Top Ten Picks: Favorite Male Literary Characters.

I don't usually do a lot of memes. They take up a lot of time (and energy) and sometimes I just don't have the gusto within me to make another post. With that being said, I love reading memes on other blogs. It is a great way to get to know the writer behind the blog and more of their tastes.

Jillian at Random Ramblings has been hosting her "Top Ten Picks" for awhile now, and I have decided to join in this week. Each week she picks a topic and posts her top ten picks in reference to that topic. She has already written about villains and series among other things, but this week's topic is our Top Ten Favorite Male Literary Characters.

My ten picks are seen below, and are in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. Tom Sawyer from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

I absolutely adore the character of Tom Sawyer. I even told Matt, my husband, that I would love to have a little boy just like Tom. He thinks I am crazy, but I love that sneaky little boy with all my heart. He is certainly cunning, but there is a lot of depth to him and I think I would always be surprised with him around.

2. Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

While Gandalf is certainly a great wizard, it is Aragorn who has always inspired me in my readings of Tolkien's world. I love seeing him transform from the dark stranger known as Strider, to the confident king of Gondor who leads his men with strength and bravery.

3. Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

I love a funny man, and especially one who uses wit to aid his arguments. For me, Benedick steals the show in my favorite comedy by Shakespeare. He enters scenes and awes me with his wit, humor, and ability to do as he needs to come out on top (and happy).

4. Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I think every girl who reads Pride and Prejudice falls in love with Darcy just a little bit by the time the book ends. His efforts to ease the pain of Elizabeth and her sisters is commendable and allows the reader to forget some of the harsher things he said previously in the novel. In the end, he really is a big softie, and a man who fell so deeply in love that he did whatever he could to assure the happiness of his love.

5. Telemachus from The Odyssey by Homer

While Odysseus may be the main star of Homer's epic, I find that the tale and struggle of Telemachus is more interesting and appealing. Where his father is lost at sea battling mythical beasts and monsters, Telemachus is becoming a man and battling real fights in his own home as suitors take over and destroy what Odysseus had built. While I can't relate to the trials and tribulations of becoming a man, I can sympathize with how Telemachus must battle with the shadow of his father's success to become a man in his own right.

6. Jamie Fraser from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

You're going to have to excuse my girl crush here, but Jamie is probably the only male character I have ever developed a crush on. Sorry to tell you all that I am really a big sap, but it is true. I love how Jamie protects Claire at all costs. I love how he is big and strong on the outside, but just a big teddy bear.

7. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Snape has long been my favorite character of the series. Where the main characters are sometimes whiny and unsure, Snape is always a constant in the background. When I was reading the series as it was being published, there was always that lingering question of whether Snape was truly "good" or not. It was something that everyone talked about before the 7th book his the shelves and I remember thinking how desperately I believed him to be a good person. In all, I think he was the best written character of the series, and his story and history captured my heart more than many of the other characters'.

8. Jonas from The Giver by Lois Lowry

Another of my long-time favorite books, The Giver holds a special place in my heart. And in Jonas, one of my favorite characters of all time. At only 12, Jonas' world is turned upside down when he learns the truth about the village where he lives. He challenges that place and escapes, finding courage in unknown places to seek the truth about what he really believes in. I love Jonas because if I were in his place, I don't know if I would find the same courage in myself.

9. Sherlock Holmes from The Sherlock Holmes Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock is a new addition to this list, as I am still making my way through the 4 novels and 56 short stories written about him and his detective work. He has sparked so many TV shows and movies that I doubt I could watch them all. He is a pompous and arrogant man, a drug addict, and highly intelligent, but I love him anyway (he would hate that). I am always surprised by his solutions, and the manner in which he talks to the characters around him.

10. Lawrence Selden from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Take from one of my favorite novels of all time, Lawrence Selden is the counterpart to Lily Bart. He falls in love with her, but cannot support her. Instead, he watches from afar as Lily spirals out of control. His scenes with Lily break my heart and at times I want to reach into the book and shake her. His devotion and words at the end bring everything together and make this the amazing book that it is.