Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Top Ten Tuesdays 1/24/12

This week is a freebie on Top Ten Tuesdays so I've picked an old topic: Fictional BFFs.  Here are my Top Ten
  1. Charlotte the spider - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.  Surely no one saw this one coming from a mile away.  My long-time favorite book also happens to star my ideal BFF Charlotte.  Charlotte is kind and smart.  She is always using her vast knowledge of the world to help others without asking for anything in return.  Wilbur was selfish and dumb and always asking more of Charlotte.  She always came through.  I think we can all see ourselves in Wilbur's selfishness.  Hopefully we all have the privilege of a friend like Charlotte to pull us through despite our flaws.  
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  3. 2.  Charles Pooter - The Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith.  I highly value laughter in any relationship. This book is one of the few that has actually made me laugh out loud; due mainly to the antics of Mr. Pooter.  What makes this even more amazing is the story was firsts published in 1889.  Mr. Pooter is a comfortable member of the middle-class who strives to be anything but.  Mr. Pooter takes himself entirely too seriously, takes offense at everything, and is never happy with anything of his own.  Why the hell would you want a friend like that?  Because if you could get over the faults, he will keep you rolling.                                                                                                                                
  4. Lisbeth Salander - Millennium Series by  Stieg Larsson.  Two words: Bad Ass.  Anyone would want a raging computer hacker on their side for the possibility of any number of situations.  Her methods may be extreme, but Lisbeth is a role model for the empowerment of women who have been put through hell by the various males in their life.  If nothing else, I would want to be Lisbeth's BFF because she needs and deserves love.                                                                                               
  5. Genna Hewett-Meade - Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates.  It may not be a good reason to want someone as a fried, but I choose Genna because I see a lot of myself in her.  I am not privileged in life, but I think it's fair to say that I'm often self-effacing and am a pleaser.  Genna also feels this responsibility to overcome darkness in her family's past.  My lineage doesn't hold any horrible past that I'm aware of, but I do understand the sense of wanting to be yourself, as opposed to a member of a family everyone has preconceived notions about.  I understand the satisfaction of shocking people when they are faced with you and your background at the same time. Genna also feels responsible for overcoming the bad acts of her entire race and generation.  It would be comforting to have someone to share the burdens of such impossible goals.                                 
  6. Elizabeth Bennet - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  Yes, being BFFs with Elizabeth Bennet is risky.  She is extremely judgmental, and breaking through to her initially would be difficult (and potentially painful emotionally), but once past her flaws, Elizabeth is a gentle soul.  She is extremely intelligent and funny.  She is quick to express her views and tell the truth despite the social consequences.  Most importantly, Elizabeth is staunchly loyal to those she loves most.                        
  7. Lux Lisbon - The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides.  We all need a friend to help us realize our parents aren't as bad as we think.  We all need a friend who makes our parents look at us like we're angels.                                                                                   
  8.  Matilda - Matilda by Roald Dahl.  Matilda is the friend I always wanted, but never had as a little girl.  I had these dreams of spending hours at the public library reading book after book.  With Matilda, this dream would have been a reality.  We would have spent our days curled up in cushy chairs taking in as much information as possible.  We would have spoke very little, but found immense comfort in knowing that our companion shared our same love of books.  *sigh*.
  9. Rob Fleming - High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.  A BFF who owns a record store and is as obsessed with lists as I am = awesome!
I do know how to count, I just can't come up with anyone else worthy of the list.  Top Ten Tuesdays may be a challenge given that I don't feel nearly as well read as I should (or want to) be.  Hopefully, as the weeks go by, my lists will become more and more complete.

Peace.                                                                                                                                                  

3 comments:

  1. This is a very interesting list!
    Though I mostly stay away from Jane Austen and my friend dissuaded me from reading The Diary of a Nobody and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo gave me nightmares (I study law and read up on horrid cases all the time, so it affects me more, I guess), I do love Charlotte - I think my boyfriend is the equivalent of Charlotte and I am a reincarnation of Wilbur - and Matilda, of course!

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    1. I'm stunned to find a legal scholar who loves Charlotte as much as me! The odds of that happening were definately in the "never happening" catergory. My time in law school had the opposite effect on me. I was totally numbed by having to read horrible criminal cases and then break them down perfectly and logically. Isn't it strange how we are all affected so differently? I guess I'm fortunate that I can still read great books with awful violence without suffering the aftermath.

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    2. I think it is the violence against women that gives me nightmares. I can read other horribly cruel things and keep my calm, but I guess rape is one of my biggest fears, like so many other women.

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