Can the men here suggest the most realistic male characters written by women?
Any genre or time period. Protagonists, antagonists, major characters, minor characters. Would love examples from classic literature, if you have them. Would also love to hear any thoughts on what makes the characters realistic.
The main character is a young man named Vanyel who is a kind of insufferable and spoiled prick to begin with. But he is a closeted gay man and is being abused and he grows a LOT through the relationships he makes with people who love and accept him.
What always stood out to me as a young, straight man was that Vanyel’s feelings of teenaged self-consciousness and his desperation to just find his place in the world always made me relate very hard to him. He is one of the greatest heroes in fiction IMO and though his story is kind of a greek tragedy (the book covers spoil this so don’t worry), the way he embodies selfless service and loyalty were things I have taken into my adult life a lot.
tomrichards8464 on
Austen wrote men well in general. Male love interests in female-authored romances are insufferable from a male perspective at a very high rate, but Darcy, Knightley etc. don’t have that problem and even the cads and comic relief side characters are well-observed and have inner lives that make sense.
John in Du Maurier’s *The Scapegoat* is a good one; I should really read some more Du Maurier.
Funnily enough, I actually think Captain Mirvan in Frances Burney’s Evelina, despite obviously being the comic relief, is a pretty on-point sketch of the kind of larger than life guy he is. Obviously most men are not Captain Mirvan, but some really are, and there’s a bit of him in most of us.
lupuslibrorum on
Jane Austen does pretty good. I don’t have the reference on hand, but supposedly GK Chesterton even said that Austen could coolly and sensibly describe a man better than the Bronte’s or even George Eliot.
Two of my favorite writers are Rosemary Sutcliff and Patricia McKillip.
Sutcliff said that she felt most comfortable writing from the perspective of Roman military men, and her male characters do feel real; admirable without being idealized, a bit different from the women yet still multi-faceted and not too cliched.
McKillip does pretty well with men, too. I never feel that she’s relying on stereotypes about men. *The Bell at Sealey Head* has one of my favorite romances in all of fiction precisely because both the young man and woman feel so real, sensible, and likable.
The top three authors are all women, Sally Rooney, Donna Tartt, and Barbara Kingsolver.
When it comes to classic literature, I’ll give a nod to Virginia Woolf as well.
3kota on
I think that Luis McMaster Bujold wrote incredible character. Love Cazil from Curse of Chalioan but Vorkosigan is an amazing character who grows and grows ip
BetterThanPie on
Iris Murdoch’s male characters—lol. She writes the best worst men. The men in A Severed Head is a good place to start.
Fausts-last-stand on
Annie Proulx in any of her books.
Empty_Oven_9942 on
All the male adults in To Kill a Mockingbird are realistic to me
Atticus Finch, the sheriff, bob ewell, Tom
All feel realistic in their parts and don’t read like what Harper Lee thinks men think, they just exist as men
TorontoHistoricImgs on
I’ve always liked the character **Inspector Guido Brunetti** in Donna Leon’s murder mysteries set in Venice. How he treats his wife, and how he treats his women co-workers. The first in the long series is *Death at La Fenice* [https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/171b7acb-24ee-44f9-ae2d-370b00696697](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/171b7acb-24ee-44f9-ae2d-370b00696697)
isle_say on
Kate Atkinson – Jackson Brodie
no_one_canoe on
Feathers and Veneering in Jane Gardam’s *Old Filth* trilogy. Pretty much all the characters in Pat Barker’s *Regeneration* trilogy. Hans in Jenny Erpenbeck’s *Kairos.* Lots of George Eliot characters—the titular figures in *Daniel Deronda* and *Silas Marner,* Casaubon in *Middlemarch,* etc. If you like science fiction and fantasy, Ursula Le Guin wrote men well too (Genly in *The Left Hand of Darkness,* Abberkam and Teyeo in *Four Ways to Forgiveness*, Ged in the *Earthsea* series, Abhao in *Always Coming Home,* etc.).
All more or less flawed (many of them profoundly, irreparably flawed), but they are more than just their flaws, even the worst of them. They struggle to understand themselves, sometimes, and often struggle to understand others (especially women, in some of these cases), but they try. Sometimes.
spoor_loos on
Not a man, but I’ve heard male readers praise Daphne du Maurier in this regard.
