Did anyone read a fantastic book this week? I'd love to hear your recommendations. Did the names in the book work? Were they great? Why?
After a long work week and I am still focused on the topic of character names. See previous post. What if authors chose different names for the following works. Can you come up with a better name?
In my opinion the following names make a compelling case as to the impact of a well character moniker.
- Huckleberry Finn
- Catch 22's Yossarian.
- Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth - The Scarlett Letter
- Lennie and George - Of Mice and Men's
- Sookie Stackhouse and Bill from Charlaine Harris' books
- Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde
Now read A Midnight Clear by William Wharton. Every character has a great name and nickname, too. Or cheat a little and rent the DVD, the film is good too.
Till next week, "Same Sparkle Time. Same Sparkle Day."
3 comments:
Perhaps because I find it one of the best books I've ever read, or perhaps because these characters could be named nothing else, I love the character names in The Fountainhead.
Main character, Howard Roark, while I don't really care for the name Howard -- it seems old to me, this book was published in 1943, so it was perfect for the time. However, he is referred to as Roark in this book and that strong name calls to me. In so many ways he is a rock, unyielding, unflappable, immoveable, yep his name works.
2nd character, Dominique, wow, the perfect name for an almost untouchable character, flowing, beautiful, hinting of something deeper and that is Dominique to a T.
Gail Wynand, more importantly, just Gail. A man who came from Hell's Kitchen and clawed his way into big time publishing. He needed no more than 4 letters for his name, because that alone was enough to signify his substantial presence.
Peter Keating, who is not a villain, but more a man with no backbone, who willingly sold his artistic integrity for the opportunity to embrace architectural fame. Do you think it was mere chance that Ayn Rand used the same name as one of the apostles? The very one who denied Christ 3 times in order to save his own skin? I think not.
Wow, Sandra. Thank you for sharing great character names with reasoning. You are right.
Now for A Midnight Clear. A novel about the futility of war.
The group leaders is a private just promoted to seargent called Wont. His real name is William Knott, AKA Will Knot, AKA `will not,' thus: won't, usually shortened to Wont. Wont doesn't want to fight or lead but he WILL. And he WILL lead the group in a plan to save 'Mother' and send him home to his wife. And he WILL do what is necessary. An absolute perfect juxtapositon of is names.
Vance Wilkins is called Mother because of his mother-hen neatnik qualities and the character the others want to send home.
Paul Mundy is nick named Father because he's a devout Catholic who left seminary.
Bud Miller, Stan Shuzter and Mel Avakian.
But they are all boys and they made a family and they don't want to fight. And they don't want to die. They encounter a small group of German soldiers. These soldiers don't want to die, they want to surrender but are fearful their families back home will suffer if they do. When Wont suggests a plan to fake 'capture' the soldiers, they leave Mother out of the plan. Mother follows and thinking a true battle is taking place, kills the Germans.
I love when a name truly reinforces a particular character's background or traits. I, so, wish I was better at reinforcing names. I give it a great deal of thought, it just doesn't always pull together the way I would prefer.
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