The 20 Greatest Characters of All Time - Reaction

📚 Read the Great Books with the Hardcore Literature Book Club: www.patreon.com/hardcoreliterature
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🎙️ open.spotify.com/show/70IZA24... (Subscribe to the Hardcore Literature Podcast on iTunes & Spotify)
📖 Book Club Discussion: www.patreon.com/posts/who-is-greatest-101291574
Hardcore Literature Lecture Series
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📔Contents Page: cutt.ly/CmNhRY3
🎖️ War and Peace: cutt.ly/U3nzGma
🎭 Shakespeare Project: cutt.ly/B3nxHH7
🐳 Moby Dick: cutt.ly/K3nzVKf
☄️ Blood Meridian: cutt.ly/P3nz6Qp
🍂 Wuthering Heights: cutt.ly/N3nxxYt
🇮🇪 Ulysses: cutt.ly/x3nxQmN
🚂 Anna Karenina: cutt.ly/vmNhAWv
💀 Crime and Punishment: cutt.ly/rmNhFt5
⚓ Persuasion: cutt.ly/amNhX7b
🎠 Don Quixote: cutt.ly/cmNjoK4
🇫🇷 Les Misérables: cutt.ly/J3YixoA
📖 Middlemarch Serial Reading: tinyurl.com/45rv965c
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Timestamps:
0:00 who is the greatest character in literature?
1:40 CHARACTER 20
2:30 character reveals itself in action
3:00 great characters enter the collective awareness
3:40 my current personal reading project
4:10 desiring complex characterisation
4:50 the best characters become real people
5:20 great characters come in pairs
5:50 CHARACTER 19
6:50 Shakespearean inwardness in Austen
7:50 the therapeutic value of literature
9:20 great characters as reflection of self
10:10 learning to appreciate otherness
10:40 CHARACTER 18
11:20 being shy about our favourite characters
12:50 give characters the advice you need
13:30 sympathising with characters in turmoil
15:00 finding comfort in books during heartbreak
16:40 CHARACTER 17
17:20 one of my personal favourite lecture series
18:20 the greatest writers wrestle with evil
20:00 sympathising with the anti-hero
20:50 hubris causes one's fall from grace
21:30 most interesting and influential characters
22:30 CHARACTER 16
23:00 the Myers-Briggs personality types
24:00 changing with world starts with yourself
25:00 disliking characters similar to us
25:30 how reading helps you accept yourself
26:00 CHARACTER 15
26:30 one of my favourite scenes in literature
27:20 family history, fiction, biblical myth
28:00 great characters are aspirational
29:40 CHARACTER 14
30:10 strong writers have pantheons of characters
30:40 perfect book for scriptural reading
31:30 experiencing an epiphany in literature
33:00 the wisdom of near death experiences
34:00 befriending characters in times of war
35:30 the healing power of great literature
36:20 CHARACTER 13
37:00 ego death, rebirth, hero's journey
38:00 vicarious experience and inner quests
38:30 how to create complex anti-heroes
39:20 CHARACTER 12
39:50 reading by candlelight in a power outage
40:30 my love of friendships in literature
41:00 why we love characters who go on journeys
41:50 reading is spending time with old friends
42:20 CHARACTER 11
42:50 archetypal wise guides in literature
43:20 my current reading and walking challenge
44:00 strong people who choose to be loving
45:10 feeling drawn to wise elder characters
46:00: what your favourite characters say about you
47:00 identifying with peripheral characters
48:00 CHARACTER 10
48:50 choosing your madness is creating your reality
49:20 identifying with quixotic characters
49:40 a comic work that restores me
50:30 seeing the world as it ought to be
51:00 CHARACTER 9
51:30 the characters we identify with
52:20 characters who change by talking to each other
52:50 CHARACTER 8
53:20 another powerful creator of characters
54:00 identifying with Dostoevsky's characters
55:00 the comfort of honest inner monologues
56:00 a character who is too real to be fictional
56:30 CHARACTER 7
57:00 the paradox of our personalities
57:30 how we change whilst remaining the same
58:00 characters who stay with us for decades
59:00 CHARACTER 6
59:30 film adaptations that aren't faithful
1:00:00 dividing great characters into two types
1:01:30 deep dive biblical exegetical analysis
1:02:20 CHARACTER 5
1:02:50 one of the most frightening characters
1:03:30 a powerful ending to a great book
1:04:10 CHARACTER 4
1:04:50 you cannot complete your quest alone
1:05:30 courageous characters that comfort us
1:06:50 CHARACTER 3
1:07:30 another intensely aspirational character
1:08:10 a character that transcends his shackles
1:08:50 great characters are all-encompassing
1:10:00 CHARACTER 2
1:10:30 most popular book club read-throughs
1:11:00 a revolutionary character with integrity
1:13:00 how we grow alongside great characters
1:14:20 CHARACTER 1
1:15:00 the most powerful creators of character
1:15:30 a character who has become real
1:16:00 subtext, sympathy, backstory
1:17:30 a character whose thoughts are our thoughts
1:18:00 my ongoing relationship with this work
1:18:30 what book club readers say about this character
1:22:20 my personal top seven favourite characters
1:29:00 an exciting reading season at the book club
1:30:00 who is your personal favourite character?

[@shrineshpatel2642]

"Let me call you back, Benjamin's dropped another video."

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Shrinesh! ☺️

[@vickieprieto959]

yes, yes, yes! I laughed so hard when I read your comment because that is indeed always me as well.

