Literary Dynamic Duos

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FAVORITE LITERARY DYNAMIC DUOS (in no particular order)

1. DAVE ROBICHEAUX & CLETE PURCELL
   From James Lee Burke's detective series that started with The Neon Rain, this pair is one of my two favorite detective/sidekick duos.  Together they make crime busting an art.
   
2. SPENSER & HAWK
   My other detective/sidekick favorite, created by Robert B. Parker.  Until Dave Robicheaux & Clete Purcell, there wasn't a crime busting partnership that could touch Spenser & Hawk.  I will confess here that, not being hugely impressed with Parker's elementary writing style, I fell in love with this duo when Spenser: For Hire began on TV.  For me, Robert Urich & Avery Brooks perfectly embodied the essence of Parker's characters.
   
3. TOM SAWYER & HUCKLEBERRY FINN
   Who doesn't love these two crazy kids?  Mark Twain was an unparalleled genius in creating two precocious boys who, in the midst of getting into all manner of trouble, had the best of hearts and intentions.
   
4. SCOUT & JEM FINCH
   Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird gave the literary world so many wonderful things, not the least of which is this brother/sister duo that embody what a sibling connection can be.  Love them.
   
5. NAOMI & RUTH
   This biblical pair are the epitome of what an ideal mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship should be.  They love each other and are devoted to each other despite the losses and sadness they have experienced.
   
6. JO & LAURIE
   From Little Women...who wouldn't want to have Jo & Laurie as friends?  They had constant adventures, fought like they were brother & sister, were intellectually challenging to each other, and loved each other & their families with ferocity & loyalty.  The best of best friends.
   
7. FRANKLIN & BEAR
   Paulette Bourgeois' Franklin books are wonderful for preschoolers & young readers.  Franklin & Bear are best of friends who stick together, learn together, have fun together, and are great examples of what good friends should be.
   
8. ORRY MAIN & GEORGE HAZARD
   John Jakes' North and South trilogy has a special place in my heart.  It is my favorite historical saga and it is one of the few times when I fell completely in love with one of the main characters...Orry Main.  I loved who he was, a proud Southerner with a good heart and many flaws, a gentleman who stood up to (and defended people against) abusive behavior, and a man who's love for his friend, George Hazard (a proud Northerner) remained steady throughout the Civil War.  I love that this legacy followed them throughout their lives, and that, though they were politically opposed, they did not allow that to ruin their friendship.
   
9. LOUIS & LESTAT
   Though not a huge fan of vampires and such, I did love Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat.  The relationship, contentious as it could be, between Louis & Lestat was interesting, controversial, and at times infuriating.  They were both strong, and their divergent convictions - along with Lestat's complete devotion to hedonistic pursuits - made for an intriguing (and sometimes baffling) relationship between them.
   
10. HARRY POTTER, RON WEASLEY & HERMIONE GRANGER
    J. K. Rowling's tremendous trio...each as integral to the other as breathing.  There is no grouping like them in all of literature.
    
11. KATHERINE TYLER (KIT) & HANNA TUPPER
    From Elizabeth George Spears' The Witch of Blackbird Pond, these two characters are outcasts in a Puritan community in Connecticut that believes both of them to be witches.  They offer friendship to each other in what would otherwise be a desolate existence for them.  They watch out for each other, teach a little girl to read (whose mother has deemed her a halfwit), and ultimately protect each other from the superstitions of the Puritan community.
    
12. CALVIN & HOBBES
    So, so, so, so funny.  Calvin is the ultimate precocious kid with a raging imagination.  Love him, and love Hobbes more because he's the "adult" in the relationship.  And they make me so very thankful not to be parenting them. LOL
    
13. JAMES HERRIOT & THE FARNON BROTHERS
    Based on the true stories of James Herriot's years as a country vet, these three have the craziest and most hilarious adventures.  Herriot joins the Farnon's veterinary practice, and the life that transpires as a result of this partnership is what the greatest of stories are made of.  I absolutely devoured these books as a kid, and again as an adult.  They are not to be missed.
    
14. CLIFFORD & EMILY ELIZABETH
    OK, I'll admit I stole this one from another list, but how could I not add it?  This was my son's first favorite series - both books and tv - and I loved how the relationship between EE and Clifford started, developed, and continued throughout the series.
    
15. DANTE & VIRGIL
    From The Divine Comedy, this partnership is one of the most memorable in literature, largely because of the exploration they undertake.  Virgil (and later Beatrice) are exemplary guides through the afterlife, and Dante's experience is tremendous, touching, and profound.