tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post6883051990063436344..comments2024-03-21T17:22:02.012-05:00Comments on Musings of an Elf: 7 (Extremely Flawed) Literary Characters We Love and WhyChristine Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-21797577887425297552018-07-18T11:30:50.285-05:002018-07-18T11:30:50.285-05:00Bwahahaha! You've caught on to my evil plan. &...Bwahahaha! You've caught on to my evil plan. >:D BUT OH MY GOODNESS, KENZIE, YOU MUST READ THOSE!!! :O I did not realize you've never read any of the Tales from Goldstone Wood books or HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. *resists the urge to hurl book at you* YES. YOU MUST READ THEM. ALL OF THEM. They're soooo good! (Okay, but seriously, my TBR is scary right now, so I understand!)<br /><br />THOOOOOOOOOOORNE!!!!!!!!!!! That's hilarious you saw his name and had to stop. Everyone stops for Thorne. XD BUT THE LUNAR CHRONICLES IS SO GOOD SLKDJFLJDF. It's definitely one of my favorite series too! And yeah, Thorne definitely helps with that. XD YES to everything you said. Him trying so hard to be a hero for Cress just...I CAN'T HANDLE IT. <333<br /><br />Awww! Okay! I will definitely try to scramble something together about arcs soon then. :DChristine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-6870856519997383812018-07-18T11:24:35.490-05:002018-07-18T11:24:35.490-05:00Every time I come to your blog, I come away with a...Every time I come to your blog, I come away with at least three books to add to my TBR. XD I've never read A Time To Die, Lionheart, Howl's Moving Castle (*prepares to get the book thrown at my face*) or Angel Eyes, but you can bet your buttons that those are going on my TBR list now. (even though my TBR is about the size of Mount Everest right now. lol oops. XD) <br /><br />ASDFGHJKL CARSWELL THORNE!!!! To be perfectly honest, I was just scrolling through your blog, searching for the posts I've missed when I noticed Thorne's name on the page and immediately knew I had to click. So here I am. Because of Thorne. XD I absolutely LOOOOOOOOVVVVVEEEED The Lunar Chronicles. It remains to this day practically my favorite series of ever, and that is majorly in part to Thorne. XD I JUST LOVE HIS CHARACTER SO MUCH. And I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said about him! His character growth was just PERFECTION, and his relationship with Cress is just... MY HEART. I CANNOT. I love those two together. They are such polar opposites, and yet he struggles SO hard to be the hero she believes he is. I just love those smol precious children so much...<br /><br />Also, I would absolutely LOVE to read a post from you about character arc!!! I need that in my life so badly.Kenziehttps://smudgedthoughts.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-88430933797692653512018-07-15T17:00:11.020-05:002018-07-15T17:00:11.020-05:00Thanks so much, Jameson! I totally agree. It can s...Thanks so much, Jameson! I totally agree. It can seem overwhelming, but it's really just a bunch of small details that makes the big picture. I love how you said that!<br /><br />*shrieks with you* (It's really impossible to not.) YES YES YES! You said it perfectly. It's so beautiful watching him realize that there IS bigger things than himself and the here and now. GAH. I love it!<br /><br />Edmund's story is seriously one of the most beautiful in literary history. You are SO right, that his title of "Just" is so very meaningful. Now I'm gettin' all emotional! :')Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-46708034873071042902018-07-15T15:43:37.987-05:002018-07-15T15:43:37.987-05:00I love this! It can be such a challenge to make ch...I love this! It can be such a challenge to make characters feel real and flawed, but it really does come down to those little things that make them more than just their flaws. <br /><br />*shrieks over Thorne* (because really: HOW CAN ONE NOT?) I think, too, he's still easy to relate to in spite of his selfishness and ego because he's really just in over his head and realizing that there's something so much bigger at stake than whatever makes him happy at the moment. And he's Carswell Thorne and that's really all one needs to say, isn't it? ;D<br /><br />Edmund Pevensie is the one that gets me every time. Especially because you can see how much his actions and their consequences still resonate with him even as he grows up. That's probably why his title of King Edmund the Just us one of my favorites among the Pevensies because if anyone knows what that really means, it's him.<br />Jameson C. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14273414704624735740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-58887837906140384992018-07-14T13:25:15.648-05:002018-07-14T13:25:15.648-05:00Precisely! It's so neat finding a character ha...Precisely! It's so neat finding a character have struggles and make mistakes that we have grappled with as well. That's the mark of a good character right there. *nods*<br /><br />You can NEVER go wrong with Thorne, Edmund, and Howl. XDD<br /><br />Thanks, girl!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-75255983322185050252018-07-14T13:23:40.561-05:002018-07-14T13:23:40.561-05:00Nonsense! *puts on Gandalf wizard hat* A blog comm...Nonsense! *puts on Gandalf wizard hat* A blog commenter is never late. They arrive precisely when they mean to. ;)<br /><br />Bwahahaha! Thorne makes EVERYTHING a gadrillion times better. Always. XD<br /><br />So I wasn't alone on my thoughts on Parvin? So glad to hear it! She really became her own as the series went on. I was so proud of her. :')<br /><br />Thanks so much, Nicole!