Відео

Thank you for taking the time to share exquisite block prints which illustrate your remarks. I’ve appreciated Japanese prints since my art school days many years ago. I purchased a seventeenth century erotic print while still a student and continue to enjoy it decades later. I can’t wait to read this masterpiece with the book club. Thank you for another inspiring lecture.

I read a serious chunk of this novel a couple of decades ago, but I had to return it to the library before I finished it. I'm excited to revisit it now with a community of readers.

By cashing 60 euros I guess

2 videos within a week, I am so thankful

The Count of Monte Cristo didn't even get the top 50? :/

Watching another Book review when person mentioned your name. Very cool to find your videos.

I don’t know how, but every single time you drop a video, I’m getting so excited. Seems like you have influenced the way I read the great books. Thank you 🙏

I love this book. It’s a tremendous read.

I just wanted to thank you, Ben. Because of you, I had the courage to chase the great whale, and I am currently reading Moby-Dick. Never before has a book made me reflect on life as much as this one. Writers have written entire books about ideas or subjects that Melville expresses in just a few words or sentences. Thanks for helping me become a better human being. Cheers from Don Quijote's Spain!

Dear Ben: Thank you for this particular video. I have read the Tale of Genji twice in my life as a result of studying the history of Asian Literature at university. I agree that there are strong wabi-sabi and mono no aware qualities to the work in terms of the ephemerality, the slight sense of melancholy, and the general sense of the interiority of the work. It is truly a remarkable work. As a psychologist, I completely agree that it is study of the interactions of people living in an exquisitely refined culture. Yet, one gets the feeling that Lady Murasaki spent much of her time completely bored out of her mind! If you’ve never read “The Pilliow Book of Sei Shonagon,” I would also strongly recommend this work as well as it is excerpts from her diary, essentially a book of lists of things that she finds beautiful, melancholy, evanescent, holy, humorous, etc. It is written at about the same time as Genji. If I had the time, I would join you and your lovely book club. Sending best wishes.

Look mate, I've just bought and started East of Eden (loving it), now you're waving another book at me I haven't read yet but have often thought about reading. One more for the wish list.

I have seen the animated film for this but I have not yet read the books which inspired it. Thank you for this video.

Excited to watch this

The greatest character in my opinion is Gatsby. Throughout the beginning of the book he is a dream like figure, someone who seems so larger than life, he was interesting to me. Then once you truly meet him, his wants, his desires, he becomes sadly tragic. I go back and re-read The Great Gatsby every couple years. The runner-up would be Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew Fred from A Christmas Carol. I have seen numerous amounts of play productions and films of the story but I read the book for the first time this past Christmas. Not only was Fred the most interesting human character other than Scrooge, but I really think he's the pendulum that gets the story rolling, not so much Jacob Marley. One thing I was tremendously surprised by in Christmas Carol book, was its direct callings to Christianity from Jacob Marley's speech to me seeing the three ghosts as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This was great! I am on the reread of most of these books, although I have not read East of Eden or Blood Meridian yet. I would like to suggest favorite characters for me would be Medea. Odysseus, the Monster from Frankenstein, and Prince Genji from Tale of Genji. Also, two other of my favorite books (not so much for the characters as for the ideas) are Death in Venice, and Turn of the Screw. It's great luck to have joy in books, I think.

sin dall'infanzia sono stata una accanita lettrice, con l'età gli occhi non mi aiutano più, non vedo molto bene anche con gli occhiali, quindi mi stanco subito, sono passata agli audiolibri su UA-cam o ai podcast, il piacere è identico: per lo studio sarebbe meglio leggere anche in lingua originale, per memorizzare lo spelling, ma per la conoscenza e l'apprezzamento va benissimo l'audiolibro

Sydney Carton would top my list, but the others would be Elizabeth Bennett, Atticus Finch, Bilbo Baggins, and Kavalier & Clay.

Hi, I have been a fan of your UA-cam videos these past few months. I am currently interested in applying to colleges such as Oxbridge. I tried approaching you for your talents as an educator at hardcore university but unfortunately my attempts have been unsuccessful so far. I hope we can have a conversation or that I can at least get a status update on your one or one coaching offers. Much thanks for your patience.

I would put Ulrich Anders on my list( the man without qualities).

Loved this video! My personal favourites are Tolstoy’s Pierre, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Woolf’s Orlando, all of whom somewhat go against the norms/rebel against what’s expected of them and aren’t afraid to embark upon their own journeys of self discovery and growth. As always, thank you for your content. You’ve enabled me to reignite my love for literature and to approach reading in a new and ever more fulfilling ways. 🩶

I really love Artemis Fowl. Maybe its because I was born in Ireland but his character development is actually quite amazing. Especially for essentially a kids book. Everyone else I love has already been mentioned in other comments but I'm yet to see my favourite child genius acknowledged.

