The Pulpwood Queen Talks about her Favorite and Most Despicable! Book Characters!

Dear Readers,

A question was posed to me this morning of which I was tagged by my friend Kristen Chambers as follows.

“Reading friends, what literary characters come to mind when asked which one(s) do you love? And which do you loathe? I don’t mean how well or how poorly written the characters are. I’m talking about the ones who make your heart swell, who you’d admire if they were to come to life, who you’d want for a neighbor, best friend or mate; and the ones who are so despicable they turn your stomach, make you angry, make you want to punch their face (at a minimum), and can make it a challenge to keep reading.

This is for everyone and anyone, but I’m tagging those I associate with books and reading for whatever reason. My knee jerk response is 👍🏼Atticus Finch and 👎🏼 Delores Umbridge. In fact, it was the latter who inspired this post. I HATE HER!!!”

Now readers I was tagged and after much thought these characters came to mind for me.

Of course, the man I most admire is Atticus Fitch in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Intelligent, kind, always striving to help others and what a good father. These are the attributes that I find most admirable in a man. You have heard me say this over and over many times but “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is the standard for me as I set the bar high on the best book that everyone should be required to read ever. The same truths that were evident then upon the reading by in 1964 are as relevant then as they are now. Perhaps, even more so…

https://images.app.goo.gl/wjghCNAsnANsEyyS9

As far a woman in fiction I could totally relate to the character “Auntie Mame” in the book so the same name by Patrick Dennis. Flamboyant, larger than life, exotic in dress, she had big dreams and was so often misunderstood which is how I have felt my entire life. All she was looking for was someone who accepted her for who she was and then she found her true love in the little boy that she helped raise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gsRMtl70aQ

The most despicable character was Gar-Face in the book, “The Underneath” by Kathi Appelt. The trapper that lived in the East Texas woods that all began with this line, “There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for awhile, and then abandoned on the side of the road”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr9FxEYLKPE

the underneath by kathi appelt

My daughter Madeleine saved a little kitten some time back abandoned. We are a family like that who take in the animals that people abandon. I was pet sitting for her recently and the kitten never left my chest. I fell in love with the little calico cat. But it was sick, very sick, three trips to the vet and learned this morning that Callie had died.

In this time of social distancing, there is so much loss and distance between our loved ones. If reading can do anything for us it can help us to understand how to be more kind, more compassionate, and to focus on what really matters. Our families, our friends, our pets and all of those who are putting so much good out into the world. Be the change you want to see and sending all my love to Madeleine and James for the loss of their beloved kitten, Callie. My heart is broken too.

Truly, it’s all about the story!

Kathy L. Murphy

Artist/Author/Founder of the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs and Author of “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life”

Director of Acquisitions of Lucid House Publishing

https://www.LucidHousePublishing.com

P.O. Box 1220

Hawkins, Texas 75765 – 1220

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