I’d add Dorothy B. Hughes (In a Lonely Place) and Diane Thomas (In Wilderness).
LankySasquatchma on
George Eliot is really good! I’ve read Middlemarch and felt charmed by the portrait of Fred.
No_Repeat9295 on
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. The depictions of males was superb. Are we sure Tartt’s christian name isn’t Donald?
Wild-Fault4214 on
I thought the men in Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood were written pretty well
Delicious-Health4460 on
Willa Cather – My Antonia, the protagonist is a boy growing up, written very well
LarkScarlett on
I’ve heard that Larry’s Party by Carol Shields is a particularly accurate depiction/portrayal of a man’s life written by a woman (1997). I read it years ago, on a recommendation from an English/writing teacher and found it insightful (though I’m a woman myself). Larry lives a pretty ordinary life by a lot of metrics, and begins the book as a florist. The book won a few awards, could be worth adding to your list.
mishaindigo on
George Eliot is the first one who comes to mind, but there are plenty…Austen, Woolf, Edith Wharton, Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich, Donna Tartt, Marilynn Robinson…
wolfboy099 on
If you like mystery, Tana French. Tho many of her leads are female so read the description first
its35degreesout on
Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
tkingsbu on
CJ Cherryh, and Connie Willis both write male characters exceptionally well.
Cyteen by CJ Cherryh
Blackout / All Clear, by Connie Willis
Winthefuturenow on
Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer seems to do alright, I actually finished it before realizing it was written by a woman 🤷♀️
whatisscoobydone on
Teenage me would have said the SE Hinton books. Haven’t read them in like 20 years though
IvanMarkowKane on
I found the husband in Gone Girl ( Gillian Flynn ) to be believable.
Quick_Programmer_401 on
dorothy l sayers was known for writing men well. (i am a woman sorry lol.)
Responsible_Oil_5811 on
George Eliot, Agatha Christie, and Harper Lee come to mind.
Bargle-Nawdle-Zouss on
Everything by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Remarkable-Pea4889 on
This is a kid’s book but Sport by Louise Fitzhugh
Gone with the Wind
Littlepage3130 on
I think the men in Little Women are written realistically.
Cronewithneedles on
Realm of the Elderlings series (16 books) by Robin Hobb
Veteranis on
I think Virginia Woolf does men realistically, within the context of her experimental fiction. I mean, all of her characters are seen only partially and not whole. But her men don’t seem less real than her women
Mentalfloss1 on
Demon in *Demon Copperhead*.
s2auden on
Demon Copperhead
ehsteve87 on
I can already see the downvotes coming in, but…
…there’s a reason the Harry Potter books were/are so popular among male adolescents. I’d wager most people wouldn’t know whether JK Rowling was a man or a woman based on the novels alone. I leave it to you, Reddit, to come up with a good follow-up joke.
jwezorek on
I think the characterization of the main character Ged of Le Guin’s *A Wizard of Earthsea* captures adolescent maleness well. He’s thoughtful but also does dumb impulsive things when driven by ego in a realistic way.
yeswab on
Hugo Whittier in “The Epicure’s Lament” by Kate Christensen.
The1983 on
I’ve not finished the book but Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a well written character.
Debbborra on
Sunday Pigeon Murders by Craig Rice (don’t let the name fool you.)
The_Walkin_Dude1 on
I can’t think of any character who isn’t realistic.
its35degreesout on
Several of the male characters in *My Brilliant Friend* and its sequels, by Elena Ferrante. I’m thinking particularly of Donato Sarratore and his son Nino, with both of whom the main character has a complex relationship. Each of them has admirable traits, and some not-so-admirable ones. The book series is BRILLIANT, and the HBO adaptation is just about as good as they come in terms of translating books to the screen!
