Withywindle
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Tue Feb-24-09 12:17 AM
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Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900. NPR's list sucks. Let's make our own! |
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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x8547194Who would YOU include? Who are you just appalled to see left out? Who had the biggest impact on you? Let's hear 'em!
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Richardo
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Tue Feb-24-09 12:41 AM
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1. I'll start with two that I agreed with: Yossarian and Philip Marlowe |
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Billy Pigrim - Slaughterhouse 5 Kurtz - Heart of Darkness Winston Smith - 1984 Boxer - the cart-horse in Animal Farm Tom Joad - Grapes of Wrath Hari Seldon - Foundation Clinton Tyree - hermit and former Governor of Florida, various Carl Hiaasen novels Bilbo Baggins - The Hobbit Atticus Finch Scout Finch Boo Radley
I'm sure there are a thousand others, but that's a start and I'm tired. :)
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Taverner
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Tue Feb-24-09 12:49 AM
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3. Billy Pigrim - Slaughterhouse 5!!!!!! |
geardaddy
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:21 PM
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mitchum
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:38 PM
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28. Boxer? I hate that goddamn tool more than the fucking pigs in Animal Farm |
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okay...I've calmed down now :)
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Richardo
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Tue Feb-24-09 05:06 PM
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29. I thought he was a very poignant character when I read it in 7th grade. |
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You enemy of the worker, you. :D
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FKA MNChimpH8R
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Tue Feb-24-09 12:44 AM
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2. Not gonna argue about where they belong, but |
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I would put Harry Potter, Stephen Maturin (my all time favorite fictional character-from the Patrick O'Brian books), Hannibal Lecter (read the books, especially Hannibal, the movies have nothing to do with the canon - there is more psychological depth there than can be imagined) and that inimitable gentleman's gentleman, Reginald Jeeves in the higher reaches of the canon. And just about any character created by the endlessly wonderful Robertson Davies.
Oh yes, Tolkein's Frodo and Bilbo Baggins and Sam Gamgee, Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan and Steerpike. And I am missing dozens. Flame away.
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Withywindle
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Tue Feb-24-09 01:11 AM
Response to Reply #2 |
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OMG, any list that leaves them out is no list at all, you're totally right.
(I'm with you on Steerpike, but I think Fuchsia is more compelling than Titus.)
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FKA MNChimpH8R
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Tue Feb-24-09 01:25 PM
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15. On second thought, you are right |
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Edited on Tue Feb-24-09 01:30 PM by FKA MNChimpH8R
Fuschia is an incredibly compelling character. I instantly had a crush on her the first time I read the Gormenghast trilogy. But then I had a terrible crush on Ophelia the first time I read Hamlet. And probably for the same reasons. :)
And I will definitely consider Randall Flagg. I just re-read Stephen King's epic "director's cut" of "The Stand" a couple of months ago and got scared completely out of my wits. Gods, what an epically creepy and evil character..... King's not a great writer, but he is one hell of a storyteller when he's on.
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nomorenomore08
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Tue Feb-24-09 12:54 AM
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4. I'm just disappointed they put Quentin Compson instead of his brother Benjy. |
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Seriously, now, 'The Sound and the Fury' is considered one of the 20th century's greatest novels for a reason, and Benjy is the real anchor of the story. And the mere fact that Faulkner was able to so vividly depict the reality of a mute autistic man, at a time when the term "autism" didn't even exist, should by itself make Benjy one of the greatest modern literary characters.
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cemaphonic
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Wed Feb-25-09 03:14 PM
Response to Reply #4 |
42. they're both there - no Caddy though |
nomorenomore08
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Wed Feb-25-09 09:39 PM
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46. Shit, I missed that! But yeah, Caddy probably deserves a spot too. |
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Despite being "too beautiful" (in Faulkner's own words) to be used as a narrator.
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Withywindle
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Tue Feb-24-09 01:10 AM
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5. Here are a few of mine, I'm sure I'll think of more later |
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Dr. Benway - recurring character in the works of William S. Burroughs Harriet M. Welsch - 'Harriet the Spy' by Louise Fitzhugh (1964) Cthulhu - recurring Elder God in the works of H.P. Lovecraft Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, detectives in Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries Steerpike, Fuschia Groan - Mervyn Peake's 'Gormenghast' (1950) Gollum - J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' (1937) and 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) Sam Vimes and Esme "Granny" Weatherwax - Terry Pratchett's 'Discworld' series Horse Badorties - 'The Fan Man', William Kotzwinkle (1974) Aslan - C.S. Lewis's 'The Chronicles of Narnia' (1950-1956) Silver John/John the Balladeer - recurring character in the works of Manly Wade Wellman Smilla Qaaviqaaq Jaspersen - 'Smilla's Sense of Snow' by Peter Hoeg (1992)
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XemaSab
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:25 AM
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tigereye
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:11 PM
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17. I agree with Leaphorn and Chee, Gollum, and Aslan... |
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It's so funny, though, I thought only my husband loved Gormenghast, and I've seen people talking about it several times in the past few days!
