This weekly meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
I haven't done one of these in a while (I've been choosy with the topics) but I liked the idea of listing my favorite romances in honor of Valentine's Day! So here they are:
10. Amy and Laurie in Little Women. I really liked their story because it was fun, but realistic. Sometimes things don't go the way you planned and you don't end up with the first person you fell in love with, but you end up with someone better for you. (I know that happened to me!)
9. Emma and Mr. Knightley in Emma. Maybe it's the way-too-practical soul in me (or maybe it's the fact that I married someone several years older than me?) but I've always preferred Mr. Knightley over Mr. Darcy. I like that Emma's and Knightley's strengths and weaknesses complement each other.
8. Margaret and John Thornton in North and South. I love how these two teach other so much throughout the book. Like Emma and Mr. Knightley, they're opposites that complement each other, but through the book we also discover that they are very much alike.
7. Scarlett and Rhett in Gone With the Wind. Although their story isn't quite happily-ever-after, Scarlett and Rhett are two strong-willed people who completely deserve each other. I love that neither of them is really a "good guy," but they're not "bad guys" either. Their romance is totally unique.
6. Juliet Ashton and Dawsey Adams in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What could be more romantic than falling in love with someone through letters and literature? Sigh.
5. Jane and Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. Another story that's not picture-perfect, but reflects reality. (Except for the crazy-wife-in-the-attic part.) Neither Jane nor Rochester is particularly attractive, but they teach each other and help each other, and in the end, they each learn how valuable the other is.
4. Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. They're hilarious!
3. Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. This is more a story of obsession than love, in my opinion, but it's such a great story of obsession...
2. Sir Percy and Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel. She loves him so much! And he loves her but he conceals it in order to protect her! *sob*
1. Les Miserables. No, not Marius and Cosette (mediocre romance, at best), but the book as a whole is a love story, in a way. Fantine's love for her child. The Thenardiers' love of money. Enjolras's love for France and freedom. Eponine's confused devotion to Marius. Javert's obsession with justice. And most important, Jean Valjean's love for God and all that is right. Each character has a love of his or her life, and each one does everything for it.
What are your favorite romances?
Yeah for Rhett and Scarlet! They are on my list too. Also, I love that you added Amy and Laurie to your top ten, I feel Amy tends to get swallowed up in Jo's shadow (at least with the Laurie love-triangle) but maybe that's just me.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Everyone thinks that Jo and Laurie are perfect for each other, but I never thought so! Amy is so much better for him.
DeleteOoooh! I forgot about Margaret and John Thornton! Great list! Marguerite and Percy almost got added to my list. Here's my TTT.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing yours!
DeleteGood list I love Beatrice and Benedick as well.
ReplyDeleteYep, they are great. :) Thank you!
DeleteSeriously, I love The Scarlet Pimpernel. Not so much the book, but the movie with Anthony Andrews - Swoon!
ReplyDeleteI really need to read North and South.
I am officially, right now, making a resolution to see that version. The only film adaptation I've seen was the BBC one, and I was not at all impressed.
Delete