fattsmelly on
Demon Copperhead- Barbara Kingsolver
ravenreyess on
Mary Renault (and men were convinced that The Charioteer couldn’t have been written by a woman because it captured queer men so accurately)
sonofbantu on
At this point I’m convinced it just doesn’t exist. Harry Potter is genuinely the best example I can think of
timothj on
In Margaret Atwood’s “The Robber Bride” each of the three female protagonists has a boyfriend or husband. They are presented through the eyes of the women, but they all seemed real to me. (The villain, the titular character, also female, hurts the three protagonists in several ways, including through their men.)
tiramisufairy on
I’m a Percy Blakeney fan (Sir Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy)
TheMelancholyJaques on
Damon Fields in *Demon Copperhead* by Barbara Kingsolver
46 Comments
The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey
The main character is a young man named Vanyel who is a kind of insufferable and spoiled prick to begin with. But he is a closeted gay man and is being abused and he grows a LOT through the relationships he makes with people who love and accept him.
What always stood out to me as a young, straight man was that Vanyel’s feelings of teenaged self-consciousness and his desperation to just find his place in the world always made me relate very hard to him. He is one of the greatest heroes in fiction IMO and though his story is kind of a greek tragedy (the book covers spoil this so don’t worry), the way he embodies selfless service and loyalty were things I have taken into my adult life a lot.
Austen wrote men well in general. Male love interests in female-authored romances are insufferable from a male perspective at a very high rate, but Darcy, Knightley etc. don’t have that problem and even the cads and comic relief side characters are well-observed and have inner lives that make sense.
John in Du Maurier’s *The Scapegoat* is a good one; I should really read some more Du Maurier.
Funnily enough, I actually think Captain Mirvan in Frances Burney’s Evelina, despite obviously being the comic relief, is a pretty on-point sketch of the kind of larger than life guy he is. Obviously most men are not Captain Mirvan, but some really are, and there’s a bit of him in most of us.
Jane Austen does pretty good. I don’t have the reference on hand, but supposedly GK Chesterton even said that Austen could coolly and sensibly describe a man better than the Bronte’s or even George Eliot.
Two of my favorite writers are Rosemary Sutcliff and Patricia McKillip.
Sutcliff said that she felt most comfortable writing from the perspective of Roman military men, and her male characters do feel real; admirable without being idealized, a bit different from the women yet still multi-faceted and not too cliched.
McKillip does pretty well with men, too. I never feel that she’s relying on stereotypes about men. *The Bell at Sealey Head* has one of my favorite romances in all of fiction precisely because both the young man and woman feel so real, sensible, and likable.
Check out [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1iv3zi8/suggest_me_an_author_who_is_exceptionally_good_at/) I made a handful of months back, there are lots of great responses.
The top three authors are all women, Sally Rooney, Donna Tartt, and Barbara Kingsolver.
When it comes to classic literature, I’ll give a nod to Virginia Woolf as well.
I think that Luis McMaster Bujold wrote incredible character. Love Cazil from Curse of Chalioan but Vorkosigan is an amazing character who grows and grows ip
Iris Murdoch’s male characters—lol. She writes the best worst men. The men in A Severed Head is a good place to start.
Annie Proulx in any of her books.
All the male adults in To Kill a Mockingbird are realistic to me
Atticus Finch, the sheriff, bob ewell, Tom
All feel realistic in their parts and don’t read like what Harper Lee thinks men think, they just exist as men
I’ve always liked the character **Inspector Guido Brunetti** in Donna Leon’s murder mysteries set in Venice. How he treats his wife, and how he treats his women co-workers. The first in the long series is *Death at La Fenice* [https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/171b7acb-24ee-44f9-ae2d-370b00696697](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/171b7acb-24ee-44f9-ae2d-370b00696697)
Kate Atkinson – Jackson Brodie
Feathers and Veneering in Jane Gardam’s *Old Filth* trilogy. Pretty much all the characters in Pat Barker’s *Regeneration* trilogy. Hans in Jenny Erpenbeck’s *Kairos.* Lots of George Eliot characters—the titular figures in *Daniel Deronda* and *Silas Marner,* Casaubon in *Middlemarch,* etc. If you like science fiction and fantasy, Ursula Le Guin wrote men well too (Genly in *The Left Hand of Darkness,* Abberkam and Teyeo in *Four Ways to Forgiveness*, Ged in the *Earthsea* series, Abhao in *Always Coming Home,* etc.).
