In case you have been living under a rock (I see you Patrick Star) and don't know, Valentine's Day is tomorrow! And, if you're anything like me, you will be spending it alone. (well, not really alone. There's always good ol' tumblr to fill your dashboard with pictures of Benedict Cumberbatch.)
In honor of this day of love (or, in some cases, profound lonelieness) I have decided to do a post about some of my favorite fictional romances.
1. Elizabeth/ Darcy- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
One of the really cool things about Lizzie and Darcy is that they basically sets the standard for romantic comedies everywhere. Now, when we see a movie about two people who at first hate each other but eventually love each other, it's nothing new. But for Jane Austen, who was writing these characters in 1813, it was practically unheard of.
Also, Darcy has this incredible evolution as a character. There were times in the book when I was thinking "No, I can't ever like Darcy. He's too much of a jerkface" (jerkface is a technical term we intellectuals use) but one of the best parts was reading about Lizzie growing to love him, and feeling myself grow more attached to him, too.
And they are both extremely sassy. It's quite funny.
2. Grace/ Sam- Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Steifvater
I've written about Steifvater before on this blog, I think. She's worth writing about twice.
I love Grace and Sam because so often in young adult literature, we see couples who are only expressing love through sexual contact, or being sexy, or just doing things that would make you cringe if you had to watch them with your parents. But Grace and Sam are just... cute. They go to candy shops and drive out to look at the northern lights together and make quiche while dancing. It was nice to read about a relationship that was just fun.
Also, the two of them contrast wonderfully as characters. Grace is very practical while Sam is halfway between an Elliot Smith version of emo and a six year old kid. You wouldn't think it would work, but it totally does.
3. Tessa/Jem- The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare
Oh gosh. These guys are my favorite. Everytime I read about them, I have to hide my face in the book because I can't stop smiling like an idiot.
What you have to understand about Jem is that he has to compete with the typical dark, tortured, and mysterious boy for the girl. Jem, in comparison, is sweet, selfless, and by all means the guy who would lose in any other book. Everybody always gets mad about how the best friend never gets the girl, but Jem does. Tessa chose him because she saw what we have been trying to explain to these fictional characters our entire lives: the other guy is a jerk.
4. Hazel/ Augustus- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
It was impossible for me to not put this in. Hazel and Augustus are like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, I can't let them go unnoticed.
Like Grace and Sam, Hazel and Augustus have a relationship based purely on fun. But what is interesting about their characters together is how acutely aware they are of reality. (For those of you who don't know, in the book, Hazel has terminal cancer.) They can go from talking about their impossible dreams to the metaphorical irony of sickness within the span of a page. Normally, this would throw me off, but John Green does a fantastic job of keeping it balanced. Hazel and Augustus are the perfect reminders of what life and love is: hard, but worth it.
5. Deryn/Alec- Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
This one is kind of grueling, mostly because for two and a half out of three books, Alec thinks that Deryn is a boy. (Deryn is a girl who wanted to join the British Air Service, so she pretends to be a boy. Like Mulan.) But these two are some of my favorite characters ever.
Alec is very pompous and acts like the sterreotypical aristocrat at times, and what I love about him and Deryn interacting is that Deryn is never afraid to put him in his place. I think it may actually be better that Alec thought she was a boy, because the book takes place in a time period where being a woman would make you inferior. But because Alec gets to know Deryn as a boy, he treats her like they're on equal footing. It's so fun to read their conversations, mostly because of the slang they use in the book, but also because they're both wildly smart and innovative when they're together.
But really. The slang is awesome. In what other context are you going to see someone say "Aye, and make sure that clever boots boffin finds her beastie." Nowhere, only in Leviathan.
So, if you've seen everything of your tumblr dashboard, maybe check out a few of these books. I hope everyone has a happy Valentine's Day, whether your date is fictional or not!
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