Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters

Tuesday, August 27, 2013


This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Most Memorable Secondary Characters. I love this question! 

1) Marian from The Woman in White – She is such a fantastic character and I always wished she had gotten a slightly different ending.

2) Dumbledore from Harry Potter – Wise, powerful, hilarious, one of my favorite characters ever.

3) Miss Havisham from Great Expectations – What a character! She makes an intense first impression and she’s impossible to forget.

4) Fermin from The Shadow of the Wind – Loyal and crass, Fermin is a bit of a mystery until we get to know him better in The Prisoner of Heaven.

5) Melly and Rhett in Gone with the Wind – It’s Scarlett’s story, but those two are by far my favorite characters in the book. One is a scandalous man who says what he thinks; the other is a great lady with a quiet strength. I love them both.

6) Matthew from Anne of Green Gables – He is such a softy. He loves Anne like his own daughter and he is always on her side.

7) Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird – He is a wonderful father and a humble man. Seeing him through Scout’s eyes makes him even more admirable.

8) Charlotte from Pride and Prejudice – She ends up with Mr. Collins, it’s a horrible fate. But at the same time she decides to marry him because she wants her own home and to no longer be a burden on others. She is a good friend and she is a strong woman. It took a couple rereads to appreciate her, but once I “got” her I loved her story.

9) Marvin from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – He’s a depressed robot and he is hilarious.

10) Laurie from Little Women – He is Jo’s best friend, partner-in-crime and confidant. You can’t help but love him dearly.


12 comments:

Sarah said...

I went for Marvin too! Charlotte is a great pick as well - I went for Lydia, but almost every secondary character in P&P is memorable in their own way, it was so hard to choose!

Sandy Nawrot said...

LOVE Melly! The one I would add would be Lee from East of Eden. That character made a huge impression on me with his speech on Timshel. I get goosebumps just thinking about it, even though the book in total put me into a malaise!

Sarah said...

Ooooo, Atticus and Marvin are GREAT picks! Lol Marvin...

annieb said...

I would add Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not only do I love his name, I love his personality. Sam would rather be home, as would all hobbits, but instead he goes where Frodo leads with great style.

Susan said...

Oooh, nice picks! Matthew (and Marilla) made my list, too. I love them both, but Matthew's definitely the easier one to like, especially at first.

Anonymous said...

I've read most of these books, but completely forgot them when I made my list. Very good choices!

Unknown said...

Nice list. My favorite character from Great Expectations is "Joe."
My Top 10

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Sarah - I know, P&P has so many, Darcy, Jane, Mr. Bennet, the list goes on and on.

Sandy - Lee was my favorite character in that book! He was so wise.

Sarah - I really need to reread the Hitchhiker books.

annieb - I can't believe I didn't list someone from LOTR! Sam is such a wonderful friend.

Susan - I love Marilla so much. She's just a tougher nut to crack.

readerholicsnotes - Thanks! This was a great list idea.

Kero - Joe is such a great one!

Unknown said...

I love Atticus! And Fermin made my list too. What a stud! I just started Great Expectations (not sure why it took so long) so I am glad someone made the list!

Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Reader said...

Great list! I've not read every book you've included characters from, but those I have I'm in full agreement with.

Ana S. said...

Marian! I kind of forget she's not the protagonist - that's how awesome she is :P

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Tiffany - Great Expectations is the book that made me give Dickens another chance. Enjoy!

Melissa - Good! I love finding new books to read on other peoples' lists.

Ana - I know! I recently watched a movie version from the 1940s and they completely changed the ending! It's the only time I've ever been happy that's happened.