[@Flowering_Glume]

Ha ha! Yes! I'm in Arizona fully equipped with a beach towel , wine, heading out for a hot Friday date with myself in my swimming pool under the stars an hour and a half ago standing here asking myself, "Will I pause this, will I listen in the pool?" I put on my glasses, dropped my bag, and got really lost in Benji's bewitchery. He could read the ingredients to a particular marmalade recipe from a woman I dislike, but inadvertently I've made toast, triumphantly even! He could make a root canal sound heroic. Benji, do you write? If not, why not? You have a world of characters that live inside you. I would absolutely love to know if you have characters of your own that you might have developed and store for safe keeping until the perfect adventure possesses you to devise a great story of your own into existence?

[@Roland96351]

Yes, I enjoy hearing Benjamin talk. He brings loving passion to all his videos. I never knew how much I was missing from literature until I started listening to this channel.

[@thelanes6448]

As I start to watch this instalment, I can’t fail to remember a moment when I was teaching a group of 10-11 year olds. I was probably wittering on about characters etc and one bright button perked up and asked ‘Sherlock Holmes isn’t a real person?’ I confirmed he was a character created by the author. Imagine the classroom - all continued writing their stories containing their excellent characters. Several minutes later - same boy asked ‘Mrs Lane - are you absolutely sure?’ I confirmed and he simply replied ‘Oh’. Sherlock is such a great character, he convinces others he is real! I told the child that Doyle was brilliant at writing characters. It was a beautiful moment - the class started to recognise the importance of a ‘real’ character! 🤪

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Ha, that is such a beautiful story!! I love that!! Your class sounds like so much fun, Tracy ☺️

[@anneharrison3341]

What a generous person you are Benjamin. Such in depth discussion about the characters. You did not just reel off the results. You inspire us to find these characters who we have not yet found. I’m half way through Zorba the Greek. So much to love about him.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much, Anne! That's incredibly kind of you :) I've been wanting to read Zorba the Greek for a very long time now, so thank you so much for mentioning the work. I'm going to order myself a copy! ☺️

[@lt3904]

​​​@@BenjaminMcEvoy At last! Yes, please🙏🏻. I have been meaning to drop a comment/request on Nikos Kazantzakis and the possibility of featuring him, if it interested you.. I love Zorba the Greek, so much love of life! I also would like to request you to check Kazantzakis' Report to Greco, his own stories/memoirs, one of my big favorites along w/ Proust's. Thanks. Love fr Manila❤️

[@joecarter2812]

My favorite character is Atticus Finch. Maybe it is from growing up in the American south, but I've always idolized him and seen him as the character I've most learned from. I've always felt Harper Lee managed to shine a light on both the best and the worst of this area that she and I call home. Atticus is the best of the American south to me, something to aspire to be.

[@joecarter2812]

In addition, if Atticus is the southern character I idolize, then Quentin Compson of Absalom, Absalom and The Sound and the Fury is the one I most identify with. I empathize with his internal struggle between the love of the world he lives in and his extreme dissatisfaction with the ugliness he sees around every corner. He wants to see the good, but is often overwhelmed by the negative. When I get to much in the same mindset, I remember Atticus and the real life Atticus's that have influenced my life and refuse to give into the darkness.

[@rifqah_hanaa4608]

@@joecarter2812 I grew up in and live in the American South and could not agree with you more on Quentin. Currently reading Absalom.

[@katlamb4606]

That's such a great choice!

[@jostauffer6637]

And Scout.... I love this book through the eyes of the children. Just perfect!

[@Mottleydude1]

I couldn’t agree more. Atticus has a universal appeal for his aspirational integrity regardless of where you’re from.

[@sqttttt]

This has to be one of my favorite youtube videos ever & I can listen to you talk for hours! I am nearing the end of The Brothers Karamazov and have to say that I see parts myself in every one of the brothers. I love them all.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much! I really appreciate that :) I feel the same way about the Karamazov brothers. Dostoevsky really showed his genius with them!

[@suev3339]

Since I turned 70 years of age I’ve read nothing but classic literature of over 500 pages. I’m rereading War and Peace again after 3 years now. My favorite character is Pierre, especially his “”We must live, we must love, we must believe.” Next Tolstoy read is Anna Karenina. Thanks for your channel. I’ve never enjoyed my reading as much as since I began at my aged year. Life experiences make a difference in reading and understanding characters. My favorite childhood book Little Women .. Jo March. As an adult reading it every year again since 50 is Marme. I’d be a better person following Marme than Jo. 😄

[@KipIngram]

I know exactly what you're saying. I'm not to your age yet - I'm just 61. But it's become clear to me that books I read as a young man can take on a whole new meaning when I read them again. Live and experience change who we are, and we then find different things in the writings.

[@carlpeterson8182]

Edmond's real fight in the Count of Monte Cristo was against revenge. That became such an evil force in him. I love the character because he was so flawed and because Alexandre Dumas used him to show an even better way to live.

[@Roland96351]

He's one of my favorites too. It's like the perfect blend of character development and epic storytelling.

[@drakeholliday5671]

The greatest novel of all time imo.

[@sandraelder1101]

I love him because he realized the danger and in the end let his better self shine through.

[@tammiejo]

I love crime and punishments Razumikhin acting as the superego against Raskolnikov, during my reading I was so charmed and reassured by his steadfastness and loyalty, he is just a lovable character that makes the reader feel that Raskolnikov has someone in his corner despite the very uncomfortable danger he is in

[@ThatOneGuyRAR]

All my homies love Razumihin 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@robnobert]

no book has made me cry like that one 😢 what an amazing novel

[@Mamillius-00]

I love Prince Hamlet because he makes me think of this hypothesis-the more intelligent someone is the more unhappy they tend to be.

