Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where they discuss certain topics, share their opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.
OCTOBER 8: CUT AND PASTE CHARACTER ARCHETYPES (DANI)
Prompts: Are there any characters you feel like you’re seeing over and over again recently? The same love interest in multiple romances? The same protagonist over and over? I’ve seen a lot of complaints about Rhysand-like characters recently so I’d love to hear what characters you’ve seen too much of.
Welcome to another LTB in October everyone! Today we’ve got a prompt from our very own Dani at The Literary Lion. If you don’t already follow her on her blog (linked in the quote above) please go check her content out! She posts consistently and is always a source of bookish content. Thanks to her (and Rukky) once again for hosting this wonderful meme.
First admission, I don’t know who Rhysand is! But looking him up on google…I’m not surprised that his type of character appears often. Some character types are just too good not to have repeated I suppose – whether that’s a good or bad thing though, I can’t really say. I haven’t personally really noticed the same character types popping up in my own series. It’s usually the same old, same old, but nothing that’s particularly repetitive to the point where I start rolling my eyes.
The same love interest in multiple romances would be a common theme though. I haven’t read any romances recently, but back when I did more, there were always the same kinds of love interests – mainly the good-looking but bad-for-you types. But I suppose that’s kind of what people read it for, and so… in that sense it’s okay? Honestly not sure what else I’d like to see, but for sure creativity these days would be much appreciated. The more reading and books I get under my belt, the more I love when there’s something new that I haven’t seen (which of course gets more rare as the days go by).
If I could have the same(ish) protagonist over and over, I honestly wouldn’t mind too much. But that’s probably because I generally read books looking for that same kind of powerful (on the inside) protagonist who struggles and (mostly) triumphs despite all odds. Because I tend to like the same kind of story, I tend to want the same type of protagonist, except facing different scenarios with more and more impossible choices. Is it just me? Maybe I’m weird for liking the same type of thing all the time.
In mysteries and thrillers there are definitely common characters that appear all the time, but it’s more about the way they are written than about who they actually are. There are always those “suspicious” characters, some of which are downright thrown in your face as a suspect, and others who are portrayed as innocent (which in itself makes you suspicious), or those who are completely unrelated (which also makes you suspicious). The “formula” for how these kinds of books are written are often not too far off – although when a trope is good, why change it? I definitely appreciate the authors who can use these tried and true archetypes to great effect.
What do you all think about seeing the “same” characters throughout different books? Yay or nay? Let me know in the comments below!
Down the Rabbit Hole 