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-52415205769546229792018-07-14T10:17:12.362-05:002018-07-14T10:17:12.362-05:00For me, flaws make me love a character because the...For me, flaws make me love a character because they are relatable. I'm not perfect, and neither should characters! Great list. There were quite a few characters on here that made me go, "Oh, he's my favorite!" Mostly Carswell, Edmund, and Howl XD They are irresistible. Abbey Stellingwerffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10426609355118356332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-19854301397133636622018-07-14T06:37:20.879-05:002018-07-14T06:37:20.879-05:00I'm so late to the party, but. I LOVE ALL OF T...I'm so late to the party, but. I LOVE ALL OF THESE CHARACTERS!!!!!!!!! *is dying over here*<br /><br />Literally, all you had to do was mention Thorne, and then I was like, this post is 102938473 times better :)<br /><br />You brought up some great points about all these characters, especially Edmund *fangirls* and Parvin, who I wasn’t a huge fan of in the beginning either! This post was awesome, Christine!Nicole Dusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11632214867395523015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-73962028660556869712018-07-13T15:05:52.910-05:002018-07-13T15:05:52.910-05:00You said it! It SEEMS like he'd be a totally u...You said it! It SEEMS like he'd be a totally unlikable character, but he's not. Only Anne Elisabeth Stengl can pull off such a complex character!<br /><br />I LOVE THORNE SO MUCH I CAN'T. Yes, yes, yes! I do love complex characters (like Leo!), but it's always refreshing to find someone who seems like a person you'd meet on the street or something. Someone REAL. And yes, his one-liners are GOLD.<br /><br />C.S. Lewis was so amazing! ALL these authors are. There's so much to learn from them!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-12999644283237391042018-07-13T15:00:08.286-05:002018-07-13T15:00:08.286-05:00Thank you! Glad you liked them. ^_^
YESSS. I love...Thank you! Glad you liked them. ^_^<br /><br />YESSS. I love those two so very much!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-57620525956678859802018-07-12T23:01:40.237-05:002018-07-12T23:01:40.237-05:00Yes, Lionheart!! I totally agree with you, at time...Yes, Lionheart!! I totally agree with you, at times, I just really, REALLY wanted to hate him, for being a coward, for running from his problems, but I could just never bring myself to it. I really do think it's his relatability that makes him such a likable character, as you said.<br /><br />CARSWELL IS SO WONDERFUL. XD "He's just...a person" <~ Yes, exactly!! That's what I love about him! He's cocky, arrogant, stubborn, but he still cares, and that's what matters, I think. And yes, he has the best one liners ever. XD<br /><br />Edmund's character...such a gorgeous picture it paints. It makes me emotional too. That whole series, the wonderful allegories, they make me tear up a bit. In a good way, of course. <3Madeline J. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14651322832150574847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-63543785222709654912018-07-12T22:04:34.337-05:002018-07-12T22:04:34.337-05:00These are great examples! Thorne and Parvin are su...These are great examples! Thorne and Parvin are such amazingly-written characters. <3<br /><br />storitorigrace.blogspot.comVictoria Grace Howellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01849013182543674707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-87090693091639926442018-07-10T22:33:45.696-05:002018-07-10T22:33:45.696-05:00YES! Precisely my thoughts. I had heard SO many pe...YES! Precisely my thoughts. I had heard SO many people raving about the trilogy and Parvin, so I was just sure I was gonna love it. But Parvin really didn't grab me at first and I was confused why everyone loved her so much. But by the end of it all I knew why. Watching her grow was absolutely inspirational and beautiful.Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-90709647702220735612018-07-10T18:10:15.123-05:002018-07-10T18:10:15.123-05:00Yesss Parvin! I honestly really disliked her throu...Yesss Parvin! I honestly really disliked her throughout the first book because she never seemed to do anything. Where was the Parvin who wanted to stand up for people at the beginning of the book? She just seemed to lose that once she was across the wall.<br /><br />But after reading the trilogy, I REALLY liked her. We got to see her grow!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-48111481727543326622018-07-10T13:43:56.399-05:002018-07-10T13:43:56.399-05:00Hahaha! You're welcome. I was tryyying to be v...Hahaha! You're welcome. I was tryyying to be vague and not spoil anything important in all the stories (except for Narnia, but since that one is so well known, I figured it'd be okay). But YES. The whole Out of Time trilogy is absolutely amazing and I can't wait for you to read the rest! :D<br /><br />ALWAYS King of Sass, and we love him for it. XD<br /><br />YES YOU DOOOO!!!!!! Oh my goodness, they're seriously some of the most gorgeous, intriguing books I've ever read in my LIFE. Can't recommend them enough!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-38092500071505556042018-07-10T13:41:42.760-05:002018-07-10T13:41:42.760-05:00You gotta love 'im! ^_^
