Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The List

It's been a while since Sangee tagged me with this one, and finally I am in just the right state of mind for it!! The tag requires that I list out my favourite Georgette Heyer Men(GHM)... characters from books who actually made us go starry-eyed and weak-kneed and induced us to spend some appreciable time spinning pleasurably exciting dreams about them... You get the picture...

The one thing that I did realize as I got thinking about the Men-In-Books(MIB) that I liked, was that I actually didn't like too many after all. In most of my all time favourite stories, it was the heroine who made all the difference; the men were usually either not as entertaining, or just not distinguishable from the rest of the vast gang of MIB..

Even so, some of them rose high above the rest...

First, I just have to have Heathcliff on the list... Wuthering Heights always affects me very deeply for some reason, and he is one of the biggest 'some reasons' around. This was one of the few books where the female characters really didn't leave much of an impact on me!

Then of course, Pride and Prejudice gave us Mr. Darcy(swoon, swoon...) who was typical in many ways, but had everything necessary(and in just the right proportions) to turn young girls' heads and put their hearts a-flutter.

This list is getting horribly typical I think, but how can I not add Mr Rochester to the list? He was one of the most interestingly believable characters in Jane Eyre, and I don't think I need to go on about it, except that I thought I'd mention that I loved that conversation between Jane and him where he said that thing about a cord linking the left side of his body to a corresponding area in her anatomy, or some such.. I found it a fascinating thought.

Ok, now for some hard-core GHM, of the GH variety... Many enjoyed These Old Shades a tad more than Devil's Cub, and while I agree that Justin was a much more interesting personality, he was , I feel, a bit overshadowed by Leonie! Hence, he gets an honorable mention here... Vidal however, I found somewhat cool!

Then there was my all time favourite, Sylvester(or the wicked uncle ;) ) who was just so ... everything that he should be, plus he and Phoebe complemented each other perfectly! And ahem... Ridicklus Gudgeon!!!!!

But I was most partial to Sir Tristam Shield, who refused to ride 'Ventre-a-terre' to the possible deathbed of Eustacie, but agreed to do so for Miss Thane! I really never got over that ridiculous bit about the balmy night air... even in November, for to lovers all night air is balmy!! (and all lovers barmy, presumably)

And oh, I also have rather a soft corner for Joss P. Weatherby, who may be found amusing himself in the pages of Quick Service, and while he shares traits and such with some other Wodehouse characters, he definitely appealed most favourably, I almost know-not-why!

I am not going to write too much about Aragorn(book or movie), because after all, it's almost a given! But while on LOTR, I have to add Gandalf to the list (Gandalf of the book, not the movie!)
And I thought Faramir was one sadly underplayed character!!!!

Ahhh.. no more for today, I am somewhat fatigued!