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Have you ever read a book and halfway through it, you think to yourself, "I couldn't give a damn about these characters..."
Or has this happened when you were reading manga, or playing video games, or watching something?
I remember when I was younger, every story had a magical feeling, and all the characters were interesting. Has something happened to me... or to the literary world these days?
If you couldn't tell, this isn't going to be a very positive journal entry. Please stop reading if you get offended easily.
Why is every other female main character incredibly stubborn (aka uniquely rebellious, to quote "Not Another Teen Movie") or dreadfully clumsy? Sure, they're adorable traits, but adorably tiny dogs get annoying after they yap at you every time you go out to take a walk. It's like, "Yay, the plot is moving forward--oh wait, Miss Stubbornly Clumsy refuses to follow this lead because she keeps falling off bridges, WHUT."
From the stories I've read (WHYCANINOTFINDBETTERBOOKS???), the stubborn females put themselves in danger because of this obstinate disregard for common sense, and they have to be bailed out by the hero or someone who isn't terribly stubborn. Similarly, I'm tired of the "clumsy heroine" because I have never had the uniquely impossible pleasure of tripping my way into the well-defined arms of a beautiful, angsty Apollo of a man who will whisk me away on a life-threatening adventure that doesn't actually require me to put my life in any danger.
Can't we just make these girls join the US marines?
Seriously, shouldn't female characters be smart enough to think up alternate ways to save their beloveds/themselves? Sure, you can do quantum physics in your head, you beautiful genius, but you can't figure out solutions to your problems that don't involve you sacrificing yourself to save your man? You want your significant other to live on while you die? Because...? I don't know, you're worth less than this significant other? Sounds like severe insecurity to me. Your man will tell you that fifty pages down the road, hon, but in a nicer way.
But then, the able females have no personality because they're so freakin' "professional." Or they're ball-busters who wield a great deal of authority, but don't have the intelligence or ability to back it up.
Or they're overtly insane... in the cute way because they're perpetually hyper. But where are the female Hannibal Lectors?
I don't know anymore; I've just lost faith in most female characters. The ones I still admire are in series I've lost track of.
Now, for the men. Yes, men--my 17-something male watchers, don't think I'm letting your gender go unscathed. Now, I'm much more lenient on male flaws because they've been little more diverse lately, especially since so many of them were once primarily female foibles...
I don't mind the traditional flaws, like hubris, because clearly men haven't learned from generations of literature to quell that manly pride. Bring on the novels with plots similar to The Odyssey! Maybe evolution will eventually take care of this dangerous stubbornness/pride.
But what is with the fascination with the underdog?
In my experience, the underdog gets crushed brutally into the metaphoric dust, and I mean metaphorically ground into a pulp. Metaphorically.
It's the reason why Darwinism is SCIENCE. Literally.
In a non-human ecosystem.
But unfairly, the ones that succeed are the less talented ones who surpass the hard-working others--who actually deserve something good to happen to them--due to sheer luck. Or rather, because "everybody loves a good underdog story."
Excuse me, I've been top dog all these years because of my loyalty, dedication, and suicidal work ethic. And now you're giving this title to the new guy, who didn't even go to work for the first month, because he showed motivation and "a real can-do attitude" just so he can score with the uniquely rebellious heroine? Well, gee, I'm totally the antagonist of this movie. Please humiliate me endlessly.
On that note, am I the only one who feels sorry for Squidward on Spongebob? Sure, he's a jerk, but the writers always take poetic justice to the extreme when punishing him. ._.;
Ahem. But that's enough rambling on my part.
I only list the things I dislike because if I say I like something, the world will throw out a perfect example of this likeable figure, and I'll end up hating it because "there's something wrong with it..."
That's just how my luck is. : (
Am I just jaded because I'm old and have seen more stories than I can shake a walking stick at?
If you've read this far, I'd like to make this journal interactive. Did I go too far in my tirade, or are we in accord with one another? What gets on your nerves when it comes to characters or stories?
