Who is the greatest litereary character of the twenteth century?

Question

My votes with Yossarian from Catch - 22. Absolutely hilarious and tragic in equal amounts.

I can't believe I spelt literary wrong! LOL!

Answer 1

Orr from Catch 22.
He rowed from italy to Sweden eating raw fish. Less Phylosophical than Yosarrian, but far more effective - follows the no bullshit rules (law of club and fang from the Call of the wild). He adapts rather than fight.

Tyler Durden from Fight club and Streator from Lullaby (by Palahniuk). Opposed to Orr they are modern, troubled characters unadapted to the world they live in, one trying to destroy it, the other trying to stop destroying it. They are great literary characters of today, while Orr dominates the time before them (a century is a long enough time for all three of them).

Answer 2

No fair. Yossarian would have been pick number one...For years, I couldn't read the book all the way through, because it would almost kill me with laughter and meaning. Had to get really, ridiculously depressed to actually read it all the way through the first time, but now he's always there when the world gets a little too sharp and baffling.

If not Yossarian...maybe Marcus Didius Falco - the character whose name I've stolen. Technically, the character is based in the Roman empire in the days of the Emperor Vespassian, but he started appearing in stories of Roman gumshoery in the 20th century. Smart, cool, but not ever quite as cool as his wife.

Or Harry Harrison's character of the far future - Slippery Jim DiGriz, otherwise known as the Stainless Steel Rat. Wisecracking crook on a thousand worlds, always prepared, always thinking, always one step ahead of the law. He made thinking cool for me before Yossarian ever came to make me understand.

Answer 3

Ignatius P Reilly from A Confederacy For Dunces has got to be in the running. Yossarian from Catch-22 as well.

Answer 4

I would have to say "Alex" from "A Clockwork Orange", which I would have to say without a doubt is one of the best books ever written. It really showcases Anthony Burgess's incredible mastery of linguistics and provides the reader with an extremely unlikeable anti-hero.
I do agree with you on Yossarian, I love that book, Joseph Heller is brilliant.

Answer 5

Paul Atreides from Dune.

I have to admit that I feel that the pickings are slim after the turn of the century. 19th century lit has so many more interesting characters. Count of Monte Cristo, The Brother Karamazov, the Musketeers, Nathaniel Bumpo, Count Dracula.

Answer 6

Carlo Reinhart, from a series of books by Thomas Berger.
He first appears in the amazing novel, Crazy in Berlin. He is equal parts schmuck and hero. He manages to do the most unlikable things and still remain fascinating. He's also a laugh riot.

Answer 7

Lois Mcmaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan. But Sam Vimes is definitely 1st runner-up.

Answer 8

Winston Smith from 1984

Answer 9

Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler :)

Answer 10

Peter Pan