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Zomby Woof
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:11 AM
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7. My favorite 5 (subject to change) since 1900 |
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1. Augustus McCrae - "Lonesome Dove"
2. Ántonia Shimerda - "My Ántonia"
3. Jack Burden - "All The King's Men"
4. Randle P. McMurphy - "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"
5. Philip Marlowe - "The Big Sleep"
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XemaSab
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:23 AM
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Thanks for posting this... I was hoping someone would |
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I have no pretentions to literature. These are just some names I'm throwing out. And this is based on a quick look at the ol' bookshelf, so I'm sure if I thought about it there would be more.
1. Ignatius J. Reilly
2. William of Baskerville
3. Demian
4. Bastian Balthazar Bux
5. The Wizard of Oz
6. Piggy
7. Lyra Silvertongue
8. Eleanor Vance
9. Severus Snape
10. Randall Flagg (not great literature, but a great character? Hell yeah. :D )
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Withywindle
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:40 AM
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13. Shouldn't Lyra be counted as two characters? |
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Her and Pantalaimon? :D Good choice!
And yeah, of all the many good reasons to diss the NPR list, picking Harry over Severus is a BIG RED FLAG.
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Withywindle
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:47 AM
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14. In the "not great literature, but great character" realm, |
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I see your Randall Flagg and I raise you Lestat de Lioncourt. :D
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tigereye
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:13 PM
Response to Reply #14 |
18. well, maybe they were only looking at characters in what they deem "great" |
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literature... that's interesting.
The main character in White Teeth is great, as well and female protagonists in several of Kingsolver's novels.
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XemaSab
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:00 PM
Response to Reply #18 |
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Formative literature, sure, but great? :shrug:
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tigereye
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:20 PM
Response to Reply #21 |
23. compared to books by Madonna, it is... |
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I think in this case, it's a matter of the effects of the character... Milne wasn't a bad writer compared to some, certainly imaginative... Probably stacked up against the Golden Compass, or Little House on the Prarie, or Dickens, not so great...
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XemaSab
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Tue Feb-24-09 07:43 PM
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33. I considered putting Laura Ingalls on my list |
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but since it's somewhat autobiographical... :shrug:
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XemaSab
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Wed Feb-25-09 07:56 PM
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bobthedrummer
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:23 AM
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8. George Smiley, Bernard Sampson... |
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Edited on Tue Feb-24-09 02:25 AM by bobthedrummer
thanks to John LeCarre and Len Deighton...
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MrSlayer
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:25 AM
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10. Gandalf the Grey is obvious. |
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Edited on Tue Feb-24-09 02:26 AM by MrSlayer
Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King's "IT" Patrick Bateman from Brett Easton Ellis' "American Psycho" Raistlin Majere from Weis and Hickman's "DrangonLance" series Drizzt Do'Urden from R.A. Salvatore's epic Drizzt series. The Cenobites from Clive Barker's "The Hellbound heart"
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Jamastiene
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:27 AM
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To be deprived of love and never allowed freedom from one very uncomfortable room, then to have nature play the cruelest trick of them all and make a person such a freak that everyone around considers them utterly unlovable. I really felt for Carrie.
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ismnotwasm
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:29 AM
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tigereye
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:09 PM
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16. hmm, it looks ok up until the 60s or so, and there isn't as much since then |
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Not sure Harry Potter should be on there for that reason.
I'm not seeing a glaring error, but I'll have to think about it. I see a lot of the classics on there, and they are hard to argue with...
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Tommy_Carcetti
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:13 PM
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19. Livia Soprano, Frank Pembleton, Clinton "Skink" Tyree... |
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...any any one of a number of characters on The Wire.
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PassingFair
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Tue Feb-24-09 02:23 PM
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20. In recent years, Briony Tallis stands out for me. |
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I actually CRIED at the end of reading "Atonement".