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Not Impressed 
The second thing that I realized is that I seem to have given up on teen books. And instead of moving on to a more adult reading list, where I feel the most steriotypes and idiotic characters are created, I've reverted back to the fanciful innocence of Independent Readers... but really, they are some of the most origional characters I've met. It seems that these authors are less effected by the need to create something that exists in the social norms. Which is why I turn mostly to fantasy/fiction instead of Sci-Fi or straight up fantasy. I feel like most authors go wrong when they try to make the characters "real people" or "just like you" ... I infact already know what my life is like and am reading to get away from the idiots in your books! I've run in to very few life-like (loosely used) books that I feel I really can identify with.
I'm so very tired of angsty vampire books and weak girls and dumb boys and cliches and plots that have no merit. I cannot forgive the characters whose only existence is a plot device nor the characters that need a plot device to move on with the story. The truly great characters can exist beyond their story and DO NOT NEED ANYONE ELSE to be interesting. That's not to say that character interactions are not important, contrairily, they are often the best part of the book. But if you can sit a character in a dark room alone and still be interested in him or her, that's a book worth reading.
However, even my childrens books need some help. So many times I've read a book where I feel that I have created the characters more than the author. It's fun but mostly annoying, because the story is not good, the plot is not good, the characters are only half formed, but I read more in to them and make something out of them. I still cant decide if I love or hate these books, but like the Chronicles of Narnia, when you see what CAN be done with such a sparse character description and barebones plot, it becomes sort of a challenge.
Okay, so moving on to my suggestions:
I pretty much looked at my shelf and thought of the best characters I could think of... most of them are children. You've probably read some of them
--Flora Segunda, Ysabeau S. Wilce--Here's a spunky rich girl that's smart, and fat and a little bit silly, but most of the time a problem solver and confident person. It's also nice because in the strange half reality that they live in her mom is the most powerful person in the area... the General of the Army. Flora is neither clumsy nor dumb, but still makes rookie mistakes. The world is beautiful and the characters interesting. I was happy to read the second.
--Foundling, D.M. Cornish--I think I fell in love more with this meticulously created world than with the main character, but they are all out of the ordinary. And there are pictures! It is by no means a picture book, but the positive and quiet main character is perfectly juxtaposed against the dark and twisted world that he lives in. it does have a few cliches (he's an orphan, and more cliches appear in the second book) but they are forgivable. I just love the color this book gives me.
--The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch, Joseph Delaney--again, this dark world and beautiful chapter art caught me. The main boy is smart and tough but not stupid and the girl interest (which really doesn't play a main part until later books) is smart and sassy. I do seem to enjoy my s adjectives today. The journal style and extras at the end also help endear it to me. However, if you didn't like foundling, you probably wont like this. While different personalities, the color they give me is very similar.
--The Bartemaeus Trilogy, Jonathan Stroud--perhaps the weakest one on this list, but the older characters (well, in the second book) have this lovely cliched thing going on and the (once again) dark world is delightful. There's something about Stroud's style that leaves you a little cold, but in this world that's just about perfect. Not to say that it's a bad book, but there is some serious character development. You hate the main character at first. He's an unloving bastard (while still being a kid) but he grows, and not in an overdone, I-am-now-a-saint type way. If he saves the world, it was either by accident, or he let it slip in to oblivion by not correcting the faults of others so that he might save it and be on top. The female lead which doesn't enter in the second is smart and tough, but a little foolish. It takes some pretty big events to get her to grow up, but this world is amazing.
--Un Lun Dun, China Mieville--I love this world. The characters are strange and spunky, but easier to connect to than those in his adult books. Mieville is a master of creepiness and crazy worlds... the main girls are unendearing at first, but with a change in focus, the secondary characters become practically the main role. This is my kid in the candystore book. It's just so fun and clever to read.
