Last week Huffington Post, that bastion of literary excellence*, posted a slide show entitled 7 Great Gay Couples In Literature in honor of the recent passage of equal marriage rights in New York. I was surprised by two things about this list: 1) most of the couples were simply suggested by the text when there are plenty of novels that include couples who acknowledge their attraction and 2) whomever created the list clearly hasn’t read very many queer books published since, oh, 1968.
Once I managed to stop rolling my eyes, I decided to make my own list, which is definitely not comprehensive and is definitely a “Cass’s Favorite Characters” list, as opposed to an all encompassing “Best Of” list.
- Idgie and Ruth, Fried Green Tomatoes… (1987): Fannie Flagg novels in general make me feel super cozy, and Fried Green Tomatoes is the ultimate comfort, thanks in large part to the enduring love of Idgie and Ruth. (Side note: I will admit with no shame that Idgie is my ultimate literary crush.)
- Michael Tolliver and Jon Fielding, Tales of the City (1978): The Tales of the City series is the ultimate gay soap opera, full of mistaken identities and secrets and murders, so the tender scenes between Michael and Jon (which continue into the sequel, More Tales of the City) are made all the more sweet in that context.
- Tiny Cooper and Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010): Which Will Grayson am I talking about here? Even I’m not sure. Tiny Cooper, probably one of my favorite characters ever, shines his big, fabulous light over both the Will Graysons and the reader. If you read this book without feeling a bit of love for Tiny, you are not human.
- Nan and Florence, Tipping the Velvet (1998): Okay, so Nan may have had more passion for Kitty during their ill-fated love affair, but it’s her adult love and admiration for the smart, well-rounded Florence that set my heart aflutter.
- Annie and Liza, Annie On My Mind (1982): A classic, lovely romance that makes you want to go on way better dates.
- Prior and Belize, Angels In America (1993): Okay so they’re not technically a couple by the time the play begins, but their friendship is beautiful and their wit and love for one another is inspiring.
- Celia and Shug, The Color Purple (1982): When Celia and Shug kiss, you can’t help but root for Celia and her first moment of real tenderness from a lover. When I saw the musical adaptation, that moment drew cheers from the audience–and I think the reader will find herself wanting to cheer as well.
So, friends, tell me: now that I’ve gotten some more obvious choices out of the way, who are your favorite queer couples in literature?
* …don’t mind me.
Sue and Maud in Sarah Water’s Fingersmith stand out to me as a compelling and sweet couple. Then again, I have yet to read Tipping the Velvet so that Water’s novel may be the better choice.
Many folks tend to prefer Fingersmith, but I stand with Nan.
1. Eugénie Danglars and Louise d’Armilly, The Count of Monte Cristo. Technically, they could count as a suggested couple instead of an explicit couple, but when a woman written in 1844 is introduced by having her talk about Haydee’s beauty at length (and ignoring the Count), chops off her hair, dresses like a man for protection, runs off with her beloved and adorable music tutor on the night of her arranged wedding, and the two are later discovered sleeping in the same bed, I’m gonna guess that Dumas was angling for a romantic couple rather than a suggestive couple.
2. Ash and Katsa, Ash. An earnest and rational relationship that’s made all the better by Ash rejecting a relationship with a wicked power imbalance for her. Also, I love the office of the King’s Huntress.
I’d add some male couples, but the ones I fixate on are usually suggested rather than explicit. (But the screenwriter of X-Men: First Class totally said that Magneto and Professor X were in love!)
I do love The Count of Monte Cristo! And Ash does seem to be a popular choice. I tend to prefer out and proud folks to those who can show their love only through subtext, but that’s my personal preference. I did notice after I finished the list that all of the authors are part of the LGBTQ community, which I think is a very pointed way of showing that preference.
You love The Count of Monte Cristo, too? I feel like we’ve been over this, but man, I rarely find people who love it.
I read it in 10th grade and I can remember the exact edition and–somewhat more embarrassingly–the feel of the pages. I love that book a lotttt, and I also find it sad that not very many other folks like it!
Love most of your choices Cass (the ones I don’t love are the ones that I haven’t read yet; heh.)
Tiny Cooper is AWESOME isn’t he? I met David Leviathan and asked him to sign my copy with an endearment from Tiny.
Thanks Christina! Which ones haven’t you read? I do love all seven of those books.
Tiny Cooper is quite fabulous. Glad to hear Levithan was happy to humor your request
There’s a musical version of ‘The Color Purple’? That’s not the book that automatically says musical to me, but it sounds like it was a good experience.
Someone above mentioned ‘Ash’ and I’ve got to say Kaede and Taisin from ‘Huntress’ are now one of my favourite couples. Battle and Nic from ‘Empress of the World’ are so sweet and passionate (even if that hair cutting off scene is a bit much for the cynic in me). Alex and Nathan from ‘What They Always Tell Us’. Paul and Noah from ‘Boys Meets Boy’. But these are all YA favourites, where are my adult favourites? I’m drawing a blank on happy endings in adult lit right now….
I know, I know, a musical sounds like a terrible idea but it’s WONDERFUL. I love it.
I have to point out that of my list of 7, only 2 of those couples have happy endings (ie end up together). I’ve only read Empress of the World out of the ones you mentioned, and I liked it. Boy Meets Boy is the only Levithan novel I haven’t been able to get through, and I’ve tried it several times (both in audio and print).
Great list – much better than the Huffington Post one. I’m a sucker for Sue Trinder and Maud Lilly in Waters’s Fingersmith.
Thank you! Fingersmith does seem to be the preferred novel to Tipping the Velvet, but what can I say, I like ‘em butch.
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Tipping the Velvet may be my favorite Waters book. It is also the first book of hers I ever read! Annie on my Mind also made a big impression on me.
Yay, glad to hear it!
I so agree on Nan and Florence as Waters’ best couple!
And I really need to read Fried Green Tomatoes; I love the movie. I haven’t read any of the others on this list, whoops! lol
Glad you agree about Nan and Florence, hehe. I much prefer the book to the movie (I know, I know, not exactly a controversial position to have) because they cut out all the gay in the movie and it makes me sad.
Some of my favorites: Patience and Sarah, Jude and Sile (from Landing), and Alec and Richard St. Vier (from Swordspoint)
Ooh, you did better than me. Jude and Sile are great!
I loveeee Sile, but Jude didn’t really click with me. I have to check out Swordspoint, I haven’t read that one!
Great list and great suggestions. I think my favorite, hands down, is Ash
Lots of folks seem to love Ash! Not really my thing, but I’m glad it’s so popular
I like Kay and Evelyn from Desert of The Heart, and I so agree about Nan and Flo. Love all Waters books but, Tipping The Velvet is special
Love them
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I haven’t yet read Annie on My Mind or Angels in America but I can understand why you’ve chosen all the rest!
I can also see why you say that watching the movie of Fried Green Tomatoes… is sad, but I still appreciate the potentially controversial elements of the novel that the film does retain more openly (e.g. race relations, Miss Threadgood’s intelligence through old-age), and I don’t think anyone who’s paying attention could possibly miss the significance of Ruth and Idgie’s relationship. (And, oh, yes..Idgie is perfect.) For all its subtlety, I still think, give that the film was released twenty years ago, it was challenging conventions in ways that most commercially successful films of that time were not. (Or maybe I’m just saying that cuz I’m still hooked on Idgie!)
I like my queer characters, in movies and books, out and obvious. I’d still prefer a really butch, true-to-the-book cinematic Idgie for my personal enjoyment.
But the movie is still fun, I agree with you there.