Tuesday Tea: Have ever wanted to give a character a stern talking to (or a slap)?
Dear [character name], WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
Before we begin: two shouts. First, to friend-of-SSoP Gretchen for suggesting this question — second, to Polish photographer Jacek Stankiewicz for this photograph that captures an entire dramatic arc in one image.
Living vicariously through a character is one of the great joys of reading. They make all the mistakes and missteps, so we don’t have to. But sometimes, a character makes a move so bone-headed, so frustrating, so ill-advised, we want to give them a stern dressing down or a kick in the keister — or both. All with love, of course.
Dave says…
The first character that comes to mind is Jonathan Harker — the poor bastard who ends up trapped in Dracula’s castle. Seriously. Dude. GET OUT OF THE CASTLE! How many signs do you need?
Gatsby could have used more therapy than I could provide, but I do worry about that guy. (Fitzgerald, too.)
From recent readings, there’s Tobias Wolfe from This Boy’s Life. He could have used more parenting and a better direction, but then I think he ultimately finds it (just maybe not in the confines of that book).
Mel says…
The first character that came to mind was Bernie Gunther, the Berlin detective created by Philip Kerr. Bernie is a decent man with a smart mouth. He routinely falls in love with the wrong girl, and he has very little regard for his own safety. There’s always at least one point in a Bernie Gunther story when I internally yell, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! No, Bernie! No!
I also have a soft spot for a protagonist who cannot get out of their own way. All the qualities are there to have a good life, but they self-sabotage. I find that glorious in a fictional character, as long as they eventually pull out of the tailspin. I felt that way about the brothers in the fantastic book Lights All Night Long by Lydia Fitzpatrick. They’re both so close to success, and then blam! Foolish Decision With Consequences. In my review, I wrote, ‘This novel sneaks up on you, presenting as a mystery thriller while nimbly exploring big topics like the corrosive nature of secrets and hope, the sadness of saving yourself while you watch others flounder, the need to belong while also standing apart.’ I recommend that one 1000%.
Last one: Pretty much everything Thomas Cromwell does in The Mirror & The Light by Hilary Mantel. So stressful! So good!
Definitely. Theo Decker the main character in the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. This book was over 700 pages and I almost threw the book across the room several times. I've read Tartt's other books and I love her writing. Theo lies to everyone in this book. You want to slap him and tell him "nobody owes you anything, kid". There's a section where he moves to Las Vegas to live with his father. He meets another teen his age and their stupid highjinks and behavior I wanted to hit both of them. I was so happy when Las Vegas was over. I guess Donna did her job.
I can't think of any specific characters at the moment, but came here to tell you that image is perfection! I giggled for a good 5 minutes over it. ;)