All more or less flawed (many of them profoundly, irreparably flawed), but they are more than just their flaws, even the worst of them. They struggle to understand themselves, sometimes, and often struggle to understand others (especially women, in some of these cases), but they try. Sometimes.
Not a man, but I’ve heard male readers praise Daphne du Maurier in this regard.
I’d add Dorothy B. Hughes (In a Lonely Place) and Diane Thomas (In Wilderness).
George Eliot is really good! I’ve read Middlemarch and felt charmed by the portrait of Fred.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. The depictions of males was superb. Are we sure Tartt’s christian name isn’t Donald?
I thought the men in Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood were written pretty well
Willa Cather – My Antonia, the protagonist is a boy growing up, written very well
I’ve heard that Larry’s Party by Carol Shields is a particularly accurate depiction/portrayal of a man’s life written by a woman (1997). I read it years ago, on a recommendation from an English/writing teacher and found it insightful (though I’m a woman myself). Larry lives a pretty ordinary life by a lot of metrics, and begins the book as a florist. The book won a few awards, could be worth adding to your list.
George Eliot is the first one who comes to mind, but there are plenty…Austen, Woolf, Edith Wharton, Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich, Donna Tartt, Marilynn Robinson…
If you like mystery, Tana French. Tho many of her leads are female so read the description first
Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
CJ Cherryh, and Connie Willis both write male characters exceptionally well.
Cyteen by CJ Cherryh
Blackout / All Clear, by Connie Willis
Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer seems to do alright, I actually finished it before realizing it was written by a woman 🤷♀️
Teenage me would have said the SE Hinton books. Haven’t read them in like 20 years though
I found the husband in Gone Girl ( Gillian Flynn ) to be believable.
dorothy l sayers was known for writing men well. (i am a woman sorry lol.)
George Eliot, Agatha Christie, and Harper Lee come to mind.
Everything by Lois McMaster Bujold.
This is a kid’s book but Sport by Louise Fitzhugh
Gone with the Wind
I think the men in Little Women are written realistically.
Realm of the Elderlings series (16 books) by Robin Hobb
I think Virginia Woolf does men realistically, within the context of her experimental fiction. I mean, all of her characters are seen only partially and not whole. But her men don’t seem less real than her women
Demon in *Demon Copperhead*.
Demon Copperhead
I can already see the downvotes coming in, but…
…there’s a reason the Harry Potter books were/are so popular among male adolescents. I’d wager most people wouldn’t know whether JK Rowling was a man or a woman based on the novels alone. I leave it to you, Reddit, to come up with a good follow-up joke.
I think the characterization of the main character Ged of Le Guin’s *A Wizard of Earthsea* captures adolescent maleness well. He’s thoughtful but also does dumb impulsive things when driven by ego in a realistic way.
Hugo Whittier in “The Epicure’s Lament” by Kate Christensen.
I’ve not finished the book but Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a well written character.
Sunday Pigeon Murders by Craig Rice (don’t let the name fool you.)
I can’t think of any character who isn’t realistic.
Several of the male characters in *My Brilliant Friend* and its sequels, by Elena Ferrante. I’m thinking particularly of Donato Sarratore and his son Nino, with both of whom the main character has a complex relationship. Each of them has admirable traits, and some not-so-admirable ones. The book series is BRILLIANT, and the HBO adaptation is just about as good as they come in terms of translating books to the screen!
Demon Copperhead- Barbara Kingsolver
Mary Renault (and men were convinced that The Charioteer couldn’t have been written by a woman because it captured queer men so accurately)
At this point I’m convinced it just doesn’t exist. Harry Potter is genuinely the best example I can think of
In Margaret Atwood’s “The Robber Bride” each of the three female protagonists has a boyfriend or husband. They are presented through the eyes of the women, but they all seemed real to me. (The villain, the titular character, also female, hurts the three protagonists in several ways, including through their men.)
I’m a Percy Blakeney fan (Sir Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy)
Damon Fields in *Demon Copperhead* by Barbara Kingsolver
Quoyle in *The Shipping News* by E. Annie Proulx
Hazel Motes in *Wise Blood* by Flannery O’Connor