--I am the Messenger, Markus Zusak--the only non-fantasy on this list, and possibly my favorite, I'm a bit hesitant to recommend it. I love this book, at times without reason. But it's a character study. There is not a single man woman or child in this book that does not hold up, and I personally love the writing. It's the only "like you" book that I like, although the ending takes a few goes to swallow. The plot is interesting and creative, but really, it's the characters. It's a growing up story without being too cliched. I just love this book. And I hope you do too, however the style is not to some people's taste. My dad, who is not a reader, loved it, while my mom and sister, in to more mystery and romance, didn't finish it. So give it a go. He also wrote the more well known Book Theif, but that is a deviation from his normal pattern of writing.
--The Discworld Series, Terry Prachet--This is a great series to go to when you want to make fun of just about every fantasy character steriotype there is but still have a good plot. If you haven't read anything from this series, you've missed a Sci-fi phenomenon for the past about thirty years. They're ridiculously funny, smart, clever and insulting. It's nice because if the character is a steriotype, they are RIDICULOUSLY out of proportion. My favorites up to this point are those with Sam Grimes as the main character, but they're all worth a read.
So that's what I yanked off my shelf. If we've talked about books before, I've probably already recommended some of them, and I didn't read all the other posts, so they could already be here. And you could have already read them. But whatever, i hope this helps.
As for manga, you already read everything that I think is good, so I'm no help there.
Good luck! <3
And sorry for the interesting spelling in some places. It's been a while since I used big words.
To be honest, I've only been reading fanfiction lately. It's easier to find the good authors who love the characters enough to write them convincingly. (Click, hit back if not good, repeat. :'D) Occasionally, I read books I loved since I was younger. I don't even know what kind of story I'm looking for anymore. xDD But I really don't want to read about "normal kids facing abnormal circumstances" whatever, either.
"Real life?" Real life is terribly boring when you're a teenager living in the American suburbs, which is why I don't like to read those kinds of stories... even when there are fantasy elements in them. They all strike me as the same; normal kid(s) finds something fantastic, goes on some adventure to 1)save their world, 2)save a different world, 3)kill those two birds with one stone, 4)close the gate between the world and have a bittersweet goodbye to magical friends, 5)combine the worlds with no repercussions whatsoever. I got tired of that plot after four seasons of Digimon. Granted, I love Digimon, but I left that phase when it comes to looking for stories. :'D I mean, you can only read those five variations for so long...
I have no problem with vampire stories, but I like my vampires to drink blood and have some terrible allergic reaction to sunlight. Those are the absolute staples of vampire stories since Dracula. I don't mind the angsting, as long as it's appropriate; I mean--there's no point in mourning your loss of humanity for five centuries. I'll be damned if I ever let Axi do that. (xD Remember Axi, haha~?) And you're absolutely right with the "plots that have no merit" point. Which is why I avoid stories about teen drama like the plague. xDD
I will definitely check up on those books in the near future. Let me return the favor and recommend a couple for you, then. xD
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. There's some controversy over copying of concepts, but Pi is excellently written. An Indian boy, who has accepted all three monotheistic religions as one, finds his faith put to the test when he's stranded in the middle of the ocean on a lifeboat with a live tiger. He goes into in-depth musings about marine safety, wonders yet discovered by humanity, animal interactions, personal guilt, and other delightful philosophy. x) There's a twist at the end, which makes you think through the whole story again.
The Oracle Trilogy, Catherine Fisher. Dystopian society, which I feel has some Tibetan and ancient Egyptian and roots, at its finest. Conspiracy, interesting characters, and religious philosophy lightly dispersed in its pages. The main character Mirany herself starts off weak, and I had little interest in her, but she grew on me as she grew stronger. My favorite character was the reincarnated child archon of the society, who is trying to uncover the mystery behind this conspiracy that forced him to sacrifice himself in his previous life.
