My Top 5 Fictional Couples

Lately I've been thinking about what makes certain fictional couples so memorable. Is it the chemistry they have together? The snappy dialogue? The meaningful looks? Or is it the obstacles they must overcome on the way to love? There are some movies I can watch over and over again and certain books I've read dozens of time primarily because they contain a magical and timeless romance. Here are 5 of my all-time favorite fictional couples and their most memorable scenes:

 

5. Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund (Casablanca)

I love the sense of history and sacrifice in this romance, the acknowledgment that there’s something bigger at stake than two people. So often, love is portrayed in melodramatic fashion—two lovers who would do anything, risk anything to be together. But here, Rick does the right thing while delivering one of the most romantic speeches in cinema.

Favorite scene:

Ilsa: But what about us?
Rick: We'll always have Paris. We didn't have; we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.
Ilsa: When I said I would never leave you.
Rick: And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. (Ilsa cries.) Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.

4. Benedick and Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing)

This is a relationship that begins in verbal wordplay and ends in a dramatic climax that tests the lovers’ mettle. For all the laughs, the love between Beatrice and her Benedick is no joke; when Beatrice asks Benedick to kill for her, he’s ready to do whatever it takes to prove his devotion.

Favorite scene:

Beatrice: Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner.

Benedick: Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains.
Beatrice: I took no more pains for those thanks than you take pains to thank me: if it had been painful, I would not have come.
Benedick: You take pleasure then in the message?
Beatrice: Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point ... You have no stomach, signior? Fare you well. (Exit.)
Benedick: Ha! 'Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner;' there's a double meaning in that...

3. Han Solo and Princess Leia (Star Wars)

I’m not usually a fan of the cocky, arrogant love interest, but no one does swagger quite like Harrison Ford. And this is no insta-love; Han and Leia have to overcome some serious obstacles in order to be together. Plus, for a PG-rated film, the chemistry is pretty sizzling.

Favorite scene:

[Han kisses Leia and is taken by storm troopers to the carbon-freezing chamber.]

Princess Leia: I love you.

Han Solo: I know.

2. Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

The verbal fireworks alone are worth the price of admission; all that passion simmering under a veneer of 19^th century politeness makes for some compelling reading. And Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth’s performances were spot-on; the scene in which they make googly eyes at each other across the piano is so romantic and lovely.

Favorite scene:

"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, "She a beauty!—I should as soon call her mother a wit.'' But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."

"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."

1. Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre)

Of course, you knew this was going to be my first choice. But seriously, the slow burn of passion between Rochester and Jane is full of such restraint, angst, and poignancy—it’s just a brilliantly executed romance. When they finally get together, Rochester has redeemed himself, and Jane has become a strong, independent woman. Only after Rochester has paid for his mistakes does Jane give in to her feelings. There’s no more satisfying line in literature than: “Reader, I married him.”

Favorite scene:

 “Am I hideous, Jane?”

“Very, sir; you always were, you know.”

“Humph! The wickedness has not been taken out of you, wherever you have sojourned.”

“Yet I have been with good people; far better than you: a hundred times better people.”

“Who the deuce have you been with?”

“You shall not get it out of me to-night, sir; you must wait till to-morrow.”

“Just one word, Jane; were there only ladies in the house where you have been?”

Rochester’s insecurity in this scene is just so adorable!

Who are your favorite fictional couples? If you haven’t already, stop by my website and take the quiz to find your literary soul mate! http://evemariemont.com/extras.html

Best Reads of 2010

I read a lot of Young Adult books this year because: 1) I’m trying to get inspired to write the next book in my YA Gothic Revival trilogy; and 2) I’ve been enjoying YA more than adult literature lately. Only two of my favorite titles this year were adult fiction. The YA books I’ve loved have been plot-driven, romantic, emotional, and extremely well written. The line between adult and young adult literature has been blurring of late, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing! Here are my top 8 picks for 2010:

1. Matched by Allie Condie—great dystopian novel about a society in which adolescents are matched with their future spouses, and all life decisions are strictly controlled by “The Society” until one girl decides to question the life that’s been chosen for her. Beautifully written and compelling. The first in a trilogy.

2. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron—quiet, introspective novel about a disaffected teen coming to terms with his depression; reminiscent of The Catcher in the Rye with wonderful writing and a smart, ironic sense of humor.

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver—YA novel about a young girl who gets into a car accident and must relive her last day over and over again until she figures out where she went wrong—the book was plugged as Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, but that doesn’t do it justice. The writing is beautiful, and the storyline is an emotional roller coaster. The protagonist is unlikable at first, but she goes on a journey of self-discovery and takes the reader with her.

4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins—I was hesitant to select this as one of my top reads in 2010, only because I was disappointed with some of the ways Collins wraps up the loose ends of this amazing series. While reading the book, I couldn’t do anything else; it has the same level of tension and suspense as the previous books, but I felt the characters regressed a bit in this one, and some rushed scenes toward the climax made me feel even more disconnected from the characters. Even though my emotional response wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be, the book was still a brilliant feat of storytelling.

5. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen—escapist women’s fiction about some broken souls in a small town who use a bit of magic to heal each other. Magical realism with a dash of romance. Sweet and ethereal, like cotton candy. (And isn't that cover gorgeous?)

6. Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey—a smart spoof on the vampire novel, but one that actually has strong writing and characterizations; Jessica is a sympathetic and plucky narrator, and the vampire hero, Lucius, is extremely funny and sexy. There is a free sequel of sorts on the author’s website: http://www.bethfantaskey.com/.

7. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand—an unexpected YA find about a girl who is part angel and must discover her purpose on earth, which puts her between two very appealing but different love interests. Beautiful descriptions of Wyoming scenery, a likeable heroine, and a fast-paced and romantic plot. The first in a trilogy. (I read this on NetGalley, but it officially comes out January 4. I think you’ll be hearing a lot more about this book in the near future.)

8. Little Bee by Chris Cleave—the most serious and literary of my choices; told in the dual perspectives of a young African refugee named Little Bee and the middle class woman whose life is forever changed by a chance encounter with Little Bee and her sister; a very surprising, disturbing, and emotional book. Great book club selection.

Happy New Year, everyone, and happy reading in 2011!

To Plot or Not to Plot

I’ve been thinking a lot about the writing process lately. I’m about halfway through my third novel, and it confirms everything I’ve read about writing books. Each book is unique, and therefore, the process of writing each is wildly different. And contrary to logic, this third one is proving to be my toughest.

One of the aspects I’m struggling with is plot. Now, there are some master plotters out there, writers who introduce the conflict on page 1, then zip through a series of complications, near misses, and well-timed twists, leaving you nearly breathless by the end. I have never been this kind of writer, preferring to let my plots evolve organically, to let my characters dictate the sequence of events. My first book (Time and Tide, which did not get published) was based loosely on a novel by Jane Austen (talk about a good plotter), so I didn’t have much to worry about there. My plot came practically ready-made.

For Free to a Good Home (which releases next summer), I had the initial concept and characters and wrote the first fifty pages in a blur of inspiration or something like that, then sat back for a while to let the characters marinate and see where they wanted to take the story. This marinating stage is the point at which I still might abandon a story, even if I love the characters, because I can’t seem to find a compelling journey to send them on. But with Free to a Good Home, I found that journey.

Now, I’m midway through Book #3, past the point of no return, but at the point I’d like to call the Wednesday of the book, or hump day. I’m stuck. For the past week, I’ve written every day, but I have a feeling when I go back to revise later, I will end up deleting much of what I wrote. I just felt I needed to keep pushing through the wall, keep my characters moving. Now the question is, are they going anywhere?

Someone once said, when you get stuck like this, send in a man with a gun. Great advice for a mystery writer, but not so great when you’re writing a character-driven novel about three generations living under one very small roof. But I do like the idea of shaking things up a bit. Sometimes I think I’m afraid of too much conflict, but what is a novel without it? An unexpected twist could be the very thing I need right now to untie the knot that’s been keeping my characters treading water. Now I just need to find my story’s equivalent of a man with a gun. And hope that one of my characters knows karate.