Books with strong characters

[blazingfirewolf]

I find myself with a loss of good books to read, and honestly don't want to go through the whole of my library looking for one.

I'm pretty open about what I read, though most teen-fiction makes me yawn. But what I really want to find, most of all, is a book with a character who has a really strong personality. An example of this would be any charaters in the Terry Pratchett books, or the main characters in Michael Marshall Smith's books.

Yeah, so, if you know of any books with characters who have strong personalities, could you help me? I'd appreciate it.

~blazingfirewolf

ps: Bonus points if the character is cynical and with a shady past ^_^

 

[Geenh]

The John Connolly series. I am currently reading The Black Angel and the main characters are rather srtong and dark in it, as with the rest of the series.

Nicci French has strong women characters, even if they are taken advantage of... I loathe women portrayed as weak!

Hmmm. There are so many!

 

[Stewart]

Have you read The Catcher In The Rye?

 

[Geenh]

Holden Caulfield is a misogynist (sp?). He isn't strong, rather , he's going batshit insane... slowly... slowly...

 

[cabrasopa]

Wilbur Smith books always have strong characters, Men and Women.(Courtney's and Ballantyne's)

Cabrasopa

 

[Stewart]

Holden Caulfield is a misogynist (sp?). He isn't strong, rather , he's going batshit insane... slowly... slowly...

I never did read more than 20 pages of that book but I still have a recollection of Holden. In my opinion that makes him a strong personality which is what the original poster has asked for.

 

[Jenem]

Wilbur Smith books always have strong characters, Men and Women.(Courtney's and Ballantyne's)

Cabrasopa

agree- Wilbur Smith books would be a good choice

 

[Wolhay]

Holden Caulfield is a misogynist (sp?). He isn't strong, rather , he's going batshit insane... slowly... slowly...

I've got the impression that misogynists often have strong personalities. Just take August Strindberg for example.

When I entered this thread I was going to recommend books by Heinlein but I was thinking of a different kind of strong personality. Instead I'll recommend "Howl's Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones for memorable characters.

 

[Kookamoor]

ps: Bonus points if the character is cynical and with a shady past ^_^

Have you tried David Eddings? In the Belgariad/Mallorean series' there's Silk, and in the Elenium/Tamuli series there's Sparhawk.

I want bonus points!!

 

[Geenh]

I suppose you're right. But by strong, I was thinking in a positive way rather than a negative way. I do agree with you though.

 

[KBomb_reads]

Lately I've been stuck on John Irving novels: unconventional characters accompanied by great story telling.

 

[KristoCat]

If you like mysteries, try Sue Grafton. Kinsey Millhone is the star of those novels, she's a tough cynical private detective who is about as close to Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (hard-boiled as they come) as a girl can plausibly get.

A similar female character is found in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series (Guilty Pleasures is the first one). Anita is also kind of a cynical private detective type, except she raises the dead for a living. Must be able to suspend disbelief and enjoy horror novels to like this book though.

 

[mehastings]

I never did read more than 20 pages of that book but I still have a recollection of Holden.

I hated that book so much that I read it a second time to see if perhaps I was missing something. Nope, I wasn't. However, I agree. I can remember Holden Caulfield much better than characters in some books I've read more recently.

I read Choke by Chuck Palahaniuk a couple books ago and I'd say that Victor Mancini is a strong personality. Not emotionally strong, but strong in a vulgar, self centered annoying kind of way.