Well, characters in stories have friends too! At times these friendships from the story world are equally beautiful as the ones we cherish in our lives. In books and literature we come across these adorable friendships in the form of female friends, siblings as best friends, unlikely duos and famous and fun trios- just like Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Who doesn’t adore them, right? We all do. Although the thrill of a good romance, a family drama and a workplace chaos is absolute fun to read, there is something universally satisfying and heart-warming when we read about friendships. Best friends, quirky friends, friends beyond borders, in fiction- inspire us and instil us with hope.
Here are 7 such fictional friends that will melt your hearts!
If we are talking about quirky fictional friendships, we sure cannot leave this one out! Ove is a retired old man. He is highly irritable and easily gets annoyed by his neighbours. After his wife passes away, Ove decides to end his life. But his efforts are constantly disrupted, though unknowingly by his pesky neighbors. He soon bonds with an Iranian family next door, which spins the story into a heart-warming ball of amusement.
Call it a little bit of everything- Amar Towles’ ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ introduces its readers to fantasy, politics, romance, parenthood and yes, friendship. Count Rostov is at the heart of this story and he has the role of an observer. Though Rostov doesn’t exactly have anyone he can call his own, after losing his parents and sister, the friendships he has forged in the Metropol are what define his life later on.
Also Read: Fictional Brother-Sister Duos Who’ll Melt Your Heart
Let’s start this one by saying- ‘there are some friends you never forget’! It is the summer of 1955 and sixteen year old Ethan is on the road to find out how deeply ingrained racism is. Ethan is sent to live with his uncle and aunt in Alabama, and he soon finds out how narrow minded the entire town is. To Ethan’s relief, there exists Juniper Jones, a free-spirited girl. With Juniper, Ethan experiences the most adventurous summer ever, riding on bikes and carrying around root beer floats.
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You absolutely should add this one to your list of books with the best fictional friendships. Friendship is a recurring theme in the historical novel- ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’. Whether it is Juliet and her new correspondent, Dawsey who share a unique bond, or Elizabeth who saves her friends from being punished for breaking the rules of the curfew, unique and surprising relationships are at the core of this story.
This one directly goes to the list of hilarious yet charming fictional friendships, you will come across in stories. Lenni Petterson is seventeen and is a patient at the terminal ward of the Glasgow Princess Royal hospital. She knows she is a terminal patient but she hasn’t really given up on life even for a second. When she joins the arts and crafts class at the hospital, she meets eighty-three year old Margot. Margot is a pajama loving, fruit cake fan and has her own rebellious ways. This is just the start of a beautiful friendship between these two.
Aristotle is a teen with a temper problem while Dante is kind of a know-it-all with a delightfully different way of perceiving the world around him. Aristotle and Dante meet each other at a local swimming pool and the two characters have absolutely nothing in common. In this lyrical novel that explores the essence of relationships in life- in the form of friendships and family, and yes love of course, you will come across one of the most heart-melting fictional friendships.
A popular work by Alice Walker, ‘The Color Purple’ has been adapted to theatre and cinema several times. It also won the esteemed Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. This novel unfolds the story and the hardships faced by Celie, a woman who lives in Georgia and wants to protect her sister Nettie from abuse. When Nettie escapes and Celie is left behind, the sisters do not let the distance come in between, they try to help each other from where they are, as much as possible. One of the most beautiful fictional friendships, this sisterhood was portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey on screen.
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