For another interesting, spacy but gifted male, I would seriously also recommend Fisher's The Snow-Walker Trilogy, which has similar characters but revolves around the Snow-Walker's son, trying to prevent his mother from fulfilling her cruel ambitions. Meanwhile, she is trying to convince him to join her. Again, they're not the MAIN main characters, but they're the more interesting ones. xD
When You Are Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris. Musings of a gay writer traveling around the world with his significant other. In a sardonic voice, he writes about things people don't usually think about in a humorous fashion, like how difficult it is to raise animals when you anthropomorphize them.
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde. I like to pimp this guy because I'm in love with him. But anyway, it's a light-hearted read. Two friends both go by the fake name of "Ernest" in different cities, and they have to break it to their love interests that they really aren't named "Ernest." xD For something more disturbing, I'd recommend his Salome, in which all the characters live in their own mental worlds and interact as if they didn't hear the others. It takes place around the beginning of Christianity, John the Baptist's execution and Princess Salome's creepy lust for him. And of course, The Picture of Dorian Gray, if you haven't read it already, which inspired my character Dorien. xD
There are still a few "real life magic" stories I like, but as I realize that I am never going to find a magical book that turns me in to a wizard or discover a knife that cuts through dimensions, they get less exciting. However, that little part of me, like my inner cockroach refuses to die so easily under the threat of reality. The main think I get annoyed with about the angst is when I think they have no right to be so damn angsty or if they are not sufficiently hot to make it worthwhile. How profound am I? The vamps are all Twilight's fault, and all the knockoff series after that. And I remember Axi... how is he? I'd like to see where that story went! That was an angsty guy that I didn't mind.
I have to say that I also tolerate a lot of things in manga that would never fly in fiction....
As for the books, I'm really excited to say that I already know and love Catherine Fisher! I absolutely adore her colors in the books. I think the Snowalker Trilogy is preferable to the Oracle Betrayed, just because I like the cold world better than the desert. And I've read Life of Pi too, it really threw me at the end... out of curiosity, which tale do you think is true? And what about that Island with those... hungry plants?
Oh, and my sister read this and Recomends Sunshine by Robin McKinley... That one's a good twisted vampire tale that doesn't do all this cheesy sparkling crap. McKinley's writing is good, but tends to be retellings of fairytales. Her main characters are generally strong females. I can't decide if I like the color of her books, but Sunshine is a good book.
And I think that The Importance of Being Ernest sounds like the best synopsis I've ever read.
I like this exchange of books. We should do it more often...
"I think they have no right to be so damn angsty or if they are not sufficiently hot to make it worthwhile." LOLLLL! I am exceptionally shallow when it comes to protagonists. xDD I'll forgive them for unspeakable crimes if they're good-looking AND smart enough to pull it off. It's terrible. Which is why I loved Catch Me if You Can so much. Oh, Leo~
Axi's doing fine. Much more cheerful than before even though I've decided to make him blind. And he also has a 1950's mindset and vocabulary now... xD
GEEZ WOMAN, CAN'T I RECOMMEND ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVEN'T READ??? D'X *failreader*
I felt that the Oracle Trilogy did a better job of creating a world. :'D Though, character interactions seemed more interesting in the Snowalker Trilogy. For Pi, I still think about it. I think the one he told at the end was true, and he had a lot of time to think up a story by himself, but I still can't figure out the hungry plants. What're your views on it?
Oh, cool! I love retelling of old stories. Ah, I guess I'll give those female protagonists a shot. xD
Haha, it's definitely fun.
I LOVE Catch Me if You Can!!!!! Perfect example of what I forgive... however, he's higher quality angst. There's still a character in there, not just a ball of teenage unrequited pheremones. But even as I say that I hate Vamp tales, my sister is getting me hooked on Trublood and I've created a whole tale of my own... AND I'm thinking about seeing Buffy because I love Joss Wheadon's stuff. Have you seen Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog? It's what they all did during the writer's strike. Best 40 min. intro to what Wheadon is like. (Dear me, I do hope I spelled his name right...)
