The other day as I was blow drying my hair I started thinking about books and book characters. This isn't that unusual. I sit on the ground in front of three of my book shelves while blow drying my hair every day, and with books staring at you it's pretty hard not to think about...well books. AND on top of my blow drying inspiration, I also spent a lazy weekend watching all three of the special edition Lord of the Rings.
So what did all this amazing inspiration inspire? Why, this post of course! Let me explain.
You know in Lord of the Rings when after a physically, emotionally, mentally taxing journey, the four Hobbit friends return to The Shire to a big fat nothing?! No one knows nor cares where the friends were. The other hobbits are completely unaware what doom might have befallen their little town had the friends not done what they did. In ignorance they live their lives not ever knowing that they owed those very lives to the four friends. Alright, sure, the four friends got one heck of celebration in Gondor but it still got me thinking of those unsung heroes.
Two of my favorite book series are about unsung heroes.
Matthew Swift. Reluctant host to the Blue Electric Angels. Unwilling Midnight Mayor. Four time saver of the city. And does he ever get a celebration? Do the citizens of London ever truly know what he did for them? Do the people who actually know what he's done even thank him? And most importantly, does he even care? No. That's what's so great about unsung heroes. They save the world/city/people numerous times and don't expect a thing for it. They do it because they're good people who make the hard decision for no better reason than it needs to be done.
Odd Thomas. The quiet fry cook who sees ghosts. He doesn't want attention or credit for the help he gives and he never withholds that help. He has a gift/curse and instead of trying to run away from it and ignore it he accepts and uses it. Even when it costs him everything he doesn't stop. But I'll shut up before I ruin it for you.
So why am I going on and on about these unsung heroes? Because they deserve it!
And here's where you come in. Tell me about your favorite unsung heroes in literature. Sing out! They deserve it. Besides, I love these heroes and I want to meet more of them and read their stories. So do share.
As per our conversation the other day, that is why I love The Hiding Place.
ReplyDeleteSigh. I guess I should read it one of these days but I'm afraid....so afraid.
DeleteIt's a hard read, Jenny, but *everything* by Corrie Ten Boom is uplifting in some way. She and her sister just kept on trying to win souls while they were imprisoned. Such an amazing woman.
DeleteOkay, this is a bit of a stretch, but I think before Book 4 Harry Potter was kind of an unsung hero. Sure, he was famous because he "vanquished" Voldemort when he was a baby. But, that was more just how we feel about celebrities, you know? But, when he came to school for those first three years, a lot happened to him that people didn't know about. He didn't even know about it, really, yet he still did it and didn't want recognition (until book 5). So, for those first three books, I think he kind of was.
ReplyDeleteBut, a true unsung hero that I love is Atticus Finch. In a time when racism was at its peak, he defended a black man for a crime he didn't commit. He didn't want anything in return, except to set this man free because he knew was innocent and he knew it was the right thing to do.
I don't think Harry is a stretch as a unsung hero. Yeah, so people know who he is but the fact that they all sort of just expect him to save the day after not even believing him about Voldermort's return. Yeah.
DeleteAtticus is a great unsung hero!
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteThe only one to come to mind right now is Alex Rider, Anthony Horowitz's boy spy. How many times has he saved England only to have his shifty bosses cover it up . . . ?
Oh, there are also the X-men--but they're more misunderstood than unrecognised. =)
I'll come back if I can think of any more.
I've never read the Alex Rider books but I saw the one movie they made. The X-men are great examples! They're treated like the enemy but are actually saving people from the real enemies.
DeleteI'm always harping on about unsung heroes. Sometimes I end up disliking a whole series because some other character does something amazing and yet they never get any credit. The worst one for me is Harry Potter. If Hermione wasn't around he would have been dead in about 5 minutes but all you ever hear about is Harry. I don't think you've read them but Rose from the Vampire Academy series does all the hard work and then her best friend Lissa gets all the praise just because she's a princess. Oh and Thresh from The Hunger Games. If he wanted to he could have killed Katniss in a second but he let her go. And yet she hardly bothers to think about him except in conjunction with Rue.
ReplyDeleteWow, I feel terrible that I don't remember Thresh. Proves my theory a little, though. ;)
DeleteHarry so would have been dead without Hermione. I wouldn't have wanted to be Harry, though.
I'm so getting to TVA books this year. I swear!
I never even think about unsung heroes. I guess I'm too busy thinking about the sung ones, lol. But, I want to read about the ones you've mentioned because they sound really cool. You've mentioned these books before, so I'm going to have to find 'em and read 'em.
ReplyDeleteNice post!
Sung about heroes are great too. I hope you enjoy these books I'm constantly going on about.
DeleteGreat post topic! I haven't read either of the series you list above. The first unsung hero (or heroes) who came to my mind were the Lakewalkers in Lois McMaster Bujold's The Sharing Knife series. They are an entire community of unsung heroes, who battle demons the rest of the world don't even know exist.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Cathy, though -- I like heroes to get their songs!
I haven't heard of this series. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation.
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DeleteKen Grimwood. I have no idea why more people have not read Replay.
ReplyDeleteProvably because, like me, they haven't heard of it. Fir shame, I know. I'll check it out.
DeleteI can't think of any unsung heroes at all, but I'm sure I've noticed some as I've been reading. It's not unusual for me to like a secondary character better than the protagonist.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I do like Alex Rider. And, I've got Odd Thomas around here. Really need to read at least the first book in that series. I think I might have the first two.
I find myself liking secondary character over the MC all the time. I would love for you to read the Odd Thomas books...heck, I'd like everyone to read them. I love them soooo much!
DeleteLol! I've always meant to get round to watching all three of the extended LOTR, but I've never found a spare 12 hours!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, I know! It took me two days!
DeleteOh, by the way, I've featured your blog in Follow Friday - for today's question you have to think of a blog you enjoy visiting and I immediately thought of yours!
ReplyDeleteThanks, you're such a sweetheart!
DeleteThe 3rd Sisters Grimm is like this. :)
ReplyDelete