If you can't judge a book by its cover, can you judge a book by its title?
I ask that because there are some novels with a title character who is not the most prominent or interesting person in the book. Or, at best, the title character is roughly equal in importance to some non-title characters.
All this occurred to me while reading a friend's blog post about the Konstantin Levin character being more compelling than Anna Karenina in Anna Karenina. It's been so long since I read Leo Tolstoy's iconic novel that I don't recall enough about it to agree or disagree, but the Konstantin/Karenina conundrum did inspire me to think of other novels in which the title character may not quite live up to top billing.
In Sir Walter Scott's historical novel Rob Roy (1817), the title character is the most charismatic cast member, but the less-heroic Frank Osbaldistone appears on many more pages. Frank's last name doesn't exactly make for a snappy title, though -- and Robert Roy MacGregor got the prime role in the 1995 Rob Roy movie starring Liam Neeson.
The title character is certainly a major presence in Scott's Ivanhoe (1820), but he is only one of several significant characters -- including more fascinating individuals such as Brian de Bois-Guilbert, a brutal but complex knight; and Rebecca, a Jewish woman who (along with her father) deals with rampant anti-Semitism in 12th-century England.
Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel The Three Musketeers -- the three being Athos, Aramis, and Porthos -- is really about four musketeers, including D'Artagnan. Of course, as the novel begins, D'Artagnan is a "rookie" who doesn't yet know the swashbuckling title trio; later in the book, and in several sequels, D is usually on the literary stage more than A, A, and P. Then again, there was The Four Musketeers movie of 1974.
One could argue that L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) is mostly about Dorothy and her famous brain-, heart-, and courage-seeking companions, but of course the memorable wizard is who they're seeking. And "The Delightful Dorothy in Oz" wouldn't have quite the same ring. Baum's book also inspired a certain film you might have heard of...
Jimmy (aka "Snowman") is clearly the most prominent character in Oryx and Crake (2003), though the title duo is quite important as well. Indeed, Crake is the guy who makes things really dystopian in Margaret Atwood's stellar work of speculative fiction -- plus Oryx and Crake is a catchy name for a novel! Yet Snowman is the driving force behind the book's narrative.
Still, all of the above titles make sense compared to Ruben Bolling's "Tom the Dancing Bug" comic, which has no dancing bug named Tom. Of course, that's the zany point of that zany comic's non sequitur name.
Can you name other novels with titles that could have gone to different characters or that don't seem quite right for other reasons?
Dave Astor's memoir Comic (and Column) Confessional (Xenos Press) has just been published! Signed copies are available now; if you'd like to buy one, contact Dave at dastor@earthlink.net. An Amazon listing is pending.
The part-humorous book is about Dave's 25 years at Editor & Publisher magazine covering, interviewing, and meeting notables such as Arianna Huffington, Heloise, Hillary Clinton, Walter Cronkite, Coretta Scott King, Martha Stewart, Paul Krugman, Ann Landers, and Abigail Van Buren ("Dear Abby"); and notable cartoonists such as Gary Larson ("The Far Side"), Lynn Johnston ("For Better or For Worse"), Mort Walker ("Beetle Bailey"), Charles Schulz ("Peanuts"), Stan Lee ("Spider-Man"), Bill Watterson ("Calvin and Hobbes"), Garry Trudeau ("Doonesbury"), Berkeley Breathed ("Bloom County"), Scott Adams ("Dilbert"), Jim Davis ("Garfield"), Milton Caniff ("Terry and the Pirates"/"Steve Canyon"), and Herblock.
Comic (and Column) Confessional also chronicles changes in the media, discusses personal stuff, includes mentions of novelists, and more.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.