What makes a great read? Here at Never Not Reading, we think it ultimately depends on great characters. Whether you find yourself loving them, laughing with them (or at them), or even loathing them, a great character can draw you into the story and keep you reading. To celebrate our love of great characters, we are starting a new weekly feature called Character Matters. Each week we will highlight a character that has literally jumped out at us from the pages! If you would like, please join in the fun. Feel free to link to your own character matters in the comments below if there is a character that you simply have to share with us!A few ground rules:
1. Who: List the name of the character
2. Where: List the book(s), and the author
3. Description: Please keep your descriptions as spoiler free as possible. Ruining the ending of the book might not be the best way to inspire potential readers.
4. Why: How does this character inspire you?
To start off the fun, this week let me introduce:
Who: Aloysius X.L. Pendergast, PhD, also known as Special Agent Pendergast
Where:
Books - Relic, Reliquary, The Cabinet of Curiousities, Still Life with Crows, Brimstone, Dance of Death, Book of the Dead, The Wheel of Darkness, Cemetary Dance
Authors - Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Description: Agent Pendergast is delightfully eccentric, seemingly all knowing, completely unflappable, and all-around good guy. He also has the ability to sink into deep meditation, during which he often can virtually re-experience certain events. More than once, this has proved essential as he works to solve a case. Pendergast also enjoys the luxuries of wealth; his car is a vintage Rolls-Royce, and his suits are handmade in Italy. He is unnaturally pale, with shocking blond hair. Pendergast is also a true gentleman whose chivalry knows almost no bounds.
Why: I love this character! Pendergast to me seems to have all the wisdom of Sherlock Holmes, without the ego. I especially love how those who seem to discount Pendergast as a hack almost always seem to get their comeuppance as they are forced to recognize his skills. And seriously, this guy has skills...
: I loved this book! Destined to become one of my favorite reads of all time. I can't recommend it highly enough.
: I liked this book, and might even get around to reading it again sometime. Highly recommended.
: I liked this book. It was an enjoyable read, but it doesn't necessarily stand out. Try it, you might like it.
: I didn't like this book, and I can't really recommend it.
: I loathed it! The world would be a better place without this book.
I've been wanting to reading these books. Fun meme!
Fun! I will participate!