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Who's your favorite fictional female character?


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Precious Ramotswe.

 

She's kind, wise, content, optimistic, and sees the best in others. She's known adversity and is stronger because of it. I wish she were my neighbor.

 

Oh, I'm glad you mentioned her. I've many times wished she were my neighbor, and she could share some of her wisdom with me over a cup of bush tea.

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Some already mentioned:

Hermione Granger

Pippi Longstocking

 

:iagree:

 

Thursday Next

Which book is this from?

 

Also, lately, I've really enjoyed:

Lisbeth Salander (great, great character, from the Girl w/ the Dragon Tattoo )

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

Stacia, you know how much I love this one. She's my most recent favorite.

Pride and Prejudice, I read so long ago. I'll have to review Elizabeth Bennett. I do know that I LOVED that book.

 

Flavia de Luce (from Alan Bradley's mysteries such as The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie)

Plan on reading this soon. I know that given what I've heard, Flavia is great.

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Wow! Look at all the Elizabeth Bennett fans! That's mine, too. I love her wit and her integrity. Truly Jane Austen can craft a character better than practically anyone. But my other favorite is Luna Lovegood. JKR is a very close second on crafting characters and Luna is really marvelous. I love her acceptance of everything.

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Which book is this from?

 

Thursday Next is from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first book in the series is called The Eyre Affair. I think there are now 6 books in the series. (?)

 

From http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/adventures_of_thursday_next.html :

 

 

"INTRODUCTION TO THE EYRE AFFAIR

 

 

 

Masterpiece Theatre meets James Bond in
The Eyre Affair
, the first novel in Jasper Fforde's cheeky sleuth series featuring a book-loving, gun-toting, wit-slinging heroine named Thursday Next. In Thursday's world, an alternate version of 1985 London, literature rules popular culture—audiences enact and participate in Richard III for Friday-night fun, thousands of visitors make literary pilgrimages to gawk at original manuscripts, and missionaries travel door-to-door heralding Francis Bacon as the true Bard.

 

 

The mysterious theft of the
Martin Chuzzlewit
original manuscript from the Dickens Museum catalyzes Thursday's transformation from humble library cop into intrepid literature savior. When Thursday's eccentric uncle Mycroft and aunt Polly are kidnapped along with their Prose Portal, an ingenious device that allows readers to physically enter the world of any book, the SpecOps literary division uncovers a dastardly plot to kidnap and murder characters from everyone's favorite novels. The criminal operation is helmed by Acheron Hades, the third most evil man in the world, a supreme villain who bends minds, shifts shapes, and remains impervious to most mortal weapons. Thursday and her SpecOps cohorts' mission to capture their slippery adversary is further complicated by the meddling of the pointedly named Jack Schitt, the despotic head of security at the hegemonic Goliath Corporation, whose investment in Hades' capture seems suspect. And when the perpetrators dare to steal the original Jane Eyre, Thursday must race to save one of the most beloved characters in English literature—and Brontë's classic love story itself—from eradication."

 

Plan on reading this soon. I know that given what I've heard, Flavia is great.

 

She's fun, imo. :D

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Jean Louise Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Scout's first-person narrative made me feel as though I was "in" the story. I felt like I was Scout, seeing the South and the situation there through her young eyes. Scout could read well at an early age, which caused trouble for her in school. I read TKAM when I was about ten years old. I identified with her.

 

My other favorite fictional female character is Charlotte, the spider from Charlotte's Web. I have a true love for spiders. :001_wub: They are so fascinating.

 

I suppose you meant human character, though, right?

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Jean Louise Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. Scout's first-person narrative made me feel as though I was "in" the story. I felt like I was Scout, seeing the South and the situation there through her young eyes. Scout could read well at an early age, which caused trouble for her in school. I read TKAM when I was about ten years old. I identified with her.

 

My other favorite fictional female character is Charlotte, the spider from Charlotte's Web. I have a true love for spiders. :001_wub: They are so fascinating.

 

I suppose you meant human character, though, right?[/QUOTE]

 

Well, if critters are included, I choose Reepicheep!

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Mary Lennox from the Secret Garden and Sara Crewe

 

As a girl I read "A Little Princess" so many times, and wished my name were Sara-without-an-h :001_smile:

 

I read "A Little Princess" to my boys when they were about 8 or 9, and later they asked me to read it again, twice :001_smile: There's something about her fairy-tale life, and then the harsh life, and her courage and graciousness throughout ...

 

 

I also loved Kit Tyler from Blackbird Pond, for above reasons. :)

 

I like Harriet Vane, but since she ends up with Lord Peter...well, it's just not fair that she gets him and I don't:tongue_smilie::D.

:iagree:

 

I love Harriet's bookishness, and the way she straddles life in the ivory tower and life as a mystery-writer ... and her unflinching honesty ... and courage ... etc. etc. :001_smile:

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Benny from Circle of Friends. She was so human. She was awkward and a bit nieve at times, but had a wonderful heart and strength of character. I especially loved how she handled the situation with her boyfriend at the end of the book, and I was sooooooooooo ticked off at the movie for changing the ending! I feel the screenwritters really must not have "gotten" her to have ended it like that.

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Benny from Circle of Friends. She was so human. She was awkward and a bit nieve at times, but had a wonderful heart and strength of character. I especially loved how she handled the situation with her boyfriend at the end of the book, and I was sooooooooooo ticked off at the movie for changing the ending! I feel the screenwritters really must not have "gotten" her to have ended it like that.

 

:iagree: That bothered me too. It was like the screenwriters just came and wiped out all the growth that had occurred in her character.