[@dangerousdiva6741]

Why? Because they see things as they really are, and the truth is often ugly.

[@MrVvulf]

It's not really a hypothesis, it's a known fact. It's not even a "newly revealed through scientific research" phenomenon, it's been conventional wisdom for hundreds of generations. Simply google "Intelligent people are less happy" and you'll receive pages of links. One example, from Psychology Today is entitled "13 Reasons Why a High IQ Can Make You Less Happy". If we look further back, to the wisdom of ancestral lore, there is Stanza 56 of "Havamal" (words of Odin): "Middling wise every man should be: beware of being too wise; his fate let no one beforehand know who would keep his heart from care."

[@thattrickydude]

@@MrVvulf This is why Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance is so good. How many Robert Pirsigs are out there losing their minds right now? I certainly am.

[@marijoe19]

This reminds me of Raskolnikov!

[@NTNG13]

@@MrVvulf It's Biblical as well. Ecclesiastes 1:18: "For in much wisdom is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow"

[@HostileButHonourable]

For me, it's Leopold Bloom.all day every day. Maybe it's because I'm Irish, but no matter how many treacheries, misfortunes, mockeries and brickbats were hurled at him, he akways kept his humanity and just kept going which is a very noble trait. His heroism was very real, very ordinary and very relatable.

[@seanomaille8157]

Totally agree. It's his very ordinariness, I mean who else in literature do we follow into the toilet (something all of us do every day) and are privy(!) to his rambling thoughts as he sits, waits and releases? At the same time he displays a very ordinary heroism and humanity. My favourite moment is in the the pub with the drunken nationalist "Citizen" when the outsider Jew, Mr. Bloom challenges the public house banter: -But it's no use. Force, hatred ,history, all that. That's not life for men and women, insult and hatred. And everybody knows that it's the very opposite of that that is really life. -What? says Alf -Love, says Bloom. I mean the opposite of hatred. Salaam. Shalom. Síocháin

[@kviknayt]

It's not because you're irish, I'm brazilian and I definitely agree

[@slatebird]

Complete agreement with you!

[@eddiejc1]

That Leopold Bloom is so beloved is a major reason why, despite the difficulty of the writing, "Ulysses" is considered by many to be the greatest English-language novel of the 20th century. The absence of Leopold, or any other memorable character is why "Finnegans Wake" is the single most overrated work of literature of all time.

[@JeffB-SFJ]

Happy to see Samwise so loved. All the people I see experiencing/reacting to him for the first time (via book or film) always say, "I need a Sam in my life" and it's true - we all do. I've decided I want to be the Sam for the most important people in my life, but he's so high up there it seems completely unattainable. Also, as an INTJ, thank you for the INTJ character recommendations.

[@joycehorstmann2634]

I have a cat named Frodo and I just adopted a “best friend” for him, named (of course) Samwise Gamgee.

[@oza1302]

Your passion makes me want to reread so many books and dip into unread ones.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! That makes me so happy to hear :)

[@allielbekaili7212]

Really a criminally underrated channel. A real gem

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much, Alli. I really appreciate that :)

[@LAllan-ls5er]

Charles Dickens created so many memorable characters . It’s far too difficult to single out a favourite .

[@michaelfontanelli2450]

Mister Micawber for me, most memorably portrayed by W.C. Fields in David Copperfield (1935).

[@csbenzo]

Scrooge for me … closely followed by Scrooge McDuck !!

[@ТатьянаГубина-и1и]

Joe Gargery from " The Great Expectations".

[@kellywalker9827]

He's that friend that if you run into him at the bar no matter the time you know you're closing the place down. Good times 🍻

[@lizzy-wx4rx]

As a huge Austen fan, it's nice to hear her characters got so many votes, and I was surprised by #1 but on reflection--of course! Perfect choice. But I was disappointed that Dickens' characters didn't get more love. I can think of 3 or 4 from David Copperfield alone that would make my list.

[@Cath38639]

I connected strongly with Esther from Bleak House and Marya from War & Peace. The bookclub member comments that were read were so wonderful! I am very motivated now to read Middlemarch and Paradise Lost.

[@frankbolger3969]

Esther is one of my favorites.

[@Salman_Saho]

FINALLY some much needed sanity on social media 😂 … keep blessing us with your priceless knowledge Ben ⭐️

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much. I appreciate you, my friend 🙏☺️

[@Salman_Saho]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy likewise brother, you’ve helped me get through some really tough moments in my life the past few months

[@PabloRuiz-xo6zn]

The greatest character in all of literature? Don Quijote de la Mancha! His supposed "insanity," his pathos, his humanity, his stubbornness, his courage, his weirdnesses and obsessions make him such a compelling, three-dimensional character. Many, many, many, MANY novels in the West since the 1620s, written in all the major and minor European languages, and starting in the 20th century around the world, were inspired or copied after this character. It's quite comical, how Don Quijote has made such an immense mark on global literature for the past 400 years. Which is ironic in itself.

[@christopherpaul7588]

Of course! It's a brilliant novel. The first modern novel, the first work of metafiction. The humor, experimental narrative, long dialogs. It was the first of its kind and so great!

[@cris-amv]

Love this list! And the way you talk through it is so, so interesting! Wonderful!

[@christinaogan1177]

Benjamin, you just mentioned peripheral characters - a favorite of mine is John Wemmick when he is taking care of his Aged Parent over the moat. It makes me so happy when Pip has a few moments of family life when he is invited to the Castle.

[@ТатьянаГубина-и1и]

And I liked and pitied Abel Magwich very much. In spite of his hard life he retained kindness and thankfulness in his soul.

