Classics Considered

Haven’t participated in Top Ten Tuesday in a while, but I’m excited for this week’s topic: top ten platonic relationships from books.  Families, friends, and mentors – classic literature is chock-full of great examples!

1. Davey Balfour and Alan Breck Stewart from Kidnapped (Robert Louis Stevenson) – I have to reread this book every so often.  I just love the complex dynamic between two friends who have such different backgrounds, views, and goals.
2. Gandalf and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien) – Another duo who don’t get along too well at the beginning – Gandalf, the no-nonsense wizard, and Pippin, who is just a bit clueless.  Nonetheless, when push comes to shove, they’re on each other’s side and find common understanding.
   
3. Mudpuddle, Jill, and Eustace from The Silver Chair (C. S. Lewis) – Probably my favorite group of characters from the whole Narnia series!  I admir how they’re all three loyal to each other and their quest.  Maybe less realistic than some of the other Narnia portrayals (e.g. Digory and Polly, whom I also love), but still great.
4. Dorothy and Scarecrow from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum) – Childhood favorite.
   
5. Holmes and Watson from the Sherlock Holmes series (A. C. Doyle) – One of the most unlikely friendships in literature, and also long-lasting!
   
6. Onegin and Lensky from Eugene Onegin (Alexander Pushkin) – There’s a lot you can learn from the rise and fall of this friendship.  Even so, I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand what happened.
   
7. Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy from Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) – Enough said.  🙂 
   
8. Orual and Psyche from Till We Have Faces (C. S. Lewis) – Another great portrayal of sisters. 
9. Jim Hawkins and Dr. Livesey from Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) – More of a father-son relationship, this friendship is tested by events and other characters in a really interesting way.
10. Pip and Joe from Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) – In some ways this is a father-son relationship “gone wrong,” but at the same time, it’s incredibly compelling and realistic.  Quite a tearjerker.

Well, that’s my ten.  Who did I miss?!