Malinda Lo
Blog
Feb 14, 2013
5 Favorite Fictional Couples
It’s Valentine’s Day! Which you may or may not be a fan of, but since I’m a sucker for a good romance, I thought I’d blog about some of my favorite fictional couples.
Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe
Anne and Gilbert played by Megan Followes and Jonathan Crombie in the 1980s TV version of the novels. I love this photo!
From the first time Gilbert Blythe pulled Anne Shirley’s red braid in school and called her “Carrots,” it was on. What I love about their romance is that it endured through years of prickly adolescence and matured into true love. I mean, Gilbert gave up his job for her! And Anne got a scholarship to college and won a writing contest! And then they went to college together and Anne got a B.A. when it was really hard for ladies to do that! And Gilbert still loved her steadily throughout the whole thing, even though she didn’t recognize how awesome he was until he almost died. Obviously, their love is epic.
Buffy and Spike
A scene from the episode “Something Blue” (Season 4 of BTVS) that in retrospect is way foreshadowy — and oh, so wrong.
What I love about the relationship between Buffy and Spike is that it’s so, so wrong. Both of them know it’s wrong for them, and in a way that’s what makes it work. It was a relationship that forced Buffy to face the nastier parts of herself, and it forced Spike to become a better man despite himself.
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy
Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, aka the One True Version of P&P.
This is a favorite couple for many people, and for good reason. The relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy requires both individuals to recognize their own shortcomings, and in the course of that, they recognize their feelings for each other. Also, it’s a bit of a fairy tale. Elizabeth isn’t exactly Cinderella and Mr. Darcy isn’t exactly a prince, but close enough!
Nan King and her moleskins
Rachael Stirling as Nan King in the BBC version of TIpping the Velvet. She’s not wearing moleskin trousers in this but that’s okay. You get the picture!
In Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters, the heroine Nan King has plenty of lovers, but to me she didn’t fully become herself until she bought a pair of moleskin trousers toward the end of the book. Those scenes, when she’s wearing her trousers and cleaning Flo’s flat, are the best of the book. That’s when Nan accepts who she is, and Flo sees who she is, and the rest is … really sexy.
Jo March and her garret
An illustration of Jo March in her garret.
When I was a young writer, Jo March in Little Women was my hero. In my opinion the single greatest flaw of Little Women was marrying Jo off to that German professor. She should have remained in her garret, scribbling away with ink on her fingers, forever. In fact, I like to pretend that part of the book didn’t happen. In my mind Jo’s still writing in her garret, happily alone.
Who are your favorite fictional couples?
Lyra and Will. I think Philip Pullman wrote one of the best descriptions of first love and falling in love with your best friend. The ending was harsh but it didn’t lessen what they had.
In TV land, my fave couple has always been Buffy/Angel. I was 12 when I discovered the show and B/A was the first fictional couple I really rooted for. When I re-watch BtVS today, I can see the problems with their relationship but like Buffy w/ Angel (and vice-versa), I’m biased because of our history.
I always felt the same way about Jo in Little Women! I did find the professor more endearing in the musical version though.
And the first three are definitely some of my favorites, although I always seem to forget about Anne and Gilbert until someone else mentions them.
As for other couples…actually Anne Eliot and Captain Wentworth, from Persuasion, have been one of my favorites since I first read Persuasion in 2007. Being able to be happy with each other, even in the face of an uncertain future and no home of their own, after so many years of regret – it’s just such a satisfying ending.
YES to Will and Lyra! I’ve been posted that everywhere this week trying to remind people of those beautiful passages.
“Oh, Will,” she said, “What can we do? Whatever can we do? I want to live with you forever. I want to kiss you and lie down with you and wake up with you every day of my life till I die, years and years and years away. I don’t want a memory, just a memory…”
“No,” he said, “memory’s a poor thing to have. It’s your own real hair and mouth and arms and eyes and hands I want. I didn’t know I could ever love anything so much. Oh, Lyra, I wish this night would never end! If only we could stay here like this, and the world could stop turning, and everyone else could fall into a sleep…”
“Everyone except us! And you and I could live here forever and just love each other.”
“I will love you forever; whatever happens. Till I die and after I die, and when I find my way out of the land of the dead, I’ll drift about forever, all my atoms, till I find you again…”
“I’ll be looking for you, Will, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you…We’ll live in birds and flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeams…And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won’t just be able to take one, they’ll have to take two, one of you and one of me, we’ll be joined so tight…”
They lay side by side, hand in hand, looking at the sky.
I agree and disagree with your last point—Dr. Bhaer? Blech. BUT Jo’s true love is both the garret and Laurie, who was always one-hundred-percent behind Jo writing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Her time should have been split between writing brilliant stuff and making out with Laurie.
I have a lot of feels about this.
Oh yes I love Will and Lyra! I think I cried for like 30 minutes nonstop at the end of His Dark Materials.
I remember when I first read Little Women when I was a kid, I was totally devastated when Jo rejected Laurie. SO DEVASTATED. It broke my heart! But as time went on my feelings changed and now I believe Laurie really is great with Amy. I know a lot of folks hate Amy, but I think she’s great. And an artist! And I think Jo is gay. So no Laurie for her in my world, unless Laurie’s a girl.
Anne and Wentworth, good one. Compared to Elizabeth and Darcy, they’re the more under-rated couple but their story of enduring love is actually very epic I think.
And that speech of Lyra’s to Will? I’ve memorized it from so much re-reading.
Actually, I’ve read that Jo remaining single is the ending Louisa May really wanted. Her publishers were emphatically against letting Jo become (gasp!) a spinster, so she came up with Bhaer.
Phoebe and Jem – The Hollow Tree by Janet Lunn
Vince and Kendra – Son of the Mob 1 & 2 by Gordon Korman
Sorcha and ‘Red’ – Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Ron and Hermione – Harry Potter
and I gotta say I enjoyed Kaede and Taisin in Huntress. The author’s name escapes me…
willow and tara, in buffy. even though it ended badly, i thought it was sweet. ;u;
Hilarious! I have always wanted to be Anne Shirley. Always. And I want Gilbert AND Diana.
Spike and Buffy, so very very wrong. But I think you’re exactly right about what worked with them. I prefer Willow’s relationships, though.
I agree about Nan, too. And I’d add Stephen Gordon’s relationship to her suits and her muscles in The Well of Loneliness. (Best book ever.)
And how about Zoe and Wash from Firefly?