[@ZZ-gj2kr]

My weekend has become golden. My mind has become altered with so many secret gardens unlocked. So many books, so many characters, so little time, but one must soldier on. Put on the "Do Not Disturb" sign and start pulling books out of the shelves. Ben's videos are sumptuous, each one a banquet of literary tastes, textures, and pleasures. I'm also looking forward to Ben's feast on The Iliad and his taste test of various translations, Emily Wilson's new translation included. Where I live (Malaysia), English Literature is not widely taught. Then discovered Ben's aptly named channel, and my world changed. Edmond Dantes for me, definitely. I need to catch my breath 😅

[@Ozgipsy]

Benjamin, that was outstanding mate. Absolutely gripping. Well done.

[@ikemeitz5287]

Though he didn't make the list, I'm glad Alyosha was at least mentioned. He is, I think, my favorite. It's often that I run across conflicted and morally gray characters that are relatable, but SO rare that I come across a character that is raw goodness, but in a way that makes me connect. He's desperately good, earnestly, sometimes helplessly good. He's what I hope to be, what I (hoping against hope) think I might be in my very best moments.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Alyosha is such a beautiful soul. I love your appreciation of him :) I really wish we had the sequel to The Brothers Karamazov that Dostoevsky was planning. It would have been wonderful to continue the story with this incredible character!

[@brentwilliamson8642]

I've been in the club for two years now. I had never taken the Meyer-Briggs but I am an INTJ-T. I love this list so much. Since I have started reading with the club, my favorite characters are: Pierre - W&P Ivan - BK Edmond - ComC Samuel - EoE Non Club Books: Tyrion Lannister - ASoIaF Atticus Finch - TKaM Roland Deschain - Dark Tower Humbert Humbert - Lolita Santiago - OMatS Tom Rilpley - Talented Mr. Ripley Celie - Color Purple Dumbledore - HP

[@ssager2012]

Ben, you make reading not only fun but life-changing. Thank you for all you do. Eternally grateful that you have re-awoken my love of reading 📖

[@dorothysatterfield3699]

Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. Comedy is every bit as important as tragedy, imo.

[@kitjank]

I absolutely adore Jeeves and Wooster! Wodehouse can always make me smile!

[@yoclark2723]

I love the Jeeves books! I'm reading Picadilly Jim right now.

[@thundermorphine]

HELL YES!!!

[@tomtom21194]

I read about jeeves and wooster when I'm unwell, i swear the laughter helps me recover quicker

[@Lee_Hazel]

I have gone whole calendar years reading only Wodehouse books. Bertie would get my vote for greatest character of all time!

[@D_Ipsa_Loquitur]

You have taught me how great literature reveals me to myself in the way that I react to characters, books, and authors. When I read now, which is all the time, I read with that question in mind: “what is my reaction telling me about myself?” Following along in the book club and feasting on the lectures has been transformative. Listening to you empathize with the pain some of your readers express is therapeutic to me, and brings about a kind of healing in my soul. With gratitude.

[@donnagartshore9345]

An awesome video that makes me want to dive more deeply into my favourites, as well as explore the books and characters I've never experienced. Ben, you are without doubt one the best "booktubers" on here. You combine intellect, heart and compassion, and express your thoughts to teach us in such a relatable way. Thank you!

[@wolfram785]

Charles Dickens wrote one dynamic, Complex and redeeming character and I believe he's the most underrated greatest character cuz the 20 mentioned here are often quoted a lot... Sydney Carton his name....The best Dickens ever created in my opinion....

[@alidabaxter5849]

Oh I adore him

[@thattrickydude]

Everybody underrates Ebenezer Scrooge

[@Fitness4London]

Yes! A flawed and conflicted character who performs the ultimate sacrifice.

[@mariahouchaimi5750]

I was looking for this comment! ❤️ strange he didn't make it to the list!

[@kellywalker9827]

The purest love, beautiful.

[@jefflelek254]

Some of my favorites not mentioned too much yet: Hazel in Watership Down Smiley in LeCarre’s spy novels Marcel in In Search of Lost Time Yossarian in Catch-22

[@haydenwalton2766]

marcel 👍

[@kevinrussell-jp6om]

Your discussion of Lee in East of Eden hits me on several levels. He IS the best character in this most thought-provoking of Steinbek's books. My spouse and I read it together early in our marriage and we both found him deep and very human. The ways you learn about those close to us are varied and sundry, but shared books are certainly very high on the list. EOE also reminds me of my favorite English teacher in high school, who was largely responsible for turning me into a lover of classic literature. When he retired, he held the dream of moving to coastal California and writing novels. Later, we learned that he had returned to our little town. I always guessed that, like Lee, he had already lived his romantic dream by opening the eyes of his students, and he had to move away to see this clearly. He was born to be a great teacher.

[@MR-rh5ch]

For me it's Anne Shirley

[@jostauffer6637]

Yes, I wonder if she even got a mention. Her character goes through childhood to full grown woman if you count the whole series. I read those books over and over again just to immerse myself in her positive spirit!!

[@csbenzo]

Actually, as an old guy, I have to agree. When I was young I did not like reading about girls as such, but I always admired Anne (Of Green Gables) and loved the TV series spin offs, too.

[@patrickkelley8079]

Huckleberry Finn. He was a favorite when I was young and I can read it as an old man and grow more respectful of his journey now more than ever.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

On my last read for a college paper, I was really struck by the trauma and tragedy in Huck's life. I think the book is even darker than people remember it being.

