Happy Valentine’s Day! If you weren’t reading the blog last February, here’s a re-post of last year’s take on literary matchmaking. If you were reading the blog last February… well, read it again! Maybe you’ll have some new couples to suggest in the comment section.
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With Valentine’s day tomorrow, most book bloggers will be writing a version of the “famous literary couples” post. (Last year, my version was called 5 Great Literary Lovers.) I’m going to put a twist on it this year by matching up five couples who never met in the literary world. Some were written centuries apart, but that doesn’t matter- literature and love are both eternal.
(Side note: I am in no way suggesting that these couples are better matched than their originally-written partnerships; this is just for fun.)
Couple #1: Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables) and Laura Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie)
Why they’d be good together: Gilbert has proven that he likes a strong woman, and Laura is one of the strongest. As a doctor, Gilbert’s skills would be handy in the remote places that Laura prefers to live. Their complimentary temperaments (Gilbert’s easy-going manner, Laura’s stubbornness) would make them a happy match.
Couple #2: Hermione Grainger (Harry Potter) and Hercule Poirot (Murder on the Orient Express, etc.)
Why they’d be good together: Their age difference is extreme, even if you take Hermione’s age at the end of Deathly Hallows, which is 34. But it’s a promising May-December romance.Hermione would have great respect for Poirot’s intellect, and he for hers. They would be a fierce crime-solving team using the “little gray cells” method; Hermione would make sure Poirot took care of himself; and they could live an international lifestyle, since both enjoy travel.
Couple #3: Jo March (Little Women) and Lizzy Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
Why they’d be good together: While neither of these women showed a preference for women in their original incarnations, perhaps they would have if the time had been right for it. (After all, Jo was in love with someone named Laurie.) Both understand what it’s like to live in a family with several sisters, no brothers and a strong-willed mother; both are the second child, and feel a little out-of-step with their family and society’s values. The two would argue a bit, but they’d push each other to be better and stronger women. This is the couple I’d personally most like to meet.
Couple #4: Scarlett O’Hara (Gone With the Wind) and Westley, the Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride)
Why they’d be good together: Scarlett is a very unique woman. She needs a man who will both fight for her and stand up to her. Westley fought hard for his relationship with Princess Buttercup, but suffered because she was too weak to trust in his love. Conversely, Scarlett would leave no doubt of her intentions once she’d set her heart on Westley. Each has the capacity for demonstrating the kind of passion the other craves.
Couple #5: Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird) and Jean Valjean (Les Miserables)
Why they’d be good together: They’re both loners of a sort, crusaders for justice, involved with the law (albeit in different ways) and protectors of the innocent. Their relationship could start with a sharing of ideas, and progress to deeper matters of the heart. Every crusader needs a partner who understands his quest.
What other literary couples would you mash up? I’d love to hear your suggestions!