I consider myself a reader. Maybe not as voracious of one as I was in my youth, but I do read quite a bit and my mind blanked. LOL, now part of it was the weird blanking out thing your mind does when anyone asks you to pick your favorite anything. But part of it also was that it's not as easy, for me at least, to pick out a favorite book villain as it is in a visual media, like a movie or TV series.
Alfred Bester from Babylon 5 is easily on my top 5 TV/ films villains of all time list
You see, the thing with books is that you are often much more privy to the thoughts of the protagonists, and although there may be a Big Bad they are facing, I often find myself more interested in the main character's internal drama. What is it inside the hero/ heroine that needs to be overcome? What is it the villain stands for that is so at odds with what it is the protagonist wants?
That being said, yes I did eventually come up with some literary villains (Melisande de Sherzai, Mrs. Haversham, The Overlook Hotel, The White Witch from the Narnia books, even He Who Must Not Be Named were stand out villains), but I still haven't figured who was my favorite. I suppose I'll just have to read more books and re-read my old favorites to be sure. September is coming, so I'll have a bit more reading time then.
My mind went blank too.....oh dear, now I am going to have to re-read a lot of books too in order to answer this question or it will drive me nuts!
ReplyDeleteLOL, I know! It was driving me bonkers because I knew I was forgetting some really good ones!
DeleteI love a villain who starts off with good intention and is corrupted or an anti-hero who comes good in the end! My kind of people! Often villains seem to think what they are doing is right or the only way. They might think that taking over the world and shaping it in their image is what is needed. I suppose there are a few who just like hurting others but most seem to have a bit of a God complex!
ReplyDeleteYes! I think there is more room in a book for that sort of complexity and then the villain becomes more of an abstract thing that people struggle against, rather than just a person. You rarely get that kind of nuance in a movie, but some well written TV series can pull it off. When you mentioned anti-heroes, my mind went quickly to Prince Zuko from the Avatar: The Last Air Bender series.
DeleteI nominate General Woundwort from "Watership Down."
ReplyDeleteOoh! Good one! And I need to re-read that book. I picked it up freshman year of high school, so it's been awhile, LOL
DeleteOh this is one of those impossible quests, trying to pick the best villain. I don't know who the quote goes to, but "A Story is only as Good or Bad as its villain" seems very accurate. I mean, they get the best lines, and really, how can you have a story without a really well-rounded trouble maker. I'll give this a good think, but I don't have a favorite from books either. The list is too long...
ReplyDeleteVery true. Without a good villain you don't have all that much of a story. I'd love to hear who makes your list!
DeleteThis is just an impossible task! But, it did get me to thinking about what type of villain I like best. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteYes, because all villains aren't created equal! The more devious the more I'm intrigued by them.
DeleteMy favorite villain (although he is more of an antihero these days) will always be Dr. Lecter. There is something intriguing, terrifying and fascinating about that man's mind...
ReplyDeleteHm, confession time: All this time, I thought Kit was a girl. *cough*