Top Ten Tuesday: Shy or Quiet Characters in Books

Happy Tuesday readers, it’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday list. This week’s topic is a free list and my list today is  characters who are a little quiet and shy. I find that sometimes main characters in books can be gutsy, spunky and full of life but sometimes that’s not what you want in a character and that sometimes it is the quieter supporting characters that you really warm to. Either way here is my list and if you would like to see the original here is the link.

1)      The Great Gatsby: May seem like a strange choice this one, but, despite the glittering parties and splurging of wealth both Jay and Nick are a little subdued or restrained lost in the loud world they are plunged into. Nick is particularly mild and observant and the beauty of that is stitched into the very lining of the novel.

gatsby

 2)      The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes: I promise I didn’t pick these because they are my favourite authors and books but despite Sherlock’s outlandish methods I have always thought of Holmes as being intensely thoughtful also shown in his hours spent perfecting the violin. Although a little outrageous he has a softer, quieter side.

complete-sherlock-holmes

 3)      Cath from Fangirl: I adored Cath in Fangirl despite struggling with social anxiety and being very quiet she is witty, sharp, intelligent and wonderful to read about.

FANGIRL_CoverDec2012-725x1075

4)      Miss Honey from Matilda: ‘Miss Jennifer Honey was a mild and quiet person who never raised her voice and was seldom seen to smile but there is no doubt she possessed that gift for being adored by every child under her care.’ Miss Honey is a sweet-natured character who has always been a favourite of mine. Her charm and quirkiness despite her mild nature rings throughout the book making her a firm favourite.

images (5)

 5)      Neville Longbottom: I don’t think I could write this list without including Neville. A little clumsy, teased and a little overlooked we see Neville grow and grow into the brave and loyal character we all knew he had in him. I adored him throughout the books.

Harry_Potter_and_the_Philosopher's_Stone_Book_Cover

 6)      Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Charlie openly identifies as being a little bit of a recluse. Writing letters to the unknown recipient this quiet but darling character captured by heart.

the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower

 7)      Little Miss Shy: A little bit of an obvious choice but growing up I read a lot of Little Miss Sunshine, Mr Happy and Mr Tickle. It’s nice to have a contrasting character and it really is a sweet tale.

41acuUInb5L

8)      Michael from Unravelling Oliver: This is a recent book I’ve read and the review will be up soon. Michael spoke to me in his difficulty owning up to his coming out and I found his story and his struggle to keep it hidden at times difficult to read. His quiet but darling nature was lovely to read

images (4)

 9)      Amber from The Chocolate Run: Harking back to my favourites as always for this book challenge Amber is a character who shines from the pages. Her love of snuggling up on the sofa, eating chocolate and binge watching films means we would be firm friends. I really enjoyed seeing her grow and become stronger in herself as a character.

runchoc

10)   Finally, Joe from Ian McEwan’s Enduring Love: This may seem like a slightly different choice but Joe’s shy and formulaic nature is pushed out by the obsessive manipulation of Jed Parry. It’s at times difficult to read but we see Joe really plunder through and take control of the situation.

A rather long Top Ten Tuesday’s book posts but one I really wanted to put down on paper. As always comments, queries, additions, even criticisms, pop them in the box at the bottom and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Advertisement

10 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Shy or Quiet Characters in Books

  1. typewriterink says:

    Interesting list. I loved Cath, she was such a cool main character. It seems like you mostly get the more outgoing characters to narrate and the quieter ones tend to be in the background

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s