny Tremain
Wesley—The Princess Bride
Han Solo (young Harrison Ford! It's from the movie, I know, but I had to mention it)
Mr. Bingley—Pride and Prejudice (he always gets forgotten!)
I am completely, head over heels in love with Finny from "A Separate Peace." He's just so good, and he seems like he would be really, really hot.
<3 Finny for life
Janet Frame from the movie, and anything she ever wrote
Prince Myshkin, from The Idiot
Violet from Lemony Snicket. Could not resist the intelligence.
Luke Skywalker