 

My favorite is probably Molly Gibsonfrom Wives & Daughters (Elizabeth Gaskell). Her motives are pure, she operates completely without an agenda, but she can be fiery and stand up for what she thinks is right too.

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Thursday Next is from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The first book in the series is called The Eyre Affair.

Thanks, Stacia. I remember you recommending this book and have now added it to my wish list ... or should I say, moved it up in priority :D. Looks good.

Yes, I am looking forward to reading Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. I started it last year, even before you read it. But for some reason, I couldn't get into it at that point in my life ... Now I look forward to starting it again soon.

 

Benny from Circle of Friends. She was so human. She was awkward and a bit nieve at times, but had a wonderful heart and strength of character. I especially loved how she handled the situation with her boyfriend at the end of the book, and I was sooooooooooo ticked off at the movie for changing the ending! I feel the screenwritters really must not have "gotten" her to have ended it like that.

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

I LOVE Maeve Binchy. And yes, I was also annoyed by the ending of the movie.

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So many to choose from.

As a child I wanted to be Nancy Drew. Such an exciting life. She was so competent.

People have already mentioned Amelia Peabody Emerson so I will say Vicky Bliss. She gets to have adventures, work with Schmidt and she gets John (swoon). *

*I like but wouldn't want to be Cordelia, Phillipa Somerville or Geilis Van Borseln.

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I thought I'd be the only one to mention Hermione from HP :)

Miss Marple from Agatha Christie - I love that lady :)

Mulan

Maid Marian

Lyra (Golden Compass)

I thought I'd be the only one to mention Miss Marple. Let's see... Others that I like, not necessarily from literature:

 

Mary Poppins

Amelia Badelia

I'll second Prof McGonagall

Eve Dallas

Ilsa Lund

Rose Tyler

Samantha Carter

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Marian Holcombe from The Woman in White is one of my favorites. Friendly, funny, loyal, intelligent, tenacious. And not the love interest. In the end the intelligent villain credits her (not the hero/main character) with foiling him at every turn. Quite right.

 

Jane Eyre....always. Quiet with a will of iron. Intelligent. Honest. Values herself even when others don't. Absolute integrity, not just to others but to herself.

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And why?

 

Clara from Lonesome Dove. She's such a strong person who has been through so much heartache in her life, but she has a good attitude, doesn't take crap from anyone, and makes good decisions.

 

I also love Matilda (from the Roald Dahl book.) Just because she's fun.

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Precious Ramotswe.

 

She's kind, wise, content, optimistic, and sees the best in others. She's known adversity and is stronger because of it. I wish she were my neighbor.

 

I was going to add her when I finished reading through the thread. I love that she describes herself as, "traditionally built".

 

I also love her friend? Secretary? The one who started the Kalahari Typing School for Men. I can't remember her name.

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I was going to add her when I finished reading through the thread. I love that she describes herself as, "traditionally built".

 

I also love her friend? Secretary? The one who started the Kalahari Typing School for Men. I can't remember her name.

Grace Makutsi, who got 97% at the secretarial school. :D

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Books: Harriet M. Welsch (Harriet the Spy)

Movies: Marge Gunderson (Fargo)

TV: Elaine Benes (Seinfeld), Maggie Jacobs (Extras) and Joan Harris and Peggy Olson (Mad Men)

 

(And I second Pippi, Ramona, Anne Shirley, and Lois from Malcom in the Middle)

 

I think what I love about all of these characters is that they speak their minds. I especially would love to be able to say all the stuff that Elaine gets away with! :D All of these characters have their flaws (which makes them even more lovable to me) but for the most part they are strong and independent.

 

This is such an interesting thread. It took me awhile to come up with these, because most of the books I read and TV shows and movies I watch focus on men. I never noticed that before! It's very rare that I find a female character that I feel I have a connection with.

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My favorite female characters tend to change with my age; and I equate 'favorite character' with one whom I would want to be or emulate.

 

As a young child (preK through 3rd grade) I wanted to be Betsy in the Carolyn Haywood series of books about Betsy, Billy and Star.

 

In 4th through 7th grades I wanted to be Ginny in the Ginny and Geneva series of books by Catherine Woolley.

 

Then in 8-grade through early 20s I wanted to be Julia in the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. Julia was not a main character, but Betsy's older sister.

 

Mid 20s through 30s I wanted to be Emily in the book Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace.

 

In my 40s and now 50s, I can't think of any character I admire more than Emily Pollifax in the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorthy Gillman......unless it's Sadie Shapiro in Sadie Shapiro's Knitting Book by Robert Kimmel Smith, but I think I'll save her for my Character of Choice when I'm in my 70's and 80's.:D

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What are dirty birdies? QUOTE]

 

That is not what it means in the context of the book.

 

Annie Wilkes is the psychotic nurse who is obsessed with a series of books featuring Misery Chastain. When the author crashes his car near her home, she drags him into her guest bedroom and tries to heal him herself while forcing him to re-work his final Misery novel.

 

Wilkes calls people whom she dislikes dirty birdies...among other things. It as nothing to do with s3x.

 

I put Wilkes down as a joke b/c she is so obsessed with a female fictional character.

Edited by unsinkable
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This is such an interesting thread. It took me awhile to come up with these, because most of the books I read and TV shows and movies I watch focus on men. I never noticed that before! It's very rare that I find a female character that I feel I have a connection with.

 

:iagree:

 

That's one of the reasons I started it! It seems so much easier to come across great male characters than female sometimes.

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