Scoundrels in literature

[Pecksie]

Hi everyone! I'd like to know who your favourite literary rogue is. I guess I'd probably say Stiva Oblonsky, but there are many more :lol:

Of course, the rogue should have at least one redeeming quality (i.e. comic strip villains will not do). Stiva, for instance, is universally (and rightly) acknowledged to be a cheerful, good-natured man - but, unfortunately, he also happens to be amoral, unreliable and, ironically, the only person who utterly fails to appreciate the measure of his own wife's worth.

[Dark Muse]

Nightfall, from the Legend of Nightfall

and Anne Rice's Lestat

[armenian]

the narrarator from Notes From Underground

[Jozanny]

Even though Dickens is one of my least favorite authors on the canon, I have to go with Uriah Heep, at least for the purposes of this thread.

[Guinivere]

I think the Phantom is probably one of my favourite. Why, oh why didn't he get the lady ? He is definetly more interesting than his rival.

[PeterL]

Harry Flashman

[downing]

Rhett Butler?

[Charles Darnay]

No Jean Valjean? Alright, Jean Valjean!

Also, Peter Lake

AND

Autolycus!

[raider60]

Heathcliff--

[wessexgirl]

Is Jean Valjean(?) a scoundrel? Have I got the right character, from Les Miserables? :confused:

[Pecksie]

Is Jean Valjean(?) a scoundrel? Have I got the right character, from Les Miserables? :confused:

Hmmm, I wondered too... I always thought Jean Valjean was a good man, driven to theft by starvation...

[dramasnot6]

Shylock from The Merchant of Venice.

[Charles Darnay]

Hmmm, I wondered too... I always thought Jean Valjean was a good man, driven to theft by starvation...

He is a good man, but only after his redemption:

"The galleys make the galley-slave"

He was an honest man, he was sent away for 19 years and became a scoundrel, it was not after until he robbed Gervait(?) (the chimney-sweep) that he realized his ways.

[blazeofglory]

Red Butler in Gone With the Wind. He is such a villainous and malicious character, remove him and the whole novel is nothing.

[kelby_lake]

Pinky in Brighton Rock. he's brilliant! :)

[jkohn]

Since I made my first post over in The Idiot thread, I'll go with Rogohzin!

[wessexgirl]

What about Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair? A heartless little gold-digger if ever there was one, but a great anti-heroine.

[patrickbeverley]

Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility is quite a good scoundrel. Like Mr Darcy without the redeeming qualities.

Or Tyler Durden in Fight Club

[Scheherazade]

Humbert Humbert.

[DapperDrake]

How about Stokers Dracula, he's a pretty intriguing villain.

[Scheherazade]

I find Dracula somewhat boring actually.

[Old Crow]

I would say Thenardier (sp?) is closer to a scoundrel than Jean Valjean.

[Lioness_Heart]

Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility is quite a good scoundrel. Like Mr Darcy without the redeeming qualities.


I agree with that one: even though we all know he is no good, there is something a little pathetic and appealing about him still.

[Jozanny]

Humbert Humbert.

Sche wins! Time to pack up and go home:lol: . Humbert is the ultimate in scoundrel love:blush:.

[Scheherazade]

Sche wins! Time to pack up and go home:lol: . Humbert is the ultimate in scoundrel love:blush:.
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/2277/2432throwingflowersud8.gif

*with a bad Elvis impersonation*

"Thank you very much!"

[Gracewings]

Red Butler in Gone With the Wind. He is such a villainous and malicious character, remove him and the whole novel is nothing.

Rhett? Although his dealing seemed shady, I didn't think he was so bad by the end.

* * *

Mr Wickham in Pride and Prejudice
Don Fernando in Don Quixote