I'm going to sound like a schmuck now, but today's Favorite Fictional Character is not one I've ever met for myself. I know who he is of course, who doesn't, but I've never taken the time to read about him. I'm sad to say that it's taken Simcha of SFF Chat to remind me of that oversight. Simcha, who I think is an absolutely fabulous, is based in Israel. Her blog is one that I visit on a daily basis and I can always count on her to let me know about the new fantasy/scifi releases and reviews. So go on over and tell her hi, stay for a while, and I know you will never leave.
I first encountered Tom Sawyer when I was thirteen years old and I was immediately captivated by this mischievous boy with the wild imagination. I was in awe of his clever tricks and easy ability to beguile others (the fence whitewashing trick was classic!) and I loved to imagine myself by his side, participating in each of his adventures.
After finishing Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I got a hold of several other books featuring Tom and I read through them all again and again. he became the best-friend that I always wanted and all my real-life friends pale in comparison. I longed to transport myself into his stories so that we could run around together barefoot, getting into trouble by concocting new adventures. though now and than I think about it, I probably had more in common with Tom Sawyer than I realized at the time (a particular recollection just floated into my head of the time I convinced my friend to put all her belongings into a shopping cart and sell them to passersby along a busy Boston street.) Together we would have been a real terror.
It's been a while since I last visited Tom Sawyer, but he still remains one of my favorite book characters. Thinking about him now reminds me of my own childhood and of the delight of being young, carefree and rich in imagination.
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