Happy Valentine's Day!
How perfect is it that the issue on love can be published on Valentine's day because it falls on a Sunday? I know right? #plannedit
I know reading The Nest is the first thing you want to do today. Along with eat chocolate. Drink wine. Dote on a loved one.
Or bitch with a friend about the cruelty of love.
No matter what your V-day plans are, I'm sure reading this blog post has gotta be up there. Why?
Because today I'm going to rank my top five literary couples.
And I know y'all wanna know!
5. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy - Pride and Prejudice
I was obsessed with this movie which got me to read the book. Growing up, I was a painfully slow reader and an insomniac, so I went to bed each night a flashlight hidden beneath my pillow allowing me to stay up and read this classic. Elizabeth's strong and unyielding character and Mr. Darcy's respect for her absolutely bewitched me ;)
"You have bewitched me body and soul and I love, I love, I love you." - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
4: Aragorn and Arwen - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
In the Lord of the Rings, the love story of Aragorn and Arwen is such a beautiful reprieve from the evil spreading across the world. How could you not root for them? Bi-lingual and bi-species they really were ahead of their time!
"It is mine to give to whom I will, like my heart." - J.R.R Tolkien
3: Jamie and Claire - Outlander
Jamie and Claire's love story started off under let's say... complicated circumstances. The amount of respect Jamie has for Claire is amazing. They share an adoration for each other makes me weak at the knees.
"'You are my courage, as I am your conscience,'” he whispered. “'You are my heart—and I your compassion. We are neither of us whole, alone. Do ye not know that, Sassenach'" - Diana Gabaldon, Outlander
2: Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler -Sherlock Holmes Series
Love isn't always sweet or perfect. Sherlock and Irene are dysfunctional and incompatible. Yet the tension between them is so powerful that it has been depicted in many of the different adaptations of this infamous detective. Plus, I think Irene was ahead of her time; I love how powerful and intelligent she is.
"To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes
1: Ead Duryan and Queen Sabran - The Priory of the Orange Tree
Ead and Sabran was a will they won't they romance in this big ass dragon book and I was so happy when they did! As queen, Sabran was expected to be wed and bear children to protect the realm from dragons which never felt right to her. Her conflicted emotions towards her duty and her passion was so well written that my heart swooned for these two!
"For a long time, neither of them spoke. Then Ead held out a hand and Sabran came to the bed and embraced her, breathing as if she had run for leagues. Ead held her close.
'Damn you, Eadaz uq-Nara.'
Ead released a breath, half sigh and half laugh. 'How many times have we damned each other now?'
'Not nearly enough.'" - Samantha Shannon, The Priory of the Orange Tree
What is my least favorite literary romance?
Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley.
Sorry Ginny, but let me start with saying I adore the Harry Potter series. I had a very hard time learning to read as a kid, and the magic of this series made me want to read. I kept those books out on loan from the school library well beyond their due dates because I read so slow, but couldn't part with them.
That said, as I've gotten older, I've found the Harry-Ginny relationship to feel forced. Almost like it was added in to make it all tie together nicely in the end. That's fine with me. I'm happy with the series and how it ended. But do I think it's the most convincing or romantic relationship? Nah. Do I think the books would be just as good if you took it out? Yeah. I Do.
Tune in next Sunday here on The Nest where I'll look at more relationships in books.
Happy V-day Manaikhaan!
H