Wayland Book Lovers Name Literary Lovers for the Ages

Sure the dark, tumultuous love affair of Bella and Edward/Jacob has been the literary love of late making readers everywhere swoon. But the Twilight Saga is hardly the first love story to capture the minds and hearts of readers.

Patch asked two of Wayland's thoroughly book-connected individuals to weigh in on their favorite literary lovers. As it turns out, a single 19th century author penned the love stories that top the list for both Director Ann Knight and Wayland resident Juliette Fay, author of Shelter Me and Deep Down True.

Juliette Fay
Favorite Couple: Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth in Jane Austen's Persuasion

One of my very favorite literary romantic pairs is Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth of Persuasion by Jane Austen. There is something so thrilling about reunions—people who have a past together, separated by design or the vagaries of life, thrown into each other’s path years later to see if the spark of former passion might once again be blown into flames.

I like the fact that they are both older—at the advanced age of 27, Anne has practically been relegated to spinsterhood. Eight years before she’d been engaged to Captain Wentworth, but was persuaded by her family that he was not distinguished enough to marry into her high-ranking family. By happenstance they are once again traveling in the same social circle, and the reader doesn’t know if Captain Wentworth still shares her feelings until he writes her a note, telling her: “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever."

In my humble opinion, “You pierce my soul” has got to be one of the best lines of passionate, tortured love every written. I, like Anne, would have fallen for it in … well, in a heartbeat.

Ann Knight
Favorite couple: Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Because Pride and Prejudice is my favorite novel of all time, I would definitely rate Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet as my all-time favorite literary lovers. As characters they are complex and flawed, yet we are drawn to Elizabeth’s charm and Darcy’s reserve. Austen’s incomparable understanding of human nature and the delightful wit she brings to revealing it makes this one of the best novels ever written. The strength of her writing is how she makes us recognize ourselves in the ways her characters think and act. 

A love story that I feel is just as compelling, although less entertaining, is that of Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth in Austen’s Persuasion. It’s a much more mature love story and very different from that of Darcy and Elizabeth, yet I think it is more deeply experienced and written. It’s a compelling story of lost love and sorrow, second chances and forgiveness, beautifully and precisely written. 

Another of my favorite love stories is that of Grace Crawley and Major Henry Grantly in The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope.  That is the sixth and last book in Trollope’s Barchester series and is considered by many to be one of the great novels in the English language. Although it can be read on its own, you would lose a lot by not reading the previous five books first.

Other favorite fictional lovers include:
- Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- (Lara) Larissa Feodorovna Guishar and Yuri Zhivago in Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
- Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

What do you think? Did Austen really corner the market on literary lovers? Perhaps you have a favorite couple of your own (maybe even Bella and Edward?) Tell us what you think in the comments.