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Dickens was a genius at creating memorable characters- Bill Sykes, Scrooge, Pickwick, Micawber.
Sherlock Holmes is great, also P G Wodehouse's Jeeves, Evelyn Waugh's Apthorpe, Anthony Burgess' Enderby, Twain's Huck Finn etc
Harold Bloom would say Falstaff and Hamlet.
Leopold Bloom is the most complete literary character I have ever encountered.
Ivan Karamazov
^Ivan is not the protagonist of the book though, he gets mentioned/presented far less than Alyosha. Although i find him to be more interesting.
In the same vein, a secondary character in the Possessed comes to mind, Kyrilov :)
Alongside Bao-Yu of The Dream of the Red Chamber, which I am currently reading, Wang Xi-Feng has to be one of the most amazingly sophisticated and true-to-life characters I've ever come across. I'm not sure that even Bao-Yu is as well developed, seeing as how she seems to get more time in the novel.
Has anyone else read The Dream of the Red Chamber? What did you think of it?
Sadly my answer was taken.Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowqueen
I have never understood the affinity people have for this character.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bustrofedon
I couldn't pick one. However, I've just been glancing through "Last Chronicle of Barset" (available on line on this very site) by Anthony Trollope. One can seldom enjoy oneself more than in the company of Septimus Harding. Those who have read the Barchester series will remember him for turning down the position of Dean, and resigning as the Warden of the Hospital. Here, at the end of Barchester Towers, Mr. Harding introduces the new warden:
In "Last Chronicle", Mr. Harding is an old man. He always loved playing his violincello, but in his old age could not longer do so. IN one of Trollopes greatest scenes, when nobody else is at home, Mr. Harding takes down the cello case and fondly strokes the wood of his beloved instrument. It's one of the purest examples of Trollope's genius, and my almost boundless affection for Mr. Harding increases the poignancy of the scene.Quote:
Few men, however, are constituted as was Mr Harding. He had that nice appreciation of the feelings of others which belongs of right exclusively to women.
Arm in arm they walked into the inner quadrangle of the building, and there the five old men met them. Mr Harding shook hands with them all, and then Mr Quiverful did the same. With Bunce Mr Harding shook hands twice, and Mr Quiverful was about to repeat the ceremony but the old man gave him no encouragement.
'I am very glad to know that at last you have a new warden,' said Mr Harding in a very cheery voice.
'We be very old for any change,' said one of them; 'but we do suppose it be all for the best.'
'Certainly--certainly, it is for the best,' said Mr Harding. 'You will again have a clergyman of your own church under the same roof with you, and a very excellent clergyman you will have. It is a great satisfaction to me to know that so good a man is coming to take care of you, and that it is no stranger, but a friend of my own, who will allow me from time to time to come in and see you.'
'We be thankful to your reverence,' said another of them.
'I need not tell you, my good friends,' said Mr Quiverful, 'how extremely grateful I am to Mr Harding for his kindness to me,--I must say his uncalled for, his unexpected kindness.'
'He be always very kind,' said a third.
'What I can do to fill the void which he left here, I will do. For your sake and my own I will do so, and especially for his sake. But to you who have known him, I can never be the same well-loved friend and father that he has been.'
'No, no, sir,' said old Bunce, who hitherto had held his peace; 'no one can be that. Not if the new bishop sent a hangel to us from heaven. We doesn't doubt you'll do your best, sir, but you'll not be like the old master; not to us old ones.'
'Fie, Bunce, fie! how dare you talk in that way!' said Mr Harding; but as he scolded the old man he still held him by his arm, and pressed it with warm affection
Kullervo from the Kalevala
Agree with st lukes.
My memorable character would be sima yi.
Or hari seldon.
St paul with his endless efforts(my favourite is his way of soliciting donations from the corinthians) would be my theist choice, not that i am a christian ;-)
Squire Western.
John Self.
Huckleberry Finn.
Mrs Bennet.
Gollem.
Otherwise I agree with Wickes - Dickens has a hatfull of characters.
Tess Durbeyfield
I would like to add a few more.
Andrei Bolkonski from War and Peace
Cathy Ames from East of Eden
Jean Valjean from Les Miserables
Bill Sykes from Oliver Twist
Shylock from The Merchant of Venice
Don Quixote has been mentioned here a few times already. It's obvious why. The phrase "tilting at windmills" is referenced so often. It's one of the most enduring images ever written.
There are some characters that have yet to be mentioned and are very obvious. They've probably been overlooked because they are from children's stories. Peter Pan. Winnie the Pooh. Alice. They are as recognized and beloved as any other characters written.
I am going to go with most famous is most memorable, and make it easy on myself. I don't count biblical characters. In no particular order:
Scrooge
Sherlock
Huck
Santa Claus (wasn't biblical)
Hamlet
Bilbo/Frodo Baggins
Gandalf the wizard
Gulliver
For my personal tastes, I remember Herzog with excrutiating detail. I think that is my favorite character study.