Today marks a major milestone in literary history: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is turning 200 years old!
Yes, despite it’s age, Pride and Prejudice is a novel that still captivates minds and hearts all over the world. From the sharp and self-possessed Elizabeth Bennet to the dashing (but arrogant) aristocrat Mr Darcy (swoon!) the novel is still considered to be one of the greatest love stories ever told.
It’s safe to say that there is no other man in literature quite like the dashing Mr Darcy, although there are a few literary men who have managed to have the same kind of effect on women as Darcy.
To celebrate Pride and Prejudice’s birthday, we thought it would be fun to look at the top five men in literature who have made lasting impressions on women throughout the years.
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1. Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice:
Colin Firth as Mr Darcy
Obviously the silent-but-sexy Mr Darcy just had to be our number one. We know that Colin Firth looks pretty damn gorgeous in the infamous wet, white shirt scene in the film adaptation however it’s the literary Fitzwilliam Darcy who captures the heart of every woman at some point in time.
He’s tall, he’s dark, he’s broody and he’s perfectly happy to go against tradition in order to be with the woman he loves (d’aww!). Granted he can be a bit of an ass (especially at the beginning of the novel) but underneath all his pride, he’s a bit cheeky and a hopeless romantic.
2. Mr Rochester from Jane Eyre:
Michael Fassbender as Mr Rochester
The dark and brooding hero of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Edward Rochester just has this amazing sense of sexiness about him. He has an abundance of issues, he keeps his mentally unstable wife locked in his attic and he happily cares for a bratty French child who isn’t even his own. But despite all these points, he has an air of “tortured soul” about him which makes him strangely hard to resist.
3. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights:
Ralph Fiennes as Healthcliff
It seems that the Bronte sisters have a bit of a thing for tortured, brooding men. Heathcliff is dark, wild, beast of man who is so in love with Catherine that he would do anything for her. As the novel progresses, Heathcliff completely unravels. He comes across as a bit insane, but despite that he’s the typical ‘tall, dark and handsome stranger’ who remains intensely devoted to his one true love.
4. Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind:
Clark Gable as Captain Rhett K. Butler
Captain Rhett K. Butler ticks all the boxes when it comes to the classic male character in literature. He’s handsome, he’s cheeky and he’s a bit of a rebel. Known for his scandalous behaviour and his quick wit, Rhett doesn’t “give a damn” about what people think of him. This makes him completely irresistable. We sort of want to hate him but despite our best intentions we just can’t.
5. Theodore “Laurie” Laurence from Little Women:
Christian Bale as Theodore “Laurie” Laurence
When it comes to male characters in literature, we’ve always had a soft spot for Laurie from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The typical ‘boy-next-door’ Laurie is pretty much a kind, good man. He’s handsome, he’s nice, he’s rich and he’s smart (he’s preparing to go to Harvard don’t ya know). He is a catch and unlike Rochester, we’re pretty sure he doesn’t have a former girlfriend imprisoned in his attic. He’s a good guy.
