Top Ten Tuesday: Literary Doppelgangers

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Characters That Remind Me of Myself. Most books I enjoy have a character (or two) I connect with, otherwise I don’t really care for the book. But my favorite books have characters that I feel a special kinship with. They’re what Anne Shirley would call a “kindred spirit.” Here are ten of my “literary doppelgangers.”

Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: If there is one character I relate to, it’s Bilbo Baggins. While he longs for adventure, he’s more comfortable sitting at home eating and reading. When he does venture outside Bag End, he finds more than adventure. I feel Bilbo Baggins in my soul.

Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling: New Scamander is me. He’s awkward and odd and would much rather spend time with animals than people. Plus, his coat! And his suitcase! I relate to Newt a lot, which is why I prefer Fantastic Beasts over Harry Potter.

Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis: Of all the Pevensies, I relate the most to Lucy. The youngest daughter, a big imagination, steadfast belief despite logic. Lucy is the reason sometimes I wonder if I might be more Hufflepuff than Ravenclaw.

Laura Ingalls from Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder: I definitely don’t think I’m as brave as Laura, but stubborn and determined? Definitely. When I read this series growing up, I felt such kinship with Laura despite the decades between us. She works hard for her family and stands up for what she believes and loves the world.

Iku Kasahara from Library Wars: Love and War by Kiiro Yumi: Kasahara is an awkward, determined member of the Library Task Force. Her aim in life is to protect books from censorship as the first female officer. She’s awfully brave, but she’s also clumsy and embarrassing and sometimes she says stupid things. Let’s just say I relate to her a lot.

Lia Beterrini from River of Times series by Lisa T. Bergren: As much as I’d love to claim I’m like Gabi Beterrini, I know it’s not true. Lia, however, is more like me. The younger sister, the quiet one, the tenderhearted. While Gabi’s off swinging a sword, Lia stays hidden away with her bow, and I think if I had to fight, that’s where I’d want to be, helping turn the tide but not in the thick of things.

Nagato Yuki from The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-Chan by Nagaru Tanigawa: There are actually two Nagatos in the Haruhi manga series. Nagato who is an alien interface and the other is a shy girl who likes to read books. I relate, obviously, more to the second Nagato, but her personality and her love for reading is what really connects me to her character.

Catherine Moreland from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: I haven’t read this book in  while, but it’s one of my favorite Austen novels partly because of the protagonist, Catherine. At times, Catherine is way over the top with her daydreaming and reading Gothic fiction. She daydreams and comes to terrible conclusions about the lives of people around her, but it’s those aspects that remind me of myself. I’m always lost in my head or lost in a book.

Puck Connolly from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: I am no way as brave as Puck and I don’t know if I’d be able to enter a man-eating horse race, but there are aspects of Puck’s personality that reflect my own. Her sass and sense of humor, her determination and loyalty to her family, her sense of understanding the world around her.

What literary characters do you relate to? Don’t forget to join the link-up!

 

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