From the dictionary
Swoon : To enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy.
About sums it up, right? It's that warm, squishy feeling you get when you come across something that makes you swoon. There are a million things that could do it. A beautiful picture. A rare bird. A pretty face.
Cheese…
*ahem*
But today I’m talking about swoonage in relation to fictional characters. Every once in awhile we come across a character that makes us go totally cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. A character—male or female (see the serious girl-crush I have on Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson)—that we can’t stop thinking about. We want to quote them, hang out with them, hell, even be them.
Different things do it for different people.
There's the rough exterior that hides a soft, squishy center. You know the kind of character I mean. The abrasive, sometimes seemingly mean guy (or girl) that has a heart of mush. They might act like they doen't care, but every now and then, they slip up and we get to see the goodness they've try so hard to hide. Aww moments ensue, and everyone falls in love.
What about the kick-ass attitude and never-say-die mentality? Determination is a biggie for me. I’m a sucker for characters that take things into their own hands instead of waiting around for someone else to swoop in and save the day. Sometimes they're a little rash, charging into the fray without a plan or backup, but be lets honest... That only makes us love them even more.
How about the romantic type? The characters willing risk life and limb for the ones they love? I have a special kind of swoon reserved for them. Hell, even bad guys make us swoon sometimes. Give me a villain with a troubled and complicated past that has ultimately forced them to be the bad guy and I’m a happy puppy.
Now it's your turn to share. What's the recipe for your swoon?
9 comments:
Swoonability? All of the above. But Todd from the CHAOS WALKING trilogy (by Patrick Ness) blew me away on the swoon-o-meter. Beyond all the reasons above, I think it was also that he was a good soul--a young man struggling with evil around him but not giving into it himself.
New York Sharp Cheddar Cheese makes me swoon.
Oh, you meant characters in a novel. I'm a sucker for a misunderstood bad boy.
Tough guys with soft hearts make me swoon, too.
For me, Dallas Winston from The Outsiders was the ultimate misunderstood bad boy. He was fiercely loyal, and willing to risk everything to help his friends. And he completely fell apart when one of them died. My favorite character ever!
Vicky - Ooo. Sounds awesome. Gonna check out that trilogy!
Katie - Mmmmm CHEESE! :P
Alice - COUGHCOUGHDamonSalvatoreCOUGHCOUGH :)
Colette - OMG! Dally was my FAVE too!
We guys don't want much from a character to swoon--just that she be beautiful and act like a guy .
I'm partial to William Gibson's Molly Millions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_Millions
And
Terry Pratchett's Susan Sto-Helit aka Susan Death. She's death's granddaughter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Sto_Helit
As for cheese, I gotta back Katie on sharp cheddar, in particular the two to four year old extra sharp. Somewhat similar, and definitely amazing is Beemster OX.
http://www.beemster.us/en-us/the-cheeses/beemster-x-o-/
I'm a nerd -lover, myself. Neville Longbottom, Brian from the Traveling Pants Series, and any other guy who isn't completely socially capable but has that sweet and innocent personality to him.
And I like my cheese when its brie wrapped in puff pastry dipped in honey.....you wanna talk about swoon.....
Swoonworthy? There are lots of characters that pull me in and make me want to look at them over and over. But for hysterical rapture, the guy has to have a sparkly nature. He has to be willing to sacrifice self for her. Yeah, I swoon for vampires.
Definitely the plucky, self-sufficient type that at first glance appears tough as nails, but we learn has a warm caramel center.
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