The characters you love compared to the ones you’re supposed to

HARRY vs NEVILLE
There are infinite reasons why Neville Longbottom is superior to Harry Potter. Neville isn’t as egotistical as Harry, he is true and honest, he is loyal, he’s quiet, he’s thoughtful, he doesn’t care about being the centre of attention, he’s romantic, he’s fierce, he’s intelligent, he’s cute, he’s funny, he has good eyesight…need I go on? Harry is the chosen one and all that jazz, but Neville is the true hero. He goes through just as much as Harry and yet is not given near enough sympathy for it, but then again he doesn’t desire sympathy. Let’s face it: Neville the geeky, chubby wizard is a dream boat.

HAMLET vs ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN
Hamlet is my favourite Shakespearean play and I love the emotionally disturbed prince, but I must say Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are far more sympathetic as characters…perhaps because they meet with such a horrid, abrupt end at the hand of Hamlet himself. They may have been spies for the king but they were only doing so out of sheer concern for their friend. The play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (another of my favourite plays) provides me with the evidence I require to formally state that these two sweet, innocent men are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also, they both deserve way more lines in Hamlet.

JANE EYRE vs BERTHA MASON
I may be a little biased here as I prefer Wide Sargasso Sea to Jane Eyre (Jean Rhys rocks my world) but I find the character of the crazy woman in the attic to be a lot more intriguing than plain, grumpy-faced Jane. There is yet to be a single film or television adaptation that does not depict Jane as whiny, sour or dull, and yet Bertha is wild, tragic, beautiful, and incredibly exotic. Fortunately, Rhys could see that someone with a mental illness is a lot more than just a horror story or a brief dramatic ‘nuisance’, unlike Brontë.

JEEVES vs WOOSTER
You’re always supposed to prefer Jeeves in the classic Wodehouse novels even though the events of the books (or the much loved TV series) predominantly follow Wooster. However, I have always had a softer spot for Bertie; the bumbling idiot is just far too funny, innocent and oblivious not to be adored. Jeeves is a magnificent character too, don’t get me wrong, but it’s easy to seem sophisticated and clever next to the hopeless and mildly moronic character of Wooster. It’s also a lot harder to create a likable comedic fool, a skill that not many authors possess.