[@hungsu9204]

You're astounding. I've been watching you for some time. You've inspired and guided me. Deep thanks.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much! You have completely made my day ☺️🙏

[@meg1234]

Loved this video! My personal favourites are Tolstoy’s Pierre, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Woolf’s Orlando, all of whom somewhat go against the norms/rebel against what’s expected of them and aren’t afraid to embark upon their own journeys of self discovery and growth. As always, thank you for your content. You’ve enabled me to reignite my love for literature and to approach reading in a new and ever more fulfilling ways. 🩶

[@joelee5344]

Pierre is a favourite, but Natasha Rostov is the most lovable character in all literature IMO.

[@campguy]

cool, I am walking to get into shape for another leg on the Appalachian Trail........cardiac rehab........it's a great hike, four miles in to the shelter and then ten miles out continuing on the next day. great for a first time back on the trail hike for an older dude like me..........just training in the neighborhood right now.....waiting for the weather to get cooler.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

My favourite is of course Elizabeth Bennet because I too make snap judgements about shy men who are rich.

[@paperkay]

Pathetic.

[@LaJessChelle]

😂

[@cooporlando]

Are males without wealth even men?

[@shikhasharma8831]

I missed you, Benjamin. I was just listening to your podcast yesterday on The Prophet by Gibran and then bought that book, read it and listened to your podcast again and it all made sense. Everything you do, you must know, is valued by many ❤

[@curiousma]

Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. Always a delight to escape to their world that never was.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Excellent choices! I love them so dearly :)

[@mattheweiland8529]

Thank you for this. I read East of Eden last, and this commentary really solidifies how meaningful both the characters, and their relationships were to me.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Matthew! East of Eden truly is such a special book. I'm so happy to hear Steinbeck's characters are so meaningful for you too :)

[@steventhomas6071]

Sadie Thompson, protagonist of the short story “Rain” by Maugham

[@SketchrimEdits]

Wonderful program, as always Ben. Thank you for keeping a wonderful light burning in this seemingly darkening world. All these characters I had to smile upon, excepting the Judge, because of how passionately they were related. Your final words on Christ blew me away at how eloquent you led the final trumpet blast. Can't wait for your next videos. Love and Peace from a fellow classic lover.

[@olgamaalen]

This came at a perfect time, since I just began reading Tolstoy, and was immediately fascinated by how well he constructs his characters.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I find Tolstoy's character construction fascinating too! He's an absolute master of it :)

[@HutchinsonGregory]

A wonderful presentation. Thanks for this inspired commentary.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you very much :)

[@joannemoore3976]

My favourite character in my favourite book (within a host of much loved characters) is Faramir in LOTR - he seems like practically the perfect man to me. In Shakespeare, I really like Beatrice from Much Ado, she is funny, witty, loyal and fierce. I have always found Henry V compelling and charismatic if not entirely likeable.

[@hwelf11]

What you say about Gandalf reminded me of another favorite character who I think is similar in many ways: Merlin, as portrayed by T H White in The Once and Future King, especially in that "sense of whimsy." For example, to admonish Wart (the young Arthur) for some misbehavior, he threatens him: "You run a grave risk, my boy, of being turned into a piece of bread and toasted."

[@sinister434]

The way you described Judge Holden sent chills down my spine. The novel is tough but I’ll be watching your BM video guide to finally read it.

[@Jacob-Vivimord]

22:35 I'm an INFJ too, Benjamin. Certainly piques my interest in reading Middlemarch. This was one of the books I could have read during my literature degree, but I didn't get around to it.

[@DarrenRosenow]

Thank you for being authentic and genuine in your videos; especially revealing your vulnerabilities. You're very well spoken, reflecting your literary journey.

[@Anna-mc3ll]

Jane Eyre. How much I relate to her! I am unable to express what I felt when reading/listening to this absolutely wonderful masterpiece. Thank you for sharing this interesting commentary! Kind regards, Anna

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you very much, Anna! That's so beautiful - Jane Eyre truly is such a phenomenal character! ☺️

[@Anna-mc3ll]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you ☺

[@annetteholman2999]

I was inspired by your enthusissm to reread LES MISERABLES --all 1426 pages! What a magnificent feast of a book! Jean Valjean's tenacity is matched by Javert's single minded intensity, and the City of Paris, from the sewers to the spures of the Cathedrals, stars as an enduring character as well. Highly recommended reading from many perspectives. Allow a mininum of 2 weeks to do it justice.📚❤🤓

[@csbenzo]

Yes, it’s brilliant … and don’t tell me that the 1960s TV show: The Fugitive, is not based on the book, either.

[@shabirmagami146]

what an amazing and delightful talk ...brilliant as always ....you are a great soul, Benjamin ... thank you for being in our lives .... One of my all time favourite characters is Michael Henchard from Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge ... haven't reread that novel but that character has stayed with me ....I read the novel some 20 years back ...

[@mikedl1105]

Jean Valjean. Or maybe the bishop

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I love them both dearly :)

[@ТатьянаГубина-и1и]

Yes!!!

[@frankbolger3969]

Two more characters to think about: 1) Augustus McRae from Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize winning Western epic "Lonesome Dove," and Christy Mahon from John B. Synge's masterwork "Playboy of the Western World." Gus McRae is an aging ex-Texas Ranger adventuring through the old West while making shrewd an engaging observations about life and all that happens on his arduous cattle drive to Montana. With Christy Mahon it"s all about the wondrous web of language that he casts while introducing us to a host of equall ingratiating folks he encounters in a rural pub.

[@jostauffer6637]

Absolutely one of my all time favorites too. Gus McRae that is. Loved the sign, "We don't Rent Pigs"!