(Disclaimer: I also cried at the last chapter of "The Book Thief")
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DS1
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:02 PM
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22. Raven from Snow Crash |
XemaSab
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Tue Feb-24-09 06:44 PM
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DevonRex
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:22 PM
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25. Sookie Stackhouse in Charlaine Harris's novels and the HBO series. |
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Jamie Fraser in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I have a crush on him. :)
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HiFructosePronSyrup
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:24 PM
Response to Original message |
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Edited on Tue Feb-24-09 04:25 PM by HiFructosePronSyrup
And Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
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Withywindle
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Wed Feb-25-09 03:11 AM
Response to Reply #26 |
39. Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser! |
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Yes!
while I'm on the subject:
Elric of Melnibone (emo before emo) Horselover Fat (best author-self-insert ever?) Aziraphale and Crowley (with whom Pratchett and Gaiman seem to identify a little too much) Schmendrick the Magician (he stars in a novel about a unicorn. And it ISN'T twee.) Biff and Maggie (Josh of Nazareth's childhood pals)
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geardaddy
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Tue Feb-24-09 04:26 PM
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From Vonnegut: Kilgore Trout Eliot Rosewater Malachi Constant
Lord of the Flies: Ralph Piggy Jack
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sarge43
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Tue Feb-24-09 05:09 PM
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Horatio Hornblower
Gully Folye
Leto Atreides, God-Emperor
Det Allan Grant, The Daughter of Time
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tanngrisnir3
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Tue Feb-24-09 05:15 PM
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31. Mr. Crumbles & the Giant Ice Weasel. |
ghostsofgiants
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Wed Feb-25-09 12:11 AM
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34. Does it have to be in literature? Or can we include movies and TV shows? |
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A few off the top of my head:
Literature: Johnny Truant form House of Leaves Tyler Durden from Fight Club Mary Katherine Blackwood from We Have Always Lived in the Castle Enid Coleslaw from Ghost World (Graphic novels count, right?)
Movies: Seymour from Ghost World (Not a character in the graphic novel.) Royal Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums Wooderson from Dazed and Confused The Mystery Man form Lost Highway
TV shows: Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks John Locke from Lost Fox Mulder from The X-Files Brother Justin from Carnivale
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FKA MNChimpH8R
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Wed Feb-25-09 02:43 AM
Response to Reply #34 |
38. Nice catch with Dale Cooper |
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Probably the coolest character ever on a TV show except for Patrick McGoohan's unforgettable, indefatigable Number Six. "Dale Cooper" was my handle on a number of message-boards a few years back.
Back when A&E (when it actually dealt with Arts and Entertainment) started showing Twin Peaks around 1999/2000 I fell into the show, which I'd never seen on ABC. I saw the pilot and thought "At last I have encountered a film maker who sees the world the same way I do." David Lynch is, IMHO, one of the great filmmakers of all time.
In the interests of honest disclosure, I was diagnosed Asperger's in 2005. :) Which probably explains why I like Lynch so much.
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ghostsofgiants
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Wed Feb-25-09 11:47 AM
Response to Reply #38 |
40. Lynch is by far my favourite filmmaker. |
JCMach1
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Wed Feb-25-09 01:39 AM
Response to Original message |
35. Valentine Michael Smith |
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Heinlein's 'Stranger in a Strange Land'
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JCMach1
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Wed Feb-25-09 01:39 AM
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OmahaBlueDog
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Wed Feb-25-09 02:00 AM
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37. The Joads (Tom and Ma especially) for openers (from The Grapes of Wrath) |
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Cal Trask and Cathy Trask from "East of Eden"
All my favorite Vonnegut characters were mentioned upthread (Kilgore Trout, Billy Pilgrim, Elliot Rosewater)
Doc and Mack from "Cannery Row"
Carrie from "Carrie"
Isadora Wing from "Fear of Flying"
Jonas Cord from "The Carpetbaggers"
"Sam I Am", "Mr. Knox", "Horton", and "The Grinch" (note that "The Cat in the Hat" did make the list)
Someone yesterday mentioned Alex from "A Clockwork Orange"
Irwin Fletcher from the "Fletch" novels
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cemaphonic
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Wed Feb-25-09 03:11 PM
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based on an historical figure, yes, but still a 20th century literary creation.
Gene Wolfe has a few, chiefly Weer and Severian.
I thought that list was missing Charles Kimbote and Judge Holden, but I was wrong.
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KamaAina
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Wed Feb-25-09 08:35 PM
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44. Ignatius J. Reilly should've been much, much higher than No. 17 |
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"Canned food is a perversion... I suspect it is ultimately very damaging to the soul."
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KamaAina
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Wed Feb-25-09 08:36 PM
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remember, the movie "Fight Club" was adapted from a Chuck Palahniuk novel.
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jobycom
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Wed Feb-25-09 09:57 PM
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47. I spent 45 hours straight, living off Black Russians and Reese's Peanut Butter cups |
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coming up with my own list, and when I was done, it coincidentally was exactly the same as the NPR list.
For Chrissake, why so serious? The list didn't suck, it was fine. People are weird around here.
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