Some we fall in love with as soon as they are written onto the page. Others we gradually grow to love as the story progresses. They are the men we wish would step out of the book and whisk us away. They are why we turn the page. You may ask, “Who are these men that make you devour a book in one sitting and then sigh wistfully as you read the last word?” Well, I can only speak for myself, but these are the men of literature that get my heart pumping.
Fitzwilliam Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice— Sure, he’s proud. He is handsome, intelligent, and extremely wealthy. What’s wrong with that?
Edward Rochester from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre— Okay, so he keeps his crazy wife locked up in his house. Nobody’s perfect.
Heathcliff from Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights— He is the epitome of passionate and consistent love, but he does have a mean streak. Hey, who doesn’t like a bad boy?
John Willoughby from Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility— Talk about love at first write. He gets “A”s in rescuing damsels in distress. He’s just not so good at marrying them.
Angel Clare from Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles— Okay, so he has really bad timing and makes a lot of poor decisions. Eventually, he will come around, even if it is after you’ve already given up on him.
Sir Percy Blakeney from Baroness Emmuska Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel— Funny and fierce, this man definitely knows how to keep a secret. Don’t you love a man who ends up being more than he seems?
Gilbert Blythe from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series— (Sigh) Why do boys always seem to want the one girl they can’t have?
Theodore Laurence (Laurie) from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women— He’s the typical boy next door. You know– rich, with a cranky grandfather, who spends most of his time with four little women.
Edward Cullen from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series— Hey, he’s a man who can read your mind. So what if he has some dietary issues?
Peeta Mellark from Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy— There’s nothing sexier than a guy who’s willing to put himself in danger to protect you. Real or not real?
Well, that’s my list. What’s yours? (I’m always looking for a few good books.)