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So who're your favorite protagonists from your favorite books?
I'd say one of mine would be Alec Leamas from Le Carre's The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. It's a very depressing book, and Leamas is a very depressing man, but he has his moments. In a way, he's sort of a peronification of the Cold War itself: he's a broken man, one made vicious through his loneliness, but he tries from time to time to remember his own humanity. But the worldly actions of states have need of vicious men, so they can't let him go, nor can he give up. Richard Burton's portrayal of him in the movie version was good, but in my head he was always Russel Crowe, but older, in his fifties.
Another one would have to be Roland Deschaine from the Dark Tower series. Stephen King does a good job of sketching out a man who falls somewhere between a knight errant and a machine, a diplomat and a cold-blooded killer. Roland's defining characteristic is his overwhelming strength of will, and although he's tempered with regret, he never loses his chilling determination. I think if they ever make a movie out of the Dark Tower (and I hope they won't; I can't see them doing it well) Hugh Jackman would make a good Roland, with glacial blue contacts and a little uglification (Roland is never said to be a very pretty man at all), but I think Jackman is a good candidate for shooter's eyes, which is the most important thing, to me.
quote: Death, from Discworld, and Granny Weatherwax, of the same series.
Love those books. Glad someone else does too.
Apart from those two, I also think that Sam Vimes is a great character, I like that he's so flawed yet you empathise with him so much, he epitomises all the drunk sheriffs and emotionally weird detectives ever written.
Posts: 119 | Registered: Nov 2003
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Yeah, I'm thinking more gray at the temples for Jackman and a lot more wrinkles, especially around the eyes.
Posts: 2258 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Currently my favorite is Dr. Ransom from Perelandra. He's the best protagonist EVER...especially because he beats the crap out of the antagonist.
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