[@frankbolger3969]

@@jostauffer6637 After that mini-series debuted, I sent a miniature replica of that sign to my first cousin, who was deployed on a battleship in the war zone during the Gulf War. He was a huge fan of the novel.

[@TheMisterGriswold]

Personal favorite is Jack Aubrey, and his surgeon, Stephen Maturin. Characters of tremendous integrity and honor. Inspirational.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Absolutely fantastic choices!!

[@janmariolle]

Two of my very favorites as well!❤

[@fragwagon]

As an O'Brian fanatic, I agree with all my heart.

[@jostauffer6637]

Love them too. But only through the Movie, Master and Commander, do I know them. Need to read (listen actually) to the first book in the series.

[@fragwagon]

@jostauffer6637 I recommend when you take the plunge, to get a couple of the excellent supplementary materials: A Sea of Words is an essential lexicon, and Harbors and High Seas is a great geographical companion to the series.

[@Thebookwarren]

I absolutely ADORED this video Ben, as a HCLC member - I must say that delayed not yet being live with your reads, I’m realising so much more about my own experiences of literature it’s astonishing to me. I’ve gone from qty read g to quality with immediate effect and can’t stop my marginalia despite only taking it up this year through you and your videos.. East of Eden, Middlemarch, Milton, Montaigne, Pride & Prejudice, War & Peace and Withering Heights, Genji, my word so so much I’d never if read well or at all.. thank you Ben!!! Great list, I can’t do a list just yet but in time sure I’ll find it easier

[@groofay]

I know it's a bit out of this channel's wheelhouse, but Sir Terry Pratchett's Death deserves to be in the running for this list. The empathy Pratchett demonstrates through his characterization of Death itself is staggering.

[@joannemoore3976]

DEATH is an absolutely brilliant and surprisingly compassionate character

[@jannetteberends8730]

My first reaction was: Granny Weatherwax. She is my role model.

[@joannemoore3976]

Oh my goodness how could I forget Granny Weatherwax, she is brilliant. I have 3 daughters and we used to joke that my middle was a bit like Magrat, my eldest is like Nanny Ogg (fully capable of a rendition of The Hedgehog can never be b**gered at all) and my youngest is Granny Weatherax... it the 'look' she can give 😅

[@KarenSDR]

Death's conversation about fantasty with Susan in Hogfather is some of Pratchett's very finest writing: the part that begins with "People need fantasty to be human, to be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape," and ends with "You have to believe in things that don't exist [like justice and mercy]...How else can they become?" I've often said that I consider Pratchett to have been a modern prophet, in the sense of someone who speaks truth to power, and that passage is a prime example.

[@joannemoore3976]

@@KarenSDR Yes, a brilliant passage (I think the Hogfather is one of my favourites). Just before, Death insists they have to save the Hogfather or the sun won't rise, a mere ball of gas will come up (paraphrasing). He encapsulates our need for meaning in a few simple words.

[@brendanward2991]

I love your personal list, Benjamin. Leopold Bloom is my favourite. Among less well known characters, I have fond memories of Phileas Fogg and Jim Hawkins.

[@mrp4242]

+1 for Phileas Fogg

[@vickieprieto959]

Loved this thoughtful and as always insightful compilation and analysis of the comments, while bringing in your own wealth of knowlege as well as that of so many literary critics. Thank you, Ben! And thanks, bookclub!

[@bsastarfire250]

I admire your passion for the subject. As a teenager in the seventies, I was more interested in football , motorbikes etc than reading and I think the education system at the time was facing significant change and challenges. I have mild attention deficit and find reading a book a bit difficult. Talking books are good for this, can listen to chapters several times. My character is 'william Brown' from the Richmal Crompton books.

[@christaberit]

You should do a list of underrated characters. Characters who have a big impact or who narrate famous stories that are looked over. Nick from The Great Gatsby is overshadowed byGatsby himself but he is the one who we follow and he has the most character growth.

[@thattrickydude]

Ebenezer Scrooge! One of the most consistently underrated characters.

[@bobdenmore]

Aunt Betsey Trotwood in David Copperfield. In her own way, she shows the orphanned Davy what love means.

[@kellywalker9827]

Yes! Love her 😄

[@claudiadietrich1745]

Brilliant video! I loved hearing the comments from your followers - great insights! My favorite is Jane Eyre.

[@kenjiparas]

Never clicked this fast! Thank you for a birthday treat sir ben! ❤️

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Happy birthday, my friend!! I hope you've had a great one! 🥳 ❤️

[@shoegal]

Happy birthday 🎂

[@katlamb4606]

Happy belated birthday!!🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤

[@AnastasisKottos-nr7th]

What a great video. For me is Meursault from Camu’s stranger

[@morningsidedrive]

Two powerful and compelling characters are Humbert Humbert from Nabokov's "Lolita" and Charles Kinbote and Professor Pnin from his "Pale Fire" poem and "commentary". One of my favorite minor characters is Ken Erdedy from David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest" the introspective man addicted to marijuana and his thought processes as he waits alone for a dealer to deliver his drugs. From the Hebrew Bible two unforgettable personalities are Jonah and Job, both of whom struggle with impossible situations, conflicts, and moral quandaries.

