Before Edward Cullen swooped into our libraries and bookstores, we had these male literary characters to dazzle us:
1) Gabriel Oak (Far From The Maddening Crowd)
Gabriel Oak, a young, humble shepherd, is the quintessential lovelorn best friend. His boss and love interest, Bathsheba Everdene, not only rejects his feelings, but she continually confides in him about her problems with other men. Despite (or thanks to) his loyalty, Gabriel quietly remains in the friend zone while Bathsheba toys with and is toyed by more exciting men. As a farmhand, Gabriel might not be the most glamorous guy in town, but in the long run, a guy who is trustworthy, dependable, and sincere trumps the volatile bad boy. Read: Boyfriend, Best Friend... or Both?
2) Laurie Lawrence (Little
Women)
He's rich, he's cultured, he's Harvard-bound, and he's the boy the next door. Unlike plenty of other male literary heroes, Laurie makes little effort to be manly or overly protective. While Edward is brooding and business-like, Laurie is just an adorable bundle of fun. Did we mention that he's Harvard-bound, as opposed to being in high school for eternity? Read: How To Date A (Real-Life) Vampire
3) Gilbert Blythe (Anne
of Green Gables)
Who hasn't fantasized about falling for a former rival? As
the old saying goes, there's a thin line between love and hate,
and in Anne and Gilbert's case, that line is a job position he
turns down because he knows that Anne needs it more than he does.
Besides being self-sacrificing, he's tall, handsome, a doctor,
totally in love with Anne, and – get ready – a longtime resident of
the friend zone. If only all "platonic" friends were this
dreamy.
4) Lord Henry Wotton (The
Picture of Dorian Gray)
Dorian Gray might have been impossibly, eternally pretty, but rest assured, his comrade and personal hero, Lord Henry Wotton, is the real hottie of the book. Intelligent, urbane, and coolly well-spoken, Lord Henry is seductive, if not shallow and hedonistic. Sure, he's as worldly as one can get, but at least he comes up with more charming phrases than, "Bring on the shackles – I'm your prisoner." As a bonus, Lord Henry was played by Colin Firth in the 2009 film adaptation. Read: Romantic Movie Myths
5) Westley/Farm Boy/The
Dread Pirate Roberts (The
Princess Bride)
Years before "Do I dazzle you?" became the quip heard 'round the world, "As you wish!" charmed us with its sweet, simple sincerity. Perhaps it goes without saying that a man gains epic status after his description of the one he loves moves a pirate captain to spare his life.
6) George Emerson (A
Room With a View)
How would you feel if a handsome, mysterious acquaintance
suddenly kissed you in a field full of flowers? How about if he
told you that a man shouldn't treat you like "an object on
a shelf," but rather, love you enough to give you
independence? George, like Edward, is bit of a sulky bad boy;
unlike Edward, however, George can steal clandestine kisses without
feeling tempted to feast on his lady-love's jugular veins.
7) Mr. Darcy (Pride
& Prejudice)
No list of romantic heroes would be complete without Mr. Darcy. He's handsome, but cultured and intelligent. He's rich, but generous. He makes mistakes, but he's willing to redeem himself. Best of all, he goes out of his way for Elizabeth not just to impress her, but because he simply wants to help her out. As a bonus, Mr. Darcy was played by—who else—Colin Firth in the BBC series. Next time, producers should just work their Benjamin Button magic and let Colin Firth play Edward. Who knows, we might even swoon a little.
Written by Denise Ngo for YourTango.com.
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