Brilliant video! I loved hearing the comments from your followers - great insights! My favorite is Jane Eyre.

For me it's Yossarian from Catch-22

Read this book three times and will be doing so again soon.

Happy to hear you lead off with Sherlock Holmes, even though that made him 20th. When I read your title, “The Twenty Greatest Characters of All Time,” I immediately thought of Holmes. And I wished he would be on the list. I didn’t have long to wait! Holmes has fascinated me since elementary school. I find it hard to believe he did not exist, and that for all the reasons you cited. For me, it began with a book for young people, a compilation of several stories. Now, as a senior citizen, I have a shelf devoted to Holmes and Holmes-related works. I haven’t read a Sherlock Holmes story for years, now, but I’m forever wanting to; he haunts the mind a bit.

What you say about Gandalf reminded me of another favorite character who I think is similar in many ways: Merlin, as portrayed by T H White in The Once and Future King, especially in that "sense of whimsy." For example, to admonish Wart (the young Arthur) for some misbehavior, he threatens him: "You run a grave risk, my boy, of being turned into a piece of bread and toasted."

Lee in East of Eden ❤❤❤

Great stuff, great channel.

Btw digging the beard, Benjamin. 🙂

Loved P&P, enjoyed S&S and Emma; but I could not finish Mansfield Park, it was so dull. I wonder if many other Austen readers feel the same way about Mansfield Park?

I love crime and punishments Razumikhin acting as the superego against Raskolnikov, during my reading I was so charmed and reassured by his steadfastness and loyalty, he is just a lovable character that makes the reader feel that Raskolnikov has someone in his corner despite the very uncomfortable danger he is in

It's indeed Scarlet O'Hara. 🙂

Wokulski, the protagonist in Bolesław Prus's "The Doll," - an INTJ experiencing inner turmoil due to his conflicted, multidimensional personality, which combines strategic brilliance and vulnerability.

Thank you for being authentic and genuine in your videos; especially revealing your vulnerabilities. You're very well spoken, reflecting your literary journey.

An incredible call to our own adventure 🥹❤️

Jane was lost on me when young. After years of meeting, knowing difficult or complex figures can I laugh at her depictions and dialogue.

Wow. What a great teacher you are. ❤🤯❤

Wasn't mentioned, but Atticus Finch has always been my favourite. The most loveable charterer that teaches us how to be moral

While I am inspired by your choices, I have always been a fan of Daphne duMaurier, especially Rebecca. Who has remained unchanged since reading about the psyche of a ghost.

I find Heathcliff's character really interesting. I was surprised to not see him here 😁

Daniel Deronda, Jo March, Fathers Jean Marie Latour and Joseph Vaillant, Francie Nolan, and Hester Prynne are my favorite characters not on your list.

I just want to thank you for all this work, you helped me to understand, to like the author and to be eager to read it. I bet you prepared a lot so you could come up with such a tremendous work and video. You really ''contribute a verse''.

Some of my favorites not mentioned too much yet: Hazel in Watership Down Smiley in LeCarre’s spy novels Marcel in In Search of Lost Time Yossarian in Catch-22

I read this book three times. The transition to part two of the book is amazing.

My List: Oedipus; Antigone; Achilles; Odysseus; Gregor Samsa; Leopold Bloom; Ahab; Torless; Thomas Buddenbrook; José Arcadio Buendía; the hoopoe; Mephistopheles; K. ; Melville*; Beowulf; William of Baskerville;

Flashman

I've been in the club for two years now. I had never taken the Meyer-Briggs but I am an INTJ-T. I love this list so much. Since I have started reading with the club, my favorite characters are: Pierre - W&P Ivan - BK Edmond - ComC Samuel - EoE Non Club Books: Tyrion Lannister - ASoIaF Atticus Finch - TKaM Roland Deschain - Dark Tower Humbert Humbert - Lolita Santiago - OMatS Tom Rilpley - Talented Mr. Ripley Celie - Color Purple Dumbledore - HP

I love Edmund Dantes, Athos, and Holmes.

Outstanding video. So many wonderful insights. I agree totally that great literature can help to get you through hard times, speaking from experience. In addition to the characters mentioned, I have a couple of suggestions based on my recent reading. These are characters from three great novelists who didn't make your list, somewhat surprisingly to me. Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles, mentioned by one of your readers, a great tragic heroine who meets a sad end. Robert Jordan, in Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. Both Hardy and Hemingway brought me to tears. Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens. At least a happy ending in this one.

I quote Miss Austen more than any other author and take an approach to life that has much in common with Miss Marple, but the characters to whom I refer most often are Rumpole and Miss Brodie.