[@mckenziekate]

This was such an amazing video! My favorite character of all time is hands down Dorthea Brooke 🌷

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much, Mckenzie! I dearly love Dorothea Brooke too :)

[@CICMCB]

What a beautiful presentation. Thank you! I am a 74 year old young widow, ordained minister and psychotherapist who recently discovered your channel and subscribed. I am also a New Orleans, Louisiana born transplanted to and living the last 24 years in Fort Worth, Texas. I say that just to provide info as to how far reaching your channel is and I am in love with you! I love your British accent (I know as an American I am the one with the accent). I have listened so closely and discerningly to your assessments of the great books you presented and the characters today and it is refreshing to learn of your reasons you love each book- each character. I am an INFJ also. I don’t think I could pick just one baby but I read Jane Eyre in grammar school and fell in love with her. I also love the Count of Monte Christo “God will give me Justice” and Elizabeth Bennet and Miss Bennet and Miss Bennet God bless you and Jean Valjean and of course, you are right the paramount Jesus Christ. “God is that which there is no other greater than,” St. Absalom. PS are you married if not I have a 30 year old granddaughter I would love 😂for you to meet. 😂❤

[@jostauffer6637]

You are from Texas and about my age... (just a bit older). Have you read "Lonesome Dove" ? I have read most of the books mentioned, but I am sad that very few of our American writers get to travel in this company. I loved Angus McCrea from Lonesome Dove. Shared this book with my children and my son as an adult, got a cat and named him Gus. If you have not read it, treat yourself. At least I consider it a treat! The Story of Lifelong Friendship

[@CICMCB]

@@jostauffer6637 sadly I have not read the book but saw the series and loved it. However, my brilliant husband was the western enthusiast.

[@jostauffer6637]

@@CICMCB You don't have to be a western fan to appreciate this work (IMHO). The character of Gus was played magnificently in the series (by Robert Duval, one of my favorite actors) , but as you know, the written word is always so much more rich. I now listen for my reading. It's great for multi tasking and easier on the eyes!!

[@suev3339]

I loved your post to read. The first many paged classic I read was Gone With the Wind at age 17 as a high school senior. At age 70 I decided to pick it up and read again as my first in reading only classics of 500+ pages. Thru my life experiences the second read was so different in my understanding. This decision has been so enriching my life. I read War and Peace the first time after that. Now at 73, soon 74, I’m reading it again. It’s truly a treatise of many things to think on. I too am a widow and began reading more than before. Just took me 6 years to get on the classics only. Would like to connect w/you.

[@pgooddmd]

There have been 2 characters that seemed so real in my life that I feel head over book in love. The first was Prince Andre, the second was Jamie Fraser. Not even Mr Darcy was able to do that.

[@strelnikoff1632]

I haven't checked in for a while. This is one of your best IMO

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate that :)

[@johnsilver8059]

Shakespeare’s Richard III Long John Silver Dickens’ Mr. Bucket (of the Detective) Faulkner’s Ned McCaslin William Gibson’s Turner from Count Zero Darryl Ponicsan’s SM1 Billy Buddusky.

[@lisatobin6390]

Love this! I did miss Huck Finn though---that kid needs on the list.

[@kellywalker9827]

Two of my favorite characters, Scarlett O'Hara and Orr from Catch - 22. I admire how they took charge of their lives.

[@ExperienceDesignLab]

I love Tom Sawyer. His perspective especially in Huckleberry Finn's Adventures is so intriguing to me. He's a priviliged boy in a deeply unfair world and builds a vibrant, adventorous reality around that fact to cope with it. I think he gets on people's nerves (I believe Hemingway really ranted about him), but that just makes him more interesting to me. He gives his all to transform reality to a better one and I love him for that.

[@jamessgian7691]

Tie between YHWH and Jesus, but if we don’t count God, here we go- Hamlet, Jean Valjean, Don Quixote, Scrooge, Godric, Sherlock, Alyosha Karamazov, King Lear, Ahab, Hester Prynne, Elizabeth Bennett, Gandalf, Falstaff, Oedipus, Ulysses, Willie Loman, Blanche DuBois, Mrs. Dalloway, Jane Eyre, and Winnie ther Pooh. But now I’ve thought of scores more…ugh! Wow! I really wasn’t expecting Jesus to be mentioned here at all when I wrote the above. Pleasantly surprised. And oh, so many more have come to mind as I edit this. Thank you for the stroll down this boulevard where so many my friends live.

[@jostauffer6637]

Love that you included Winnie the Pooh.... so much wisdom in those simple stories. So if we can include children's books, then it is the narrator for the book The Velveteen Rabbit. My children all had 'rabbit's that became Real.

[@signdigger]

My all time top three are Sydney Carton, Exupery's little prince, and a more modern one, Aslan from Lewis's Narnia books. Carton because of his sacrifice for Darnay and the gentleness of his spirit, even after all his drunkenness. Honestly the last chapter of A Tale made me cry something terrible. Still love the Third Timbrel illustration. The little prince because he taught me to look with my heart and not my eyes. He also showed me that even after all that the rose had chided him with he still loved her. And his approach on death. He wasn't afraid to die, I hope I'll live to see it the same way. Aslan for obvious reasons. He taught me the humanity of myself and that only he can tell me my story. Honorable mentions are Gandalf, Don Quixote, and Judy from Seven Little Australians. Just to name the extreme few. There's a ton of characters I love. Thanks Ben for another amazing vid. Love the content and love to see people still talking about the great books! 🤗❤

[@giodido]

Cosimo Piovasco di Rondò (the Italo Calvino’s Baron in the Trees), Bartleby (Melville), Henry Jekyll (Stevenson). Grazie mille for your great contents, Benjamin! Dear greetings from a new enthusiastic italian subscriber.

[@elishevabarenbaum5319]

Tess, a well-intentioned innocent, entangled and ultimately trapped by all those who projected their own needs and desires on to her. All the while, the mores of her time only served to enmesh her in a hopeless situation.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Powerful choice and perfectly put!

