Posts
Thank you for the prime examples of movie bad boys. Visual aid is so fun, isn't it? The names you came up with brought up immediate images. For example, Mickey Roarke in 9 1/2 Weeks--the scene where they were all over each other in the clocktower. I was surprised no one brought up James Dean, although his roles never did a thing for me. But he was viewed as the consummate bad boy in Rebel Without A Cause. I just saw him as an overangsty teenager in need of a week of roofing ;-).
Anyway, today, I thought we would think of books. Which was your first book when you were aware that the hero was just SO BAD? You know, he was so bad he made you squirm at what he was doing to the heroine and you want to smack her for her weakness (and yet you're weak yourself). There's always some kind of deep-seated anger in the bad boy that makes him vulnerable to our (if not to those around him) eyes.
Who won you to the dark side?
Monique mentioned Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights. Classic bad boy out for revenge. I remember reading this book out loud in my first literature class and really, really digging this horrible, angry man. Everyone in class was horrified at his actions, especially what he did to the young couple, but me, I was enthralled. Heathcliffe's only weakness was his obsessive love for Cathy but in my head, I was already adding my take of the times he came to visit her after she was married. Of course, he was making love to her over and over to show her what she was missing, married to that sissy ;-). But this being "literature," of course the theme was all about bad boys being bad and so loving them would destroy one's life. Bah.
Wuthering Heights remains one of my favorite all-time rereads. Of course, it's hard to get Lord Lawrence Olivier playing Heathcliffe out of my mind when I'm reading it.
In romance books, I think the first hint of bad boy getting into my taste buds was Nora Robert's Michael Fury in Finding The Dream (#3 in the Dream Trilogy). Then I started glomming all of Anne Stuart's Harlequin Americans. Oh My God. Bad Boy Dietrama! She, to this day, is the queen of Bad Boy Anti-hero to me. Through the years, she has even written romances with bad boys who cheated on their heroines and still managed to win me over. Her single title, Ritual Sins, convinced me that I'm addicted to bad boys ;-).
Today you get a few bad boy vampires roaming around in our favorite paranormals. Not to mention Karen Marie Moning's Adam Black, the bad fey--so Hawt.
Which Bad Boy in a book turned you to the dark side?
Anyway, today, I thought we would think of books. Which was your first book when you were aware that the hero was just SO BAD? You know, he was so bad he made you squirm at what he was doing to the heroine and you want to smack her for her weakness (and yet you're weak yourself). There's always some kind of deep-seated anger in the bad boy that makes him vulnerable to our (if not to those around him) eyes.
Who won you to the dark side?
Monique mentioned Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights. Classic bad boy out for revenge. I remember reading this book out loud in my first literature class and really, really digging this horrible, angry man. Everyone in class was horrified at his actions, especially what he did to the young couple, but me, I was enthralled. Heathcliffe's only weakness was his obsessive love for Cathy but in my head, I was already adding my take of the times he came to visit her after she was married. Of course, he was making love to her over and over to show her what she was missing, married to that sissy ;-). But this being "literature," of course the theme was all about bad boys being bad and so loving them would destroy one's life. Bah.
Wuthering Heights remains one of my favorite all-time rereads. Of course, it's hard to get Lord Lawrence Olivier playing Heathcliffe out of my mind when I'm reading it.
In romance books, I think the first hint of bad boy getting into my taste buds was Nora Robert's Michael Fury in Finding The Dream (#3 in the Dream Trilogy). Then I started glomming all of Anne Stuart's Harlequin Americans. Oh My God. Bad Boy Dietrama! She, to this day, is the queen of Bad Boy Anti-hero to me. Through the years, she has even written romances with bad boys who cheated on their heroines and still managed to win me over. Her single title, Ritual Sins, convinced me that I'm addicted to bad boys ;-).
Today you get a few bad boy vampires roaming around in our favorite paranormals. Not to mention Karen Marie Moning's Adam Black, the bad fey--so Hawt.
Which Bad Boy in a book turned you to the dark side?
You don't think I would forget about JOSH, do you? ;-P
Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
11 comments:
First book I remember reading was The Wolf and the Dove by Woodiwiss. His name was Wulfgar, and I was hooked.
Just about every Anne Stuart hero I've ever read would count. I lurve them all so.
I haven't been reading romance all that long, 3 years maybe? But the one I luuuurv and will never forget is Dominic from Elizabeth Lowell's UNTAMED.
WHOA.
Mmm... in standard romance my fav bad boys have to be Max Conroy and Brett Rutland, both courtesy of Linda Howard. Talk about betrayals! Outside of standard romance, I'd probably have to go with Arikos (Dream Hunter) right now, though if Sherrilyn would ever write Vane's brothers stories I'd probably be saying them. Yum! I'm dying for Fury's story.
1st?? If I am totally honest, Steve, of the "Steve and Ginny" Steves. Mad, bad and so drooly. Then some of La Lindas, esp Dane Hollister in Dream Man. Augh!
not really a romance, at least not a happy one, but i always loved the character Gastby. he was a bootlegger and a partier with a checkered past but still (for a reason i cannot discern since i thought she was such a ditz) held out hope that daisy would leave her lousy husband and return to him.
Gray Rouillard in After the Night by Linda Howard! I love that book. Both the long-haired hero and sizzling story were simply irresistible. But if I were to recall some truly baaad boys, I'd think of the men conjured up by Virginia Henley - I never could decide if I loved or hated them.
Oh yeah, VH could really write uber-bad boys! I couldn't decide whether to love or hate them either LOL
Tressa,
Yes, I remember Wulfgar! Those old historicals have the first bad boys, didn't they?
Lauren,
I have never read anything but bad boys in a Stuart hero. Can you see her doing a Beta? Yikes!
Aimee,
I'm trying to remember the book. I know Lowell wrote some Uber A-hole Alpha but can't remember one that has a Bad Boy Alpha.
Monique,
Yes, Max was pretty bad, although he hid it all behind that smooth operator executive demeanor.
Sarah,
OH YES! Steve Morgan, that bastard! I loved him so. And he was the baddest bad boy evah in a Western historical.
Kim,
Really? Gatsby? Trying to see it. I see the angst...trying to remember if he had a ruthless streak. Because all bad boys are ruthless, you know.
Fanciful Fern,
Oh, all the Linda Howard heros are coming out to play ;-). Gray Rouillard was exceptionally bad, esp. those first few scenes with Faith. Hated him. HATED him! But so irresistible when he decided to apply the charm. I agree about VH too. She had some great lines in those old historicals!
Gray Rouillard....drool...
Gray Rouillard was exceptional ..yummo. Just finished Anne Stuart's Ice Blue with Takashi (sp?) he's a prick with skills, ooh yeah baby. She does write such lovely baduns. Linda Howard is definitely another queen of bad boys. How about Anne Bishop's Daemon?
Post a Comment