That is the nicest th...You gotta love 'im! ^_^<br /><br />That is the nicest thing! I'm so happy you thought so. Thank you, Sarah! <3Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-84496409562699114082018-07-10T13:40:49.881-05:002018-07-10T13:40:49.881-05:00100% AGREED. It's so beautiful watching them g...100% AGREED. It's so beautiful watching them grow.<br /><br />I'm with ya! They're really ALL lovable. But yes, Leo's arc is so powerful.<br />Oh goodness, you're so right. Eustace would have been a great example too. Goodness, there are so many good ones out there!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-54712892243391710772018-07-10T09:10:06.082-05:002018-07-10T09:10:06.082-05:00Awww, that makes me so weirdly happy XD He's s...Awww, that makes me so weirdly happy XD He's so precious. I'm due for a fourth pass of Moonblood. ;) <br /><br />I don't think it does make us bad bookworms...I just can't get over his sass in the second movie. "KING Edmund, actually." "So you're *bravely* refusing to fight someone half your age?" He's too wonderful. <3 <br /><br />R.F. Gammonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03134854415617023273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-63399644953584544982018-07-10T08:14:59.025-05:002018-07-10T08:14:59.025-05:00THANK YOU for not spoiling the Out of Time books!!...THANK YOU for not spoiling the Out of Time books!! I've only read the first, and fell in love! I actually really enjoyed getting to know Parvin, and I can't wait to see how she grows!<br /><br />And Edmund...always been a fave Narnia character. Especially in the movies. #kingofsass <br /><br />I really need to start reding the Goldstone Wood books, don't I??Helena Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11511426093471571440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-67073836920430471602018-07-10T07:42:56.049-05:002018-07-10T07:42:56.049-05:00EDMUND!! Such an awesome character and I love him ...EDMUND!! Such an awesome character and I love him dearly. <br /><br />This was an amazing post. I loved how you broke down the parts of the character that we love and why. That's super important. Great job!Sarah Rodeckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00515289848119643553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-8398050302804829372018-07-09T22:59:44.948-05:002018-07-09T22:59:44.948-05:00Unlikable characters are actually the best- watchi...Unlikable characters are actually the best- watching them mature and 'redeem' themselves is awesome!<br />I know I call nearly every character in the Tales of Goldstone Wood a favourite, but Lionheart is definitely one of these favourites! I also love Edmund, but I think I have to say I prefer Eustace Clarence Scrubb as the best Narnian 'redeemed unlikable character'.Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07311819189733225274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-89207607498575793972018-07-09T19:21:29.239-05:002018-07-09T19:21:29.239-05:00Awww! Thank you!
THAT'S OKAY. You'd be ast...Awww! Thank you!<br />THAT'S OKAY. You'd be astounded at how many books I haven't read that I absolutely SHOULD. And how gargantuan my TBR list is. o.o Yep. I toootally understand. But Narnia is SUCH a delightful series. I hope you get a chance to read it sometime. And The Lunar Chronicles is SOOOO so fun! I'm obsessed!<br /><br />OH. That is a brilliant point! That DOES happen a ton. The flaws do tend to come out via their childhood conditions. You're right! And yes, it's so beautiful seeing them rise above that pain and become who they're meant to be. GAH. I love it! ^_^Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-4950420588607451102018-07-09T19:18:32.707-05:002018-07-09T19:18:32.707-05:00They're just so much fun! Hahaha! "Flawed...They're just so much fun! Hahaha! "Flawed" is putting it mildly for Lark. XD<br /><br />MY BBYS. I can never get enough of them! Thanks, Skye. ^_^Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-87056790167868081422018-07-09T19:17:37.199-05:002018-07-09T19:17:37.199-05:00Tehehehe! Of course Howl had to be on the list. Al...Tehehehe! Of course Howl had to be on the list. Always.<br /><br />THOOOOORNE. <3333333<br /><br />I was literally thinking about you when I added Leo! I thought, "Faith is gonna approve of this one." *grins* I love how you love him. Yes, it's totally like my obsession with Howl. But aaaahhhhh! Dear Leo. His character growth gets me every time. :')<br /><br />You know, I think I like the movie Edmund a smidge better too? o.o Does that make us bad bookworms? He's just so fun and sassy and I love it!<br /><br />Oh my goodness, that character sounds sooooo complex and deep. The best kind of character! I LOVE that! And I can definitely imagine she's a blast to write.<br /><br />Thanks so much, Faith! <3Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4139091376044743904.post-50042366726418527312018-07-09T19:14:22.685-05:002018-07-09T19:14:22.685-05:00Exactly! I don't know how Howl manages to be s...Exactly! I don't know how Howl manages to be so awful and yet so wonderful at the same time. Only Howl... *shakes head*<br /><br />Yes and yes! We want our stories to feel REAL, and like you said, no human is perfect. So no character should be perfect either. But there is a balance. I love the sweeties too! Nothing wrong with that, we just don't want them 100% good because that's just not realistic. *nods* Wonderful thoughts!Christine Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15859881278385314279noreply@blogger.com