[@allthethings6379]

I have never been interested in reading Paradise Lost …until this video! Thank you!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Wow!! I'm so happy to hear that :)

[@toodlescae]

Samwise Gamgee. Most say we all need a Sam in our lives when what we should strive for is to *be* a Sam. I know it may not be considered great *literature* by many but I really like Harry Potter as a character. Despite all of his abuse, trials and tribulations as a child he was never tempted to go to the dark side even though he literally carried a bit of that darkness within him.

[@rifqah_hanaa4608]

Loved the discussion on the importance of peripheral characters; one of my all-time favorites is Fluellen from Henry V. Ian Holm's portrayal of him in Branagh's film brings me to tears every time. I must thank you Ben for another terrific video that sends me diving back into my books. I tend to read more non-fiction than fiction, and also have other hobbies I'm passionate about that take up time; sometimes my poor novels languish on my shelves. But then you and the book club members inspire me, and I dive back in! Picking up Ulysses and Absalom, Absalom! this weekend to relish.

[@PatMcAnn]

Scarlett O'Hara. Huckleberry Finn.

[@janebowell3985]

So first we had sliced bread and then we had Benjamin and The Hardcore Literature Club🎉 with so many different views from the many members who all share a strong love of great literature. Thank you for another fabulous lecture. 🎉

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much, Jane. I really appreciate you ☺️🙏

[@Flowering_Glume]

Love you for this! Super sweet.

[@BigPhilly15]

Don Quixote is my #1 all-day. Absolutely changed my life.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

I really feel that! :)

[@jotaig8735]

Hi Ben, thank you for another great lecture!! One of my favourite character(s) are Lady Isabel Mount Severn and Archibald Carlyle from East Lynne by Mrs Henry (Ellen) Wood.

[@Tanya_LitLife]

When I met Levin, I liked him very much. When he said, “…right then. I’ll throw him out.”, I knew it was love. Other literary loves: -The speaker in Hardy’s ‘The Voice’ poem. -Adam in Paradise Lost when he says that if prayers could alter high decrees he would fly to heaven and beg before the throne of God. -Dorian Gray. -Gandalf. Aragorn. The Ents… -Severus Snape. I will die on that mountain. -The speaker in Yeats’ ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’ Literary polygamy & the avid reader are an inescapable fact. 😅

[@patrickformentos5489]

Elizabeth Bennet and Edmond Dantes are personal favorites of mine 😊

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Incredible characters! I love them both dearly :)

[@kviknayt]

Great video as always. It's always fun to see typology mentioned, if you're interested in getting deeper into it, I highly recommend Socionics, particularly Gulenko's school. Give his description of Harmonizing subtype of the IEI (which is like INFJ and INFP) a read and I'm 100% sure you'll relate to it a lot (he uses Manilov from Dead Souls as an example of that type).

[@DellaScott-t6c]

This is why I recommended the 80s era TV miniseries of Easter of Eden, in which Jane Seymour plays Cathy Trask. The Hamiltons are definitely included in that one. It also includes the unpleasant events that led up to Cathy showing up on the Trask boys' doorstep.

[@janegitelman2615]

At the top of my list is Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment. He embodies very modern themes of alienation, class arrogance, utilitarianism, and the timeless ones of suffering and redemption.

[@lutascosmin]

Always looking forward to your videos,cheers from Romania

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! I appreciate you watching over in beautiful Romania! 🇷🇴☺️

[@elsitacacahuete427]

Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. He is just a pure soul, searching and giving pure affection, in the face of so many traumatic experiences.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Fantastic choice :)

[@ТатьянаГубина-и1и]

Never liked him.

[@BlindCentipede]

My List: Oedipus; Antigone; Achilles; Odysseus; Gregor Samsa; Leopold Bloom; Ahab; Torless; Thomas Buddenbrook; José Arcadio Buendía; the hoopoe; Mephistopheles; K. ; Melville*; Beowulf; William of Baskerville;

[@stephenmyers6190]

So many! I’m gonna say Dorthea Brooke from ‘Middlemarch.’

[@susanburgess820]

Agatha Christie's ms marple and the detective with the best mustache ever, Mr poirot❤

[@Zenocrate]

When I'm not reading, or walking whilst reading/thinking about books, I know nothing better than your videos. Thank you so much for guiding me to new books - and thus novel ways of perceiving the world - and enriching the old books when I return to familiar but never exhausted pages. I would have voted for Gandalf, Satan, Iago and Jane Eyre but there are personages mentioned here that I want in my life henceforth...

[@susprime7018]

If I choose, I think it would be Candide, "the best of all possible worlds," the story of a cockeyed optimist because he is so different from myself. Favorite quote from Hamlet is by Horatio, "goodnight, sweet prince, flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." Terrific video.

[@Fitness4London]

Thanks Benjamin, fantastic video. Even though this is not a classic novel, it is one of my favourites of all time: The Silence of the Lambs by the brilliant thriller writer Thomas Harris. The main character, Clarice Starling, is one of my favourite characters of all time. Why? She has a compelling backstory, she's a true underdog, She's ferociously ambitious, and she has phenomenal courage in her dealings with the psychopath Dr Hannibal Lecter and her pursuit of the serial killer Buffalo Bill.

[@suejones4013]

One of my favourite characters is Helen Huntingdon in Tenant of Wildfell Hall. How I wish I had read and understood her character when I was much younger. She has courage, she has a fierce independence and she has such moral fortitude. Had I understood her earlier in my life, I like to think she would have inspired me to be a much better person than I have been

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

The greatest character of all time for me will always be John Milton's Satan. No other character has made me feel what that one has, and he laid the template for all the renegade antiheroes that followed. Heckin' legendary stuff.