Honestly, I need to reread it, because I read the Oracle Trilogy as it was coming out (meaning incredibly long gaps between books) and Snowalker is actually the three-in-one combined edition... so I feel there is more continuity in them... That and I just reread it again.
Yeah, I enjoy McKinley, but sometimes her word choice feels wooden to me. I didn't connect with the characters as much. Her stories feel more like I'm watching it happen in a room as opposed to I am practically the main character. Other writer with strong females in a fantasy world, Tamora Pierce, the Quartets. Easy, easy reads, but very, very good. And if you think they're too easy, the more recent Beka Cooper trilogy is more adult and detailed, but I love Pierce. She was my first real introduction into fantasy novels with female leads, so holds a special place in my heart.
As for recomending books, if you step into the realm of Classical Literature or basically anything nonfiction, I can guaruntee that I've not read it. It's one of my resolutions to read more "cultured" books. There are a LOT of great older books that I haven't read, and if I want to write, I figure I should read a bit more.
(I don't know how to make it small so here it is: Ooohhh, Axi sounds reeeally cool now. I very much do want to hear his tale... I'm sorry, I'll write/send the fragments of what I've written to you soon!)
Oh, absolutely. Frank Abagnale had legitimate reasons to angst, what with never finding his identity and being constantly on the run. But what I like especially was how easy it was for him to forget his problems and come up with the next brilliant scheme. Clever lad. :] I really want to read his other book, which goes into more detail on his ideas.
xD I read the first two Oracle books and waited like a year for the third. I'd like to reread it again, too.
I didn't really like Pierce's characters. I felt they were far too normal with uninteresting foibles, and things seemed to wrap up kind of easily. The same for Mercedes Lackey, though I read many of her books for the fantastical European settings. : D
Hahaha~ I'll keep that in mind. I tend to go for the Classical literature I read about on wikipedia. xD
Aww, Axi will be happy to hear that.
By the way, would it be presumptuous of me to make a short manga based on Emru's side of the Orphanage story I inadvertently killed? :'D
Yeah, it takes a special kind of person to be able to fall into escapism so easily. Hmmm, that sounds like an interesting book. My favorite part is that he did it all when he was younger than I am!
Yes, her characters are a little bland... especially the quartets after Song of the Lioness, but I really only like them because they are basically my childhood. He characters get more complex and interesting in the Trickster's Choice/Queen books, and even more so in the Beka Cooper trilogy. I think if I hadn't been introduced to them when I was so young I wouldn't be able to read them now. But she was the first, "Yeah, Women! Go out there and GET THEM!" in a fantasy book I read. And they're smart. My sister likes Mercedes Lackey, but I haven't gotten around to her yet.
And no, it would not be presumptuous... and I remind you that it takes two to kill a joint project. It kinda fell apart partially because (1) I didn't have a clear character idea, nor a complete idea of what world we were existing in, and (2) because I came up with the idea partially because I had nothing to do that summer but then ended up with a Spanish exchange student and spent all of my time with her. So the fault is everyone's. And if my character shows up, you've permission to use her, if not, no worries. Just when you get to be a famous mangaka and people want to republish your early works, put me in the dedication. Like "...Person, Person, Person, Mari, Person, Person..." Yay! Oh, but only if I get to see it!
It's always nice to read about the clever boys with a limited conscience, but I hope I don't run into them in real life. xD
Lackey is pretty descriptive and can really paint a picture in your mind, but her villains are kind of lackluster. I personally think Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel/Court Duel books are better in terms of characters.
Oh lovely, thank you! I was hoping to have her save Em a couple of times from his own idiocy. :] And of course, Mari, it would be my dearest wish.
And i didn't even respond to everything!
May I suggest "Oryx and Crake" by M. Atwood? The lazy guy remains the underdog, the hard-working genius owns everyone and the female protagonist is a whore xD(who in her way also owns everyone). Not to mention a really "bad" ending in which everyone dies \8D/