100 Greatest Literary Characters

James Plath is R. Forrest Colwell Chair of English at Illinois Wesleyan University, and the author of six books, most recently John Updike’s Pennsylvania Interviews (2017).Gail Sinclair is scholar-in-residence and executive director of the Winter Park Institute at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She is the coauthor of Key West Hemingway: A Reassessment (2009).Kirk Curnutt is the chair and professor of English at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. He is the author or coauthor of 17 books, among them Understanding Gay Talese (2019) and William Faulkner (2017).

Greatest-list books inevitably spark discussion, and this fascinating work is no exception. Literary scholarsPlath, Sinclair, and Cunatt define their hundred greatest novel- and short story-characters as time-honored favorites that have influenced culture or have become significant literary models. They consulted previous lists and then polled 100 writers, professors, librarians, teachers, and book lovers to make an inclusive list that covers classics, children's books, contemporary literature, and genre fiction. Organized alphabetically by character name, each two-page entry lists the title and author of the character's first appearance, date published, and a memorable quote. These very readable essays analyze what is important about the character and why readers are fascinated by them. They also discuss the character's portrayal in movies—Sherlock Holmes, for example—and the character's lasting impact on culture, such as the way Scrooge is shorthand for a miser. The editors expect debate over the contents: why was Philip Marlowe chosen over Sam Spade, Mr. Darcy instead of Elizabeth Bennett, or Winnie-the-Pooh and not Mr. Toad? Students, librarians, and readers will enjoy the lively debate this book generate.

• Introduction Captain Ahab Aladdin Alex Alice in WonderlandHarry “Rabbit” Angstrom Brett Ashley George F. Babbitt Frodo Baggins Lily Bart Big BrotherMary Katherine BlackwoodMolly Bloom James Bond Philbert Bono Emma Bovary Jean Brodie Aureliano Buendía Nathaniel “Natty” Bumppo Cacciato Holden Caulfield Celie Charlotte Benjy Compson Don Vito Corleone Janie Crawford Clarissa Dalloway Mr. Darcy Pilate Dead Rebecca de Winter Dracula Tess Durbeyfield Tyler Durden Katniss Everdeen Jane Eyre Atticus Finch Huckleberry Finn Henry Fleming Frankenstein’s Creature Dorothy Gale T. S. Garp Jay Gatsby Holly Golightly Miss Havisham Eugene Henderson Sherlock Holmes Humbert Humbert Invisible Man Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde Ma Joad Anna Karenina Mick Kelly Kurtz Josephine “Jo” March Philip Marlowe Jane Marple Oskar Matzerath Merlin Meursault The Misfit Guy Montag Dean Moriarty Offred Katherine Scarlett O’Hara Orlando Papa (The Man) Peter Pan Piggy Billy Pilgrim Fleur Pillager Hercule Poirot Edna Pontellier Alexander Portnoy Harry Potter Hester Prynne Quasimodo Don Quixote Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov Ignatius J. Reilly Reno Lisbeth Salander Santiago Ebenezer Scrooge Sethe Tristram Shandy Shane Ántonia Shimerda Long John Silver Lennie Small Sonny Julien Sorel Willie Stark Daenerys Targaryen Tarzan Oliver Twist Jean Valjean Oscar Wao Carrie White Winnie-the-Pooh John Yossarian Yuri Zhivago Appendix: Top Ten Character List Index About the Authors