On Characters

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my opinion of books. I have a really hard time reviewing books because there are so many random variables that determine whether I like one.

For instance, if I expect to dislike a book, and the book ends up being better than I anticipate, I tend to give it more praise. If I have high expectations for a book, and it ends up not being as good as I hoped, I tend to be more critical.

Likewise, my taste for a book is affected by what I read before it. I can not read The Poisonwood Bible and follow it up with Clockwork Angel.

"Do you know the feeling when you start reading a book before the membrane of the last one has closed behind you? You leave the previous book with ideas and themes - characters even - caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open the new book, they are still with you."

-Diane Setterfield

However; I think a book can still be enjoyable even if the author has tacky, redundant diction. A good plot is usually a redeeming feature. But there are times when I crave beautifully crafted passages and skilled word use. I want to read a paragraph and soak it in, re-live it, remember it. I am always thrilled when an author is able to take something I have felt or experienced and put it into the words that I never could. Recently I read a book by Ann Packer in which she described the way a shirt smells while it's being ironed, and she nailed it in such a way that I couldn't wait to experience it again, myself. That is a true gift - to be able to make your readers want to iron!

The characters, though, are what ultimately make or break a book for me. By the end of a book, I want to feel confident in my understanding of them. I want to know their hearts. I feel like, more often than not, characters in books are inconsistent and "all over the place," and I never really come to know who they are. This is the case (for me) with Ender Wiggin - I was never able to connect with Ender or to come to understand him.

It helps if I come to "appreciate" a character. Good characterization, to me, means that I care what happens to the characters, whether they are likable or not.

I recently borrowed a book from a friend called Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg. The book is about a woman whose best friend is fighting terminal breast cancer. I don't mean to be irreverent toward cancer in any way, but because of the type of characters that were in the book, I didn't care that one of them was dying. In fact, the longer she lived, the more frustrated I became with the book because I was ready to move on. I didn't like the characters, nor did I "appreciate" them, so I didn't shed any tears on their behalf.

Yes, I am made of stone.

(Also, please note that Talk Before Sleep is NOT a grandma-friendly book, and I'm actually kind of shocked that my friend lent it to me knowing what a prude I am).

Some of my favorite characters are from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

First, Jean Valjean - he is the ultimate awesome character. He was convicted for stealing bread to feed his sister's children.

Nobility!

Honor!

Blurred lines between right and wrong inflicted upon him through the suffering of others!

Gasp! It's wonderful!

Jean Valjean was to serve five years in prison but ended up serving nineteen after four attempted escapes. Prison hardened his heart and roughened him so that, upon his release, he took advantage of Bishop Myriel's kindness by stealing some silver. Bishop Myriel forgave Jean Valjean and told him, "...there will be more joy in heaven over the tears of a repentant sinner than over the white robes of a hundred good men."

Sigh.

Then later, Bishop Myriel told Jean Valjean, "Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man."

So Jean Valjean spent the rest of his days redeeming himself for the wrongs he had committed. Deep down, he really was an honest man. The problem was, he never stopped running from the law, which made him... dun, dun, dun... dishonest.

Which brings me to another amazing character, Inspector Javert.

This is where the word "appreciate" becomes significant because you have to hate Javert - he makes life difficult, and he won't cut anyone a break. But you also have to "appreciate" him because he is so consistent, and he never wavers. The thing about Javert is that he is so caught up in the letter of the law, that he can't look beyond  past offenses. Anytime you start to think that Javert will change, he shocks you by continuing to be Javert.

That is what I love about him.

Javert is so true to himself that he would rather die than refuse to hold up the law.

(By the way... SPOILER ALERT!)

(But seriously, you can't go through life without knowing the story of Les Mis).

I won't, however, spoil The Book Thief for you.

But I will tell you about Rosa Hubermann because she is a solid, quality character.

Rosa is a tough old bat. She takes in Leisl Meminger as a foster child, and for a while you think Leisl is going to be the next Cosette, but...

Rosa has more to her - things I can't tell you because I promised not to ruin the book.

But I "appreciate" her and her foul German tongue (otherwise known as "the art of saumensching").

Aside: here is an illustration of Leisl that my friend Apryl drew in my book while she was riding in a car (forgive my terrible scanning job):

 

The best character in The Book Thief, though, is Death. Oh! The things I could tell you about Death.

But I won't...

"You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A color will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away."

-Death

Finding characters that I love so much is a rare joy. There are a lot of Enders out there, but only a few Rosa Hubermanns. 

Are there any characters you've fallen in love with?

"I will go to my grave in a state of abject endless fascination that we all have the capacity to become emotionally involved with a personality that doesn't exist."

-Berkeley Breathed