Summer will soon end, your vacation trip is over (if you could afford one), and many of us are heading back to work or school. Sort of puts one in a snappish mood, doesn't it?
So, especially at this time of year, novel readers can viscerally relate to fictional characters who are snappish, snarky, snippy, and smart-alecky, to quote a recently accessed thesaurus.
One great thing about seeing cantankerous characters in a novel is that they can be quite entertaining, yet they're make-believe. That means you don't have to encounter them in real life. Heck, they may even temporarily distract you from thinking about real-life snarky people -- whether they're acquaintances, coworkers, or some Fox News bozo.
I thought about all this as I've been reading Straight Man, a 1997 novel by Richard Russo of Empire Falls fame. The often-funny Straight Man stars Hank Devereaux, a professor who can't help pummeling his colleagues with sarcastic putdowns. He's even ornery enough to make food-throwing motions at ducks and geese without tossing them any food. Teasing waterfowl? How low can you get!
Hank may have a good heart underneath the attitude -- some peevish protagonists do -- but he's still a pain in the you know what. And, like the majority of snarky literary characters, he's a guy.
Kind of fitting the above profile is Frank Softly, the rogue in Wilkie Collins' A Rogue's Life (1856). This cocky chap with an attitude doesn't take life very seriously -- until he has to. Also nicer than he initially seems is Eugene Wrayburn in Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend (1865). (Dickens and Collins, by the way, were... mutual friends.)
Not so nice is Yunior de las Casas in Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007). He's got some positive qualities, but overall he's rather snippy -- and a womanizer to boot. One function of a disagreeable person in any novel is to serve as a contrast to a sweeter character; in the case of Diaz's book, that sweeter character is the unhappy but likable Oscar.
And there are fictional protagonists who have an abrasive side for totally understandable reasons. For instance, Henry DeTamble of Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife has a sarcastic streak, but who wouldn't when getting unexpectedly wrenched into the past all the time? Things are even more excruciating for the cynical but fundamentally decent Ravic in Erich Maria Remarque's Arch of Triumph (1945); he's a refugee from the Nazis with many reasons to be angry. Yes, good people can be snarky!
More smart-alecky characters we either like or dislike? Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye (1951), Lieutenant Colonel Korn in Joseph Heller's Catch-22 (1961), and Colin Campbell in Robert Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (1985), to name a few.
Speaking of sci-fi, Bedford in H.G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon (1901) is a rather testy sort who gets on one's nerves for reasons such as his desire for commercial exploitation of the moon -- even as his fellow traveler Cavor takes a purer, scientific view of things.
I had a harder time thinking of smart-alecky women in literature. Three who came to mind are the title character in Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge (2008), Frieda Haxby Palmer in Margaret Drabble's The Witch of Exmoor (1996), and the star of Colette's Claudine at School (1900).
Obviously, there are many snarky fictional characters I haven't named (omissions that could make them even snarkier if they read this post). Who are some of your favorites?
Correction: A previous version of this post mistakenly referred to Robert Heinlein as Richard. This has been corrected.
Dave Astor's memoir Comic (and Column) Confessional (Xenos Press) has been published. Signed copies are now available; if you'd like to buy one, contact Dave at dastor@earthlink.net. There's also an Amazon listing here. (Several things in the listing need to be corrected; for instance, the book came out in July 2012, not "May 22, 2008." Given that Dave didn't start writing the book until 2009, finishing it in 2008 would have been quite an accomplishment!)
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.