Last week I opted for Elizabeth Bennet as one of my favourite female lead characters, so it’™s no surprise that this week that one of my favourite male characters is Mr Darcy? Why? Because he is such a good match for Elizabeth and he is full of both pride and prejudice, but is capable of overcoming both in realising his love for her.
Other heroes are the fabulous Scarlet Pimpernel, because he is such a dashing hero, rescuing French aristos from the guillotine and always incognito.
Also Sydney Carton in Tale of Two Cities, seen to be a drunkard and useless but because of his unrequited love of Lucie he goes to the guillotine in place of her lover Charles Darnay. “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known”.
Not such a nice, unselfish man as the others and I can’™t explain why but I also like the Vicomte de Valmont in Les Liaisons Dangereuses ‘“ such a bad man! I loved the film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close and John Malkovitch.
A more modern hero, although one from Tudor England is Matthew Shardlake in C J Sansom’™s books, Dissolution, Dark Fire and Sovereign. Shardlake is a hunchback lawyer who solves a series of murders ‘“ such a clever, resourceful man.
BooksPlease 
Mr Knightley gets in ahead of Mr Darcy for me, though not by much. I do agree about the Vicomte, he’s rather deliciously wicked, but I don’t think I’d want to know him!
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The Scarlet Pimpernel has been one of my favorites for a long time.
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It would be Knightley for me over Darcy as well. I couldn’t cope with Darcy on a daily basis. I like the idea of Shardlake though.
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Much as I love Mr Darcy I had to go for Fredrick Wentworth still a hero but a bit easier to get on with 🙂
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Sydney Carton is a hero in the real sense of the word. How many can die like that?Here is my BTT post!BTW, I finished reading Hearts and Minds. I had commented on your review and reading that Rosy Thornton posted me the book.Do check my review too when you have time.
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Vicomte de Valmont… fascinating choice! Happy BTT.
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I love Mr. Darcy! Great choice!Happy BTTs and have a good Thursday!Julia-Yen
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I haven’t read the rest, but I do agree with you about Mr. Darcy! 😉
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Good choices! I love Darcy (as well as most of Austen’s lead male characters) and Sydney Carton – As Gautami said, not many heroes would have the strength or ability to die that way.
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Why didn’t I think of Darcy? 🙂 I wish more of the book had been from his perspective.
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Geraniumcat & TableTalk sorry but it has to be Darcy. GC, I wouldn’t want to know the Vicomte either.Val G I’ve just got to re-read The Scarlet Pimpernel again soon.Alix, Wentworth maybe – but he shouldn’t have abandoned Anne in the first place.Gautami & Aria, I agree, Sydney is a real hero.Puss, I think that’s the reason I chose him – the Vicomte is fascinating and scheming – OK in fiction, but not for me in real life.Julia, Melody and Jennifer, so you too all like Darcy! Jennifer I wonder how we would view Darcy, if we had